Cats with a newborn?

[SillySallyStruthers]

Has anyone had cats that are both inside and outside and has had a baby?

Currently pregnant and we have 2 cats. They occasionally bring "presents" but partner usually deals with that.

Heard some stories about toxoplasmosis and suffocation relating to preg and new baby and now I'm really worried about keeping the cats!

I love them to bits (both rescues) but I'm worried about my health and the health of baby.

Anyone had cats whilst having a baby and has any advice? Can it actually work? Should I consider giving them up?

FYI they use our garden to toilet, recently got rid of the litter tray. They tend to go for my flower bed but it's a bit wild anyway as I haven't tended to it whilst being pregnant and I don't intend to get near their poos!

Toxoplasmosis is only dangerous to your baby during the cats initial infection period. If your cats are outdoor cats, it's pretty unlikely they could be infected now. Either there is toxo in your area and they were infected years ago, or there isn't so how would they get it now.

As for the old wives tale of a cat "stealing a babys breath", I mean I suppose it's theoretically possible a cat could suffocate a baby if they sat on its face for ages but in the real world it hasn't happened. Cats normally steer well clear of things that flail and make loud noises - ie a new baby. Just don't get cat to babysit while you go out for lunch and it will be fine.

I've had cats with babies, and so have my son and daughter. The cats didn't seem to be interested at all. All have been outdoor cats, so the litter tray problem didn't arise. I've never heard of cats attacking babies. The same can't be said of dogs.

Thank you both for your replies 

@Butteredghost
We got them a year and a half ago and they were indoor cats before then but are now outdoor. Do you think that's long enough?

@eddiemairswife that's a relief to hear thank you. I'd hate to have to give them away!

Got 2 cats, mostly indoors sometimes go outdoors. They're not interested in laying next to the baby, on the baby or doing anything with the baby at all. There have been no problems whatsoever. I hope this reassures you. If your cats don't ever poop indoors then I don't think there will be toxoplasmosis spores indoors, even if they did acquire it.

Why don't you have a litter tray, out of interest? Most cat charities recommend that you have at least one per cat, plus one extra. It's kind of like removing the bathroom from your house...

Please don't give your cats up. They are as much part of your family as the baby will be. Rescues are absolutely full to busting with unwanted pets

Had two cats when DS was born (now 3). Not a single problem. When he was a tiny baby who cried a lot they just steered well clear. Now they happily let him stroke them but won't sleep next to him or anything. They have never showed any aggression to him either.

Certain breed like the sitting on your neck / face. I had a Burmese that would try to suffocate me on a regular basis in my sleep. But if yours aren't prone to that then I wouldn't worry. You can buy a net for cots.

I had 2 cats when my first dd was born,
If anything, they avoided her and made it very clear for the first few weeks that they were appalled we'd dared to bring a noisy screamy thing in to their territory by ignoring us.

After a few week, they got Over it. And while the cats still don't appreciate the children, there were no issues with the cats trying t to get into the cot or the buggy.

We did get a feliway diffuser a few weeks before my due date at the advice of the vet (routine vaccs were due, we just asked his opinion).

We never considered giving up the cats - they were here before the kids. And it's taught older dd about responsibility and about death / dying when we had to get on of our cats put down.

I have a Maine Coon and a ten week old. She has absolutely no interest in the baby! She'll amble off if he's crying but quite happy to sit next to me on the sofa when I'm feeding. If I put him on the bed when she's asleep in it she just ignores him. We keep her downstairs at night (not that I think she'd go anywhere near his room, but just in case), but all has been absolutely fine

I worried about this too. Mine was indoor mostly and avoided baby at all costs!

Make sure you give them plenty of time to adjust to the baby, some people expect their pets to just adapt straight away which is (imo) idiotic.

I had 3 cats when DS was born. Apart from having to sniff absolutely every new piece of equipment, toy, clothing, etc they weren't remotely interested in him! They still got their fuss and cuddles whenever I could though.

In my experience babies are cat repellents. They are less than interested in them - in fact they actively avoid them.

My HV used to go on and on about cat nets and we almost bought one until we realised she was talking absolute tosh due to the fact that my outdoor cats wouldn't voluntarily go in the same room as our newborn.

When/if you have a second child you will realise that siblings are far more dangerous to a newborn than a cat!

We have a cat that was originally a stray. He was pretty feral and stayed fairly wild... up until we had our DD! As others have said, he had no interest in the baby and just wouldn’t go near her. She’s now 4 and he’ll let her stroke him and play with him quite happily. If she annoys him or bothers him too much when he’s eating/sleeping he “swipes” at her with his paws but keeps his claws in. Now if I can only get him to do the same with me!

My cats hated the babies, but loved their Moses basket! My Maine Coon kept trying to get in (the one time he managed it, he set DD off shrieking like a fire alarm. I have never seen a cat explode vertically in the air before).

Regarding the litter tray, I would recommend at least one in the house for when it's wet and cold, but kept away from children to avoid them touching it. Either get a covered one or use a storage solution. We have ours in the cupboard under the stairs, with a cat hole cut in the door for access. Other people have put them inside shelving units, benches and kitchen cupboards - again with cat friendly access.

@aliensprig once we let ours out they used the litter trays less, and after the shy one built up the confidence to go out regularly they pretty much stopped using them altogether so we emptied them and stored them away.

Thank you everyone for your advice and stories, it's a big reassurance!
I don't think I could cope giving my fur babies away and I imagine they'll steer clear of the baby (here's hoping at least!)

I would never keep a cat or a dog if i had a newborn. My sis-in-law has recently been scratched by their cat they've had for nearly 10 yrs. It also scratched their newborn. It's now living with a friend a hundred or so miles away. It's not just the dangers of their poo! They are territorial creatures and are threatened by newcomers in what they consider their territory.

We have two cats and in their lifetime I've had 2 newborns and 3rd in Oct. They couldn't care less about the babies. Once one cat wanted to smell the baby but that's as far as that went. Other cat would curl up on my knee while I was feeding sometimes. If baby was going to be left in a room for whatever reason or if your sleeping just make sure cats are not in same room. Avoid the poop and you'll be fine.

Also you can train cats to not go on babies stuff with tinfoil.

I haven't read all the comments so hopefully I'm not just repeating what everybody else has said here! We have two cats, mostly indoor but do go out for an hour here and there. The first night we brought our newborn home (he's now 15 months old) they were utterly perplexed at the crying etc, had a sniff about and then pretty much ever since have just avoided being around him. They are only just starting to tolerate him in small doses as I am really encouraging him to learn how to pet them nicely etc. We were really concerned about the risk of suffocation so found a Moses basket with an inbuilt cat net - it was called Inovi cocoon if I remember right. I think we got it from amazon if you are interested in having a look. But truthfully - they never went near so we very soon after switched to a next2me which is miles better. As for litter tray etc, it's in the utility room which our toddler doesn't really have access to unless we are with him.

@SillySallyStruthers Always worth having a tray indoors, even if it's never used, in case the weather turns bad or one of the cats gets ill.

I would never keep a cat or dog if I had a newborn - that's pathetic.

There isn't any reason to worry especially if you're not handling their poo or wee and even then it is only a slight chance.

What we've done is put up and set up the nursery when we had things and the cats are gradually getting used to changes before the baby arrives so it's not too much change for them all at once.

Also regarding being threatened by newcomers. This is only if you're a crap pet owner who decides to ignore your pet once something a new comes along. If you do things properly and treat them fairly, your pet won't feel threatened.

@coral13..not my baby, nor my cat. My sis-in-law's. Animals are unpredictable and just because most seem safe around babies doesn't mean they all are. My sis-in-law had had theirs 10 yrs and it still turned nasty.

Your comment..I would never keep a cat or dog if I had a newborn - that's pathetic is uncalled for! Not everyone likes or trusts cats and dogs you know.. imo they are smelly and disgusting and should be kept outside and that's why we don't have any

I've got 4 cats - I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of rehoming them when I give birth, as they were here first and they're definitely excited about their new baby brother :p my male cat has got very protective of me since I got pregnant, he actually cuddles me now!

Just make sure you give the cats plenty of attention when baby is born, and make sure you teach the baby how to be gentle with them when they're old enough, and it should be fine. :)