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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Cat and baby

8 replies

T1M2N3T4 · 10/05/2018 09:21

My cat is almost 3 and is the baby of the family. We've had him from being a kitten.

He is a house cat (as we live in close proximity to the motorway), has been neutered and chipped, up to date vaccinations.
He's healthy and uses the litter tray well - no soiling elsewhere.
He likes a love and a fuss on his terms, he'll come to you for a loving.
Only really likes you to stroke him for a little bit and let's you know it's too much by pushing your hand away. And we respect that - he's a living thing with his own mind not a toy.
He loves to play with fishing rod toys and balls and we play everyday. Not hands as he gets too excited and bitey.
When he wants to be on his own he will take himself off to one of his many beds or posts.
Doesn't mind visitors to the house as long as he can stick his head in their shoes. He will usually go upstairs if we have guests - Unless it's fil who he adores and will be a lap cat for.

Basically an all round lovely cat. We have no issues with him.

However, I'm expecting a baby in a few weeks time. And he only has experience of older children and adults who he has always known.

We have set up all the babies things up gradually so it wasn't too much of a shock. Let him smell everything and he knows he isn't allowed in the cot or moses basket. And I've read advice about letting him smell the babies clothes so he can get used to smell of the new person.

I'm just really worried that he's going to upset by the new addition and hoping you all have some extra advice and lovely stories.

OP posts:
MyBreadIsEggy · 10/05/2018 09:25

We have 2 cats - a spayed female and an unneutered male.
When we first brought dd home from the hospital, we put her car seat in the middle of the front room and let the cats have a sniff. Dd made a tiny little squeak, both cats scarpered and didn’t come home for a few days Confused They did get used to her being around, but didn’t really pay her much attention!
DS was born at home the following year and both were in the room with me while I laboured, so I think they kind of understood that DS was my “kitten” - they’ve both always liked him more than DD Blush

claraschu · 10/05/2018 09:27

Our cat wasn't remotely upset by our newborns. We made a birth announcement for our first son, and the picture was of the two of them sleeping curled up together, precisely the same size.
Have you read "The Cat who Walked by Himself" from the Just So Stories? It is one of my all time favourite stories, (or perhaps it is almost poetry), and it perfectly describes the relationship between a cat and a baby.

Bea1985 · 10/05/2018 09:27

My car leaves the room when 5mo dd is screaming, but otherwise ignores her.

I never let him in the room with et unless I'm there, paranoid he will snuggle up to sleep on top of her when she is napping (he did once try to jump on her pram when she was sleeping in it).

Before dd he slept on or bed, so a few weeks before she was born I started shutting him out of the room and made him a comfy bed elsewhere in the house, so he didn't get a shock.

Get lots of dreamiest etc in too so he can be a bit spoiled I the early weeks.

Bea1985 · 10/05/2018 09:28

Sorry for typos !!

T1M2N3T4 · 10/05/2018 09:49

Thank you everyone.
I'll start shutting the bedroom door at night..he does like to sleep on the edge of the bed sometimes.
Always lots of treats in the house too so we can spoil him.

OP posts:
YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/05/2018 10:08

My car leaves the room when 5mo dd is screaming

Smart cat ...

Soulcakequack · 10/05/2018 10:17

My old cat was 13 when my son was born. We kept him out the bedroom from the few months of pregnancy. He cried a bit for a few nights which I hated ( I felt so sorry for the cat) but soon settled.

The cat pretty much ignored the baby at first and came for cuddles during nap time. After a while if the baby cried for a not the cat would appear. He gave his best ‘sort out the small human stare’. My son loved the cat and the cat would sit with him when ever he was still.

Once son was mobile he quickly put paced my elderly cat. So we made him lots toddler free spaces which helped him feel safe and less stressed.

My lovely kitty died last year and despite the excitement of new kittens my son still remembers his ‘jasper cat’ fondly.

Beaverhausen · 10/05/2018 10:20

He will be fine just let him know you still love him and make a little space for him I.e his little corner etc.

Also start using a feliway plugin and look into giving him zylkene if he appears stressed the first few weeks of baby being around.

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