tips on getting my two cats ready for baby

[maybebabybee]

We have two indoor girls. Both insanely sweet natured and very friendly. We are due DC1 in a few weeks. Have had the cot and various other baby things up for ages to get them used to having them here and they've not shown much interest really other than a bit of a sniff.

I don't want to shut them out of our room at night as we only have a two bed flat and I like them to have as much space as possible given they can't go outside.

I keep getting irritating people asking me what we're going to 'do' about the cats when baby gets here and most look at me aghast when I say 'um, nothing?'. So, fellow cat owners, is there something I ought to be doing?

I've been asked this too. I'm only 14 weeks pregnant, and have dcat who is two years (he's lovely). We've just moved so I've kept baby's room shut, and hopefully treat that room as off bounds from the word go. Once baby is here, I'll just make sure they're never left alone together. Tbh, I think once baby cries, specialcat will want nothing to do with it.

The only worry I have, is that when playing, specialcat likes wriggly fingers and toes, which I suspect baby will have. Still, cat isn't going anywhere he's my fur baby.

All I've 'done' about my cats is put in a couple of feliway plug ins. I did this about a week ago, and baby was due today (arrived last night, just to be contrary!) I have a net thing which I should be able to put over the cot if the cats look to get in with baby. But yeah, in general not much is changing for the cats. The guest room, which will be baby's once he's older, has always been cat-free, but my bedroom will remain open to them.

I have a baby and two cats. I did precisely nothing regarding the cats before DS was born and it has all been fine! Mine are two indoor cats, also very friendly and have got zero interest in the baby. I've been quite surprised how disinterested they are! I did start shutting them out of our room though because DS was in with us, but now he's in his own room and they are just not allowed in there because I don't want them sleeping in the cot or anything.

People can be weird about babies and cats, lots told me I should get rid of the cats when I was pregnant! I just ignored it and everything has been fine.

I had 3 cats when DS was born. I did absolutely nothing! They stayed away from the noisy wriggly little thing anyway

I had 3 cats when my son was born and, like you, had the whole 'you'll be getting rid if the cats then '. My DH said that I perfected a look that made people visibly wither and that would be the last time they would ask me that question! As far as I was concerned our home was plenty big enough for all of us and it never occurred to me to get rid of my fur babies.

I didn't really do anything much to prepare them to be honest. They were all very sweet natured, cuddly cats but I was very cautious when my son arrived (almost full term) as he was very tiny, weighing just 4lbs, which was less than the cats! I was worried that the moses basket would be a bit too warm and appealing for them and they could have jumped in and smothered him. I was VERY careful if I put DS down for a nap. He would be downstairs in his moses basket with me during the day and only went upstairs to sleep with us during the night. For the first few weeks I did keep the cats downstairs but they honestly didn't seem to worry. I think the two hourly feeds would have disturbed them too much! I also just accepted the fact that cats would be curious and allowed them to come up to him and have a little snuff - as long as I was around to keep an eye on them. The cats were a little nervous of him to be honest and although one of the cats would often sit next to me when I fed DS during the day she was off like a shot when he made a noise, although I also remember she always liked to rub her head against his toes!

When my son was about 2 I caught him trying to get his leg up on the sofa and to this day I am not sure if he was trying to give her a kick or was trying to get up on the sofa with her - he had a real guilty look on his face. It was time for me to have a little talk about being kind to the cats and how they might scratch him if he continued and his Thomas the Tank engine train would have to stay in the toy box for a while if I caught him being mean to the cats!

Sadly those 3 fur babies have now all passed away (my DS is 16 now!) and we have two 3 year old beautiful ginger fluffy fur babies. My DS is besotted with them and will still walk around cradling them like babies - even in front of his mates! I think having cats or any animals around children growing up teaches them compassion and kindness and I am quite sure my son is a nicer person for having had my cats around him growing up.

It will be fine. There is enough room for all types of babies in your life be they the pink squidgy ones or the fluffy variety! Enjoy