Cat and baby advice

[benne81]

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and getting increasingly concerned about what I'm going to do about my cat when the baby arrives. The situation is made particularly difficult in that I live in a typical london flat so bare with me.

We live in a two bedroom flat and our main bedroom leads out via double doors onto a garden and this is where we have the cat flap (it is the only place we can have the cat flap to lead to the back garden). The second bedroom is the nursery which is ready and raring to go and we have kept the cat out of that room. We also have a kictchen, bathroom and living room but the door to the living room is closed to the cat in the evening so she doesn't rag the sofa.

My issue is that the cat sleeps in our bedrooom every night until about 5am in the morning and then goes out (we have an electric catflap that keeps her in in the evening becuase she fights with the neighbours cat) but we will have the baby and moses basket in our room initially as well. My concern is that the cat may be tempted to nip in the moses basket with the baby and the possible risk of suffocation and yet I have read that the baby should sleep in the same room as you for the 1st six months. Closing the door on the cat will be impossible as she will just a yell and keep us awake all evening.

My husband is just doing that 'don't worry it will be fine' which I originally went along with but now I'm beginning to panic - anyone else shared a room with a baby and a cat? Anyone put the baby in the nursery with a baby monitor from a young age? Anyone any suggestions?

Sorry for the hefty post

[eurochick]

You must all have very timid cats!

My mum has told me that when I was a baby she once put me in the moses basket and turned round to put shopping away. One of our cats climbed in and was laying on me. She picked it up and as she did, the cat scratched me across the face, narrowly missing my eye. So you definitely can't just bank on the cat staying away of its own free will. I would have thought the cat-free nursery would be safer, tbh.

[GiraffesHaveMoreFun]

Be prepared for a dirty protest too. Mine has started pooing in the bath [boak].

[Oeisha]

Giraffes at least it's in the bath...
My boys are rescue boys and one went through a path of pooing on DH's clothes if they were left on the floor, but he's over that now, and just does the very occasional wee in the shower. He is nice enough to come and tell us what he's done though.

FYI: essential oils are all but impossible for cats livers to 'digest' properly and just build up...so if there's any chance of the oils getting onto cats paws, or directly licking, then avoid essential oils (very occasional exposure's not going to harm, but regualr will).

Oh, and sudden changes in behaviour such as pooing in the bath can indicate things like cystitis or constipation (they essentially become afraid of the pain of going to the toilet in their usual spot/litter tray) and will try somewhere else to avoid the association of tray+weeing/pooing=pain. Always get them checked by a vet if this happens...then you can start dealing with the behavioural stuff.

Will certainly be looking out for all signs of stress when my LO's born in Jan!

[GiraffesHaveMoreFun]

Ooh thanks for that info - will call the vet tomorrow!

[roz1982]

I'm a bit worried about this as I have a half Siamese cat who is sooooo persistent and so naughty!!! I can't bear the thought of cat getting anywhere near cot, Moses basket, pram etc and leaving cat hairs and bits of crap all over!!! She's very bitty as well so unless she is well supervised (the cat, that is!) she will be staying well out the way in the kitchen when baby arrives! She gets under your feet as well and I keep having visions of a sleep deprived me going arse over tit with babe in arms because cat is running amok!!!

[Oeisha]

roz My boys are mogs, but with definite siamese/burmese in them (they're tipped, rangey, vocal and needy). They're both very chatty and affectionate...bless 'em. Anyway, yes, I have the same worries. They've already almost toppled me on the stairs a few times...Luckily we have a 'half way refuge' that I now stop on every time for a few moments and wait for the hooves to pass before I continue.
The suggestion is, to specifically make time for needy-kitties. Make sure they know their boundaries. So, if you're holding baby a "NO!" and a 1/2-finger tap on the nose/spritz with water. BUT when you have time, do some playing/fussing with them, call them over with treats and make a REAL fuss for a good 10-20mins...and remember to do it. Or, if not quite that high maintainance, ignore whilst with baby and then praise and cuddle immediatly after leaving baby, so they 'get their turn'. They're usually intelligent enough to figure mum+baby=not my time.
Oh, and all with kitties, don't be surprised if your cat's meows change a bit and they start to drive you mental with concern. Cats attune their meows to be similar in frequency to babys crying...to get your attention for quickly...canny wee buggers.

[TheBride]

eurochick "I would have thought the cat-free nursery would be safer, tbh."

Well, me too, but then I'd have to admit putting DS in own room at 6 wks and if the SIDS brigade find this thread I'll be strung up, despite a clear balance of risk in this case in favour of that option.

My cats are quite timid tbh, or at least both are wary of people/strange situations. They were both strays and I suspect one was born stray as she was terrified of people and hid behind the TV cabinet for the first 2 mths (this was pre-DS). She's reasonably friendly now, but, eg, I've never been able to pick her up.