Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

How do I keep the cat off the baby?

54 replies

HomeIsWhereTheGinIs · 27/12/2013 11:47

We have a cat that we absolutely dote upon and I'm pregnant with our first child. We plan to put the baby in our room when it's first born but I'm a little concerned about keeping the cat from sleeping on the baby. The cat has always slept on our bed and I'd like to allow it to continue to do so.

Any ideas on how best to go about doing this? Has anyone found a crib with bars on the top (no cracks about "caging the baby" please!) or similar? What did you do? Or did you all evict the cats?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

akachan · 27/12/2013 11:50

I'd be surprised if the cat wants to sleep on the baby, your cat will likely be quite wary given they make a lot of noise. If you're concerned, what about a net?

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 27/12/2013 11:51

Put the baby on the cat?

Sorry, couldnt resist. Personally (having experienced my cat pissing on my baby's moses basket) i'd have the cat out of the room from now so that he doesnt associate it with arrival of baby. Cats can get jealous and will try and claim baby spaces as their own. In a smelly and hairy way. Get the cat used to being out of your room now. Make him a lovely snuggly bed somewhere else in the house and stick to the 'not in the bedroom' rule from now on.

Rockchick1984 · 27/12/2013 11:52

I don't think realistically its going to be safe to allow the cat to sleep in the same room as the baby... Even if you could find a cot with something on the top (unlikely) then what happens a few months down the line when baby can sit up and it would be dangerous to have them trapped in something with a lid on it?

Alternatively you and your DH could have separate bedrooms - one with baby in and one with cat in? Think that's going to be your only way around it!

qazxc · 27/12/2013 11:52

They are cat net things that fit over cots, don't know how reliable they are though. I'd just say shut the cat out TBH, with a noisy baby and getting up for feeds and changes the cat might not find your room such an attractive spot for slumber anyway.

Original poster

HomeIsWhereTheGinIs · 27/12/2013 11:53

akachan I like the idea of the net! I'm more concerned that the cat will like the warmth of the baby than anything else.

Yourebeing quite right - and I would one a few photos like that once the baby arrives! I just find it hard to think of kicking the cat out. I think I'll hold out for a middle solution if I possibly can.

OP posts:

NatashaBee · 27/12/2013 11:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eurochick · 27/12/2013 12:01

I love pets but not in bedrooms, so I'd try kicking the cat out now before the baby arrives. We had cats when I was a baby and they would always make a beeline for my pram/basket as a comfy place to sleep. I don't think the cat will want to sleep on the baby, but it probably will make for the warm comfy place.

MissHobart · 27/12/2013 12:05

You can get covers for baskets and cribs/cots, it's a fine mesh to stop them jumping in. I won't be stopping my cats from coming in the bedroom or going in the nursery. They are part of the family and were here first!

MissHobart · 27/12/2013 12:07

I agree that once a baby comes and it's screaming the cats won't want to be anywhere near!

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 27/12/2013 12:10

You'd be surprised mshobart. Mine wasnt at all fazed by screaming baby and would just wait patiently for me to lift babybout of basket so he could jump in.

If your cat started pissing on your baby's e i think you'd quickly change your mind about having the baby in the bedroom. And i speak as a huge animal lover.

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 27/12/2013 12:11

Your baby's bed not e

Original poster

HomeIsWhereTheGinIs · 27/12/2013 12:12

You probably have a point about the screaming MissHobart. A friend brought her newborn over the other day and it was shrieking - and you should have seen my cat! It's never been so terrified, poor little thing!

The cat is family, I vote that the cat stays too, and I'd rather manage it pro-actively with a net than be too tired to notice one day that the cat is in the room because I forgot to kick it out…?

OP posts:

LlamaLover · 27/12/2013 13:15

I have 4 cats and a now toddler. My suggestion would be - don't put the Moses basket, cot etc out until baby is here. If needed put very uncomfy boxes etc in the cot until baby is here.

Although babies are cute and cuddly to us - to cats they are sniffly, unpredictable mini humans who don't even feed them. Its more the comfy spaces babies get that are of interest to cats.

Once baby arrived, cats were curious, but generally wary. Advice is now all naps/sleeps in same room as you for first 6 months, so cat won't be in with baby unsupervised anyway.

You could try encouraging cat to sleep at the foot of the bed if they don't already. Then they are near you, but away from baby. I also often breastfed with baby on one boob and cat on other half of lap purring away but with a wary eye on baby.

I considered a cat net too - but thought they looked like a bit of a gimmick - a faff and not much use really.

Now my son runs around like a loon, 2 cats are pretty indifferent to him, just watch from a high up place, 1 adores him and winds herself around his legs whenever she can, and 1 goes out and comes back in for cuddles in front of the fire once he's in bed. We all live in harmony! You never quite know how they'll react!

tgamble13 · 27/12/2013 14:14

i have three cats and baby due next three weeks. i put the cats out of the room about a month ago have cat beds out in the landing, kitchen and lounge. i wanted the cats to get use to not being in the bedroom. it wasnt just the fact they might sleep with the baby for the heat i was worried about but the cat hairs and any dirt they may carry in

hubbahubster · 27/12/2013 14:20

I love my cat dearly but I would never allow her to sleep in my room. For a start she's very nocturnal and would be leaping around all night! My kitty couldn't have cared less about DS when he arrived and wasn't at all interested in him, but seriously, even the possibility that she could have smothered him... There is no way I'd take the risk. Whether or not you love your cat and you think it might cry a fair bit if you kick it out of your room - what's more important here? The cat will get over it.

tgamble13 · 27/12/2013 14:46

here here ^

Romily · 27/12/2013 17:03

When we brought our DD home we left her in the car seat for a few minutes and let our cats have a nosey. They sniffed her she cried and they never went near her again! We were of course careful to never leave them in a room alone together and kept the bedroom doors shut during naps and bedtimes.

I can honestly say though that all the cats we have had have given our DD a wide berth!

Hubbythecatandme · 27/12/2013 17:22

I am like MissHobart, cat is part of the family so there is no way I will be kicking him out! He never pees indoor, never has and he hates toddlers and babies (as someone else said, too much noise and movement, it freaks him out!). Cat sleeps in radiator bed or on top of wardrobe so I too will be looking at ways to keep baby safe with a net or something. Not sending cat packing lol. He often sleeps in other parts of the house anyway but it has to be his choice :)

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 27/12/2013 18:01

If your cat had diahorrea or was vomiting would you let him sleep in your room? Or would you put him somewhere like the bathroom or utility where vomit can be wiped easily?

OddFodd · 27/12/2013 18:51

I really wouldn't bother buying a net until you know how your cat is around the baby. Mine were horrified and didn't want to be anywhere near him or anything that smelled like him. They stopped sleeping on the bed and went nowhere near the moses basket

gamerchick · 27/12/2013 18:54

You can say what you want now.. but I'm pretty sure when your babies here you'll feel differently.

HazleNutt · 27/12/2013 21:12

as others have said, I would not worry that much. I have 3 cats who sleep in our bed, none of them has ever tried to sleep anywhere near DS. Not even when he is in our bed as well.

MrsVDB · 27/12/2013 23:45

I'm due in a couple of weeks and our cat sleeps on our bed too. I'm planning on seeing how it goes. He has never weed in house or anything and I think (hope) hell be too scared of baby to think he's a cosy spot to sleep

Fedup1992 · 28/12/2013 03:47

Our kitty has been shaved (Persian) can't stand the thought of the hair it malts around or going on my baby. I think it likes the new hair do tbh

Our cat has started sleeping on the floor in our room or he is at the bottom of the bed never comes in our faces. But if he did he wouldn't be going any wer near the baby as much as I love him xxxxx

Fedup1992 · 28/12/2013 03:47

And the cat is scared of anything so doubt he will go near the baby xxx

Flip

1 2 3