Cats and newborn babies

[iamrubyfinch]

I'm 16 weeks pregnant and planning for the new arrival. One of my concerns is that I have two indoor cats. Like all cats, they are inquisitive and playful and whilst they have never hurt anyone, I am getting a bit worried.

I read somewhere that a baby should never be left alone in the same room as cats, but I don't see how this is possible! I'm also concerned about the cats jumping into the cot when I'm not there to stop them.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Any suggestions for what to do? I love my cats more than anything, and the last thing I want is to get rid of them, but obviously my baby has to take priority.

Thanks.

Our two cats kept a wide berth from our DD. They still do and DD's 2.5. One of them likes sneaking into her cot for a snooze...but only when she's not around. As soon as DD appears, the cat is out of there like a shot!

Sorry to be a party pooper but I'm a lactation consultant and on a home visit witnessed a cat scratching a newborn. During my 2 hour visit, the cat was clearly becoming more and more agitated. She was trying to jump up on mum's lap while mum was feeding. The baby was obviously right there and she certainly wasn't frightened of baby. Then trying to grab mum's feet while she was feeding. Roaming around the room and seeming quite tense. Mum trying to speak to her from her chair. Then grabbed me and bit my arm when I was bending down to get something from my case which was on the floor. The mum put baby on a change mat in the middle of a double bed. We were both right there and the cat jumped up onto the bed and scratched baby's cheek. The mother told me she did find her other cat sitting on her baby in a Moses basket the day before. Baby was fine but a young baby may not always wake up and make a sufficient noise. A cat need not be on a baby's face. They could be near enough that carbon dioxide builds up or baby overheats. I'm sure if you're careful it will be fine but other people's experiences here and their cats may not be a useful guide.

Tambajam I'm sorry but as someone who has been involved in animal welfare for a decade, I genuinely struggle to believe your account.
My former colleagues, my veterinary practice, etc., have been around and witnessed a lot, and even the most aggressive cats (ONE! In ten years! Out of hundreds, if not thousands) wouldn't behave the way you describe (you had to provoke him a lot).
The way the story is being told is on the par with me saying I'm a child expert and saw a 5 month old kick-box kick their older sibling in the stomach. Not impossible but very highly unlikely.

PS unless there's a plastic bag on baby's head, carbon dioxide will not build up. Seriously, how do you dream this crap up???

Observer - I have absolutely no interest in making this up. I adore cats. Cats have always been part of my family. This is the only time I have seen a cat behave like this but it happened. I saw it.

You need to read more about cot death risk and cot bumpers usage to learn about how carbon dioxide build up can impact on young babies. For a group of young babies, there is increased vulnerability to cot death in the riskiest phase and CO2 build up is considered a likely trigger. One of the reasons the 'Back to Sleep' campaign was initiated in the first place.

What is the point in you suggesting I might be dishonest with my account? How does that help the OP? You are not being responsible.

And FYI, the new mum said the cats did not have a history of aggression. She was shocked by their behaviour.

She had been devoted to them for many years and felt they were jealous. That was her word.

Tambajam in the same way that you say that "other people's experiences here and their cats may not be a useful guide", your experience equally may not be a useful guide. What the OP can take away is that the majority of people on here reported that there wasn't an issue. I don't think anyone is advocating not keeping a watchful eye, they are just saying that the OP doesn't need to get rid of her cats before the baby is born as it may not be an issue.

"You are not being responsible."
Neither are you.

I don't know your motives, and as I mentioned about the kick-boxing 5 month old, as someone who's had a vast experience, education and exposure to all sorts of animals, their behaviour - I find your story very strange. Cats just don't behave like that in their environment, full stop. You have, essentially, painted a picture of a feline Chucky doll, which many would find ludicrous (those fiction books you're reading must have some influence on you).

I agree the OP certainly shouldn't get rid of her cats. Not even close - but it takes awareness and some preparation. And a baby shouldn't be left alone with a cat ideally. This is a factsheet from an organisation I think we can trust:

www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cats-and-babies

I have two house cats, one of which is a complete psychopath. They could not have done more to avoid the baby. It is smelly and noisy.

The cats started to socialise with us and tolerate DS being in the same room just before he turned 2. Then we had another baby...

They now appear to be looking for an escape route. There has never been any danger of them harming either child as they won't get close enough.

That's an American website which means nothing to me (cat urinating in a cot??? Are you serious? An empty cot perhaps, but not with a baby in it).
Common sense with any pet is necessary, there's been abundance of such advice has been seen all over this thread. Even though to date there haven't been conclusive cases proving that a cat has suffocated a baby (ring RSPCA or similar to discuss if in doubt).
You have conjured something up, marched in here with an opening line "sorry to be a party pooper" or words to that effect, sh*t stirring, basically, without any good reason or valid argument.
Like the carbon dioxide tale. You must be under the impression people are stupid.
FYI - Carbon dioxide is quite safe and will not kill you if you breathe it. What will kill you is the absence of oxygen: we need to breathe oxygen, because it is necessary to burn the fuel that powers our heart and body, if we breathe only other gases, even if they are harmless, we can die because of absence of oxygen. Hence - the baby would need a bag over his / her head, NOT a cat near her.

Tambajam

I'm puzzled by your idea of CO2 build up. What percentage of CO2 do you envisage?

And how will this increase if the baby and the cat are in a room, not in a plastic bag, and if diffusion is an actual thing?

I'm not sure I really need to spell out why a cat sitting by a baby's face is a bad idea. I honestly don't think you need that spelt out. Or that someone doesn't understand why poor ventilation causing CO2 to accumulate is a problem.

I just don't feel we need to get this aggressive or unpleasant and it doesn't help the OP. Don't we agree that there is very very rarely a problem. Very rarely. But it's sensible to take some care.

I described a story that some of you didn't want to believe. That's totally up to you. New parents just need to behave sensibly and keep an eye on things.

you don't have to, of course.

But it might help. I honestly do need it spelled out.

I gather you prefer not to explain why you hold those beliefs.

I third (or fourth etc) lining the Moses basket with foil well in advance. Cat never went near it.

My cat is generally indifferent to babies when they visit our home. There's a sofa bed in our nursery and he likes to sleep on that (on top of an old towel) but has shown no interest whatsoever in the cosy cot, crib, bedding that we've got lying around.

My cat chews tin foil. He's an idiot!

Doors! Fabulous invention. I have a very friendly cat who would have (and did!) been in the cot given a chance. He also thought the cat nets were ace- cat trampoline .

Basic sense. Baby on its own, sleeping in a room with no supervision = door shut to that room. If the baby was being supervised, that cat was allowed free range as normal.

When my Uncle was a baby the cat curled up on him (my Nan noticed and he is fine!), and once when I was back from university and sleeping on the settee one of our cats curled up on my face which unsurprisingly woke me up. It does happen, but I can only imagine it is very rare, and being aware of the risk should minimise any chances.

We always had lots of cats and children when I was growing up and have had no issues, my Nan had a very friendly, suddenly aggressive cat and we were scared of her but she had had a bad past so we assumed it was down to that, and she had always been this way. I can't see any reason for getting rid of your cats, I'm sure they will be totally indifferent and then friendly as your child ages. Congratulations!

I know it has been mentioned already but we used foil for so many places.

we had the cot ready ahead of time and lined it with foil,
we have 3 cats and they only jumped in a couple of times.
exactly the same with the moses basket and car seat and buggy.

the cats have always loved the boys and been very patient with them, that said we have always been round if nothing else to protect the cats from the babies, biting and fur pulling!!

The other thing I would recommend is a feliway diffuser which is a room fragrance neutraliser for cats. Humans can't smell it but it seems calm them down in stressful situations. Plug it in a few days before baby is due xxx