Cats and babies

[bigupapple]

I'm expecting my first baby in a few months, need some advice on my 2 cats, one is my first baby 18 years old! Love him sooo much he loves to sleep next to me on my head or between me and hubby, can be abit of a pain but he's just so cute I can't say no, we did try a year ago to shut the bedroom door but then he just cry's at the door and we were getting even less sleep,
I'm getting worried about when the baby comes, I don't want to suddenly chuck him out but I don't want him to sleep on the baby either! Having nightmares all ready, our house is mostly open plan so can't shut him in another room, but ahhh what can I do, my other cat mostly goes out and isn't as cuddly so not really worried about her.

Xx

Took my dcats about a year before they could stand being in the same room as loud baby!!

We tried shutting ours out of the bedroom, but they'd often sneak in if we took DD into another bedroom for night time feed/changing. Our boy was often out at night, so it was only our girl we really had to worry about but in reality she only ever wanted to sleep next to me. You should always be aware a cat might sleep in a pram/moses basket but neither of mine ever did. My boy did take to sleeping in her cot, but DD's door was closed when she was asleep so we didn't have to worry.

Just try and keep his routine as much as you can and give him the love he's used to. The only time Toby ever showed any interest in DD when she was young, was when we took her home - he sat by her moses basket on the floor for quiet a while and kept looking at us as if to say "what's that". Lottie still wanted a lap, so we did our best to ensure she could have one as much as possible.

I would start trying to keep the cat out of the bedroom now so it’s not a sudden shock. It’s really not safe to have the cat and the baby in the same room when you’re asleep.
My cats have never been allowed in the bedroom but when we tried to have DD sleep in a Moses basket in the lounge during the day the cats would try to get in etc so we couldn’t keep doing that.

I really wouldn't worry about it- where there will be noise most of the night and you'll be sitting up feeding/soothing baby for the first few months you'll probably find, as we did, that the cats stay away and sleep somewhere else quiet. All three of mine (one a very needy cat that hates to be alone) kept away from our DD until she was bigger. Make sure you've got the plug ins and a quiet space so they can escape the stress.

We have 3 cats. The oldest one, who is blind, sometimes mothers our 6 month old DS by rubbing her head on his feet so even though she can't see him she knows he needs to be looked after! Our other quite elderly girl also likes to help by keeping an eye on him. She's sat next to me now while I'm feeding DS. The younger boy cat has recently discovered the joys of the high chair! If he waits close by he might very well get to scavenge some stray bits of food. I was also worried about them getting near DS while he sleeps but we do shut his bedroom door at night and during nap times and they have coped fine with this ban. They also kept out of his way when he used to sleep in our room in his Moses basket. I think the cats are aware that this little human needs looking after! Hope yours are the same!

I've got 5 cats. It's never been a worry. 4 of them wouldn't go near DS for the first year anyway.

Our cats were 6 when DD was born, then DS came along 18 months later. One was just never in the same room as the kids till recently. The other would come and sit near them when they cried as if she was worried. They never posed a threat to the kids at all. They stopped sleeping on our bed while the kids were in it, then went back to it once it was just us again.

Now the cats are 14 and the kids are 7 and 5, and have been trained to provide headrubs and door opening services on demand, and everyone's happy.

Thank you, reassuring to hear,

He hates being in his own and gets stressed so I feel I can't just lock him out, and he's quite deaf so not sure if crying baby would make him leave the room, but I will just have to see how it goes

Thanks all xx