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Expecting baby (human) and got 2 cats

2 replies

BEO · 07/07/2023 20:41

Hello there so I am in my first trimester with my first pregnancy. I have two indoor cats who I have had since they were both 5 month old rescues, they will be nearly 3 years old when the baby is born.

One of them is super outgoing and is all over anyone and everyone. The other is very timid, really needy with me and my other half and loves cuddles but as soon as a stranger or anyone else for that matter comes through the front door he hides.

I am just wondering how best to prepare for when we have the baby. What will be the baby’s bedroom is already off limits as it is an office but apart from that they have free run of the house and tend to sleep on our bed on a night.

Just wondering what people in this situation did. I’m going to get a net/tent for next to me crib as the cats will still have access to my room during the day and I don’t want them climbing in it even when the baby is not in. I will probably start locking them downstairs a few nights a week and making it more often towards the birth so they are used to sleeping downstairs and not having free roam on a night time (I will still allow this during day). They used to sleep downstairs (it’s open plan so they had free roam of the whole downstairs) but have been sleeping on our bed now for probably over a year . I will feel cruel locking them downstairs but I guess it’s only until baby is in his/hers own room as we will then let them sleep in ours again.

has anyone done similar and got any tips or tricks? I am only really worried about the timid needy boy but hoping he will warm to the baby, the other one will be no bother!

OP posts:
Pipperleen · 07/07/2023 21:37

We were the same. We set the cot and next to me up early and put tin foil in them - I’d heard cats hate it. They did look around but learned quickly that they weren’t allowed in those places and we had no problems once DD arrived.
We also have an outgoing one and a timid one - girls though! No issues, they left DD alone and once she was big enough to crawl and maybe stroke them, she soon learned that she had to be calm and gentle for them to want to hang around with her. She’s 2 now and no issues at all.

mobear · 07/07/2023 21:46

No specific advice but we have two cats with similar dispositions to yours. We didn’t really prepare but the timid cat was almost immediately very fond of and gentle with DS (now DS is 2 they often cuddle and nap side by side) and the outgoing cat goes about her own business and ignores DS. I was nervous but it all worked out fine.

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