My nephew will be here soon but my sister doesn't seem to trust my cats, she's wary of letting the baby stay in my house. I know the cats might smell the milk and go near, but of course he will be under constant supervision.
Anyone experienced problems with there cats when having a baby around?
Answers:
There is an old wife's tale about the cat stealing the baby's breath. Of course it is the milk. What exactly could a cat do to cause harm to a newborn? Cats don't normally attack and prefer to stay away from anything that makes noise as annoying as a baby. I've never had a problem with any of my cats and kids, nor now with our cat and granddaughter. If your sister is untrusting of cats, it may be better if they stayed in a hotel as it will be uncomfortable for everyone. Personally, I don't trust anyone who doesn't like cats or that any of my cats have disliked.
Cats should be fine around babies. I have 2 cats and I'm about to have my first child. I dont plan on separating them at all.. My cats are my babies too. If it makes your sister than nervous.just put he cats in another room while the baby is there,
Nope, never had a problem with cats and the baby before! Doctors say the fur is bad for the baby as it can suffocate or choke on the hair. Bt I've never seen that happen before.
had 2 cats when my sister was born and 1 sat on her face - smell of milk and cats can get jealous and the other scratched her, only 1 experience, personally i wouldnt have cats anywhere near a baby myself, dogs generally are ok but even then wouldnt leave them too near the baby.
We had to get rid of the cats in that instance for the reasons above but they could have been nasty cats, i can understand your sisters reluctance, just make sure the cats stay out when the baby is there the cat will survive it might not be very happy though!
good luck!!
as long as the baby doesnt come into contact with cat faeces then there is nothing to worry about.
Is anyone going to let that happen? No - thought not.
Try and get your sister to chill out a bit it sounds like she is a little overprotective! :-)
cats are fine around babies it's dogs i'd worry about my kids grew up around loads of cats as my mum had six they came to no harm
you should never and never place a cat near the baby
Contrary to popular belief that cats are clean, they harbour all sorts of dangerous germs, there is also the risk of the cat going to sleep on top of the baby and suffocating it. I'm a cat lover but sensible precautions should be taken, it's not the cats fault they're only animals. You can purchase special nets to go over carry cots to protect the baby.
people worry that cats will smother babies, but you can buy cat nets to go over cots/prams to prevent this. try mothercare or john lewis
ARGH! I wish that old wives tale/myth would simply go away!! I can't tell you how many cats have been sent to the pound, kicked out of the house or KILLED because some idiot long ago said cats smelled the milk on a baby and smothered it. EE-GADS! A cat might snuggle up, but they've become the scapegoat for SIDS. I raised my kids with cats, however I didn't let the cats sleep with them (cat hair and dander and kitty wanting to play with baby's wiggly toes) and they did just fine thank you.
I used to freak out if anything with "cooties" got near my son and continued to sanitize his bottles at 9 months of age by boiling them in water and of course my family all thought i was a bit overboard by doing all that, and looking back i agree. So to answer your question I am hoping this is your sisters first baby so in that regard you might understand. But in your defense when my older sister had her son she did none of the sanitizing and has 5, yes FIVE cats. she is married too, not a crazy cat lady. and my nephew is incredibly healthy and likely has cat hair in his food all the time. (yuck)
There was an article recently on Yahoo about howe having a dog around has been proven to have a positive effect on a baby's immune system in the 1st year of their life, whereas a cat's presence can have an adverse effect.
I'm sure if you search for that, you'll find the relevant articles.
Cats can be weird. I wouldnt let my new baby around a cat for anything. I have just been peting cats and twice. bite me for no reason. why take chances, they can give them disease, cat feces . piss , could get scratched,etc.think about it.if a cat wonts to do something. being there wont help a bit. it will just do whatever it wonts to.you know that.
It is true that cats can be jealous of a baby, as babies usually get the most attention. And cats are drawn to the smell of milk. But, as one girl said, the real danger is that the baby may ingest cat hairs %26 choke. Also, babies are subject to allergies. So, as a cat lover, mother %26 grandmother, I have always just avoided problems when possible, by keeping the cats away from the infants untill the kids were old enough to be able to cough up any hair swallowed, %26 even then I tried to supervise any comingling of the two species. It kept peace in the house. I did once have a cat that tried to 'mother' my son. Unfortunately, she laid on him to keep him warm, just as she did her kittens, and he almost smothered!
I'm a gram now %26 in all my years, I have NEVER had anyone I've known, spoken with, worked with, done biz with, etc have ANY problems with a baby %26 a cat in the same home/area!! Contrary to all the rumors we've all heard (%26 I'm not old, per se, but I've heard MANY over the years!) through life, the opposite seems to be the norm!! I've heard story after story of cats protecting the baby, watching over them, etc.Rikki Tikki Tavi (sp?) in truth stranges as it may seem!
I am/have ALWAYS been a dog person..don't praticularily care for cats.so.if I knew a BAD experience I would've shared it!!
Good luck with the new "little guy".had one.always say boys are your biggest frustration and your greatest love as a mom!
OH MY GOSH! I just read some of the responses you're getting!! People today are too freaked out about everything %26 WHO the blame can be laid on for this! It's a CAT.NOT a killer!! I was 16 when my son was born, single, %26 had more serious dangers to worry about than a cat! Why have an animal..any animal..you have to be AFRAID will harm you or yours?! Be more afraid of the next person smiling, shaking your hand, %26 checking out THE BABY!
there is a concern that the cat will also lay over the babys face for warmth causing suffocation, I dont think that anyone would leave a small baby unsupervised
I have 3 cats and a baby and I can't help thinking that a lot of this "cats around babies is a bad idea" stuff is a touch of hysteria. I don't doubt that there have been instances of cats sitting on babies but this is certainly not the norm - think about it logically, how uncomfortable is it going to be to go to sleep on top of a squirming child! As for the smelling of the milk theory - if this is what you believe then just don't leave the cats around the baby straight after a feed. Although I also think this is an incorrect idea as I certainly didn't have my cats snuffling around me when I was leaking milk all over the place!
I think the best idea with regards to your sister though is to respect her wishes until she is feeling a little less precious (in the nicest possible way). We all treat our first like they're made of glass, it's only natural, and it won't be long before her baby is pulling your cat's tails and freaking them out so they won't be anytwhere near anyway!
I had cats with my babies and I had no problems. However, those cat nets aren't expensive and if it gives her peace of mind, do buy one. You will never persuade her otherwise and it isn't worth upsetting her.
I had 2 cats when my daughter was born. I had the crib set up a week before and just let them know it was not for their new bed. They came up and sniffed the baby, wanted to sleep near her but obeyed my insistence that they not sleep in the crib w her. (didn't want cat hair on the sheets)
I had more problems w folks and their Old Wives Tales about cats and babies than anything else! Both of mine were Siamese and actually took to guarding the baby while she slept .One stayed eye level stationed on the dresser, the other took up post under the crib. They even backed one guy out of the bedroom.
He tiptoed into the bedroom to just peek at the baby without hubby or me with him-the cats came off their positions and advanced upon him all fuzzed up and growling. Chased him out of the room!
Just watch how they react to make sure they don't try to play with waving baby fingers. They are going to be curious, then probably bored and want an extra treat. As my daughter grew they took to curling up at her back and feet after she fell asleep at naptimes if she was outside the crib.They knew crib was offlimits and so was sleeping near faces.
Dear Hunnie,
My name Is Mel and i had a look at your question you are both right and wrong in your arguements, For me and many other people who have the same feeling as me , every child no matter how big or small should have the chance to know animals and have them as pets so that they appreciate that part of life.But at the same time when it come to little babies you very wise and a good mother to keep an eyes just in case for peace of mind. Another thing if she that conserned have a cat net it goes over cots and other things my nan used to have that, sorry if i havent helped at all.
Mel
p.s hope everything works out for you
cats and small babies don't mix at all
the only thing that could(and probably wont)happen is the cat laying so close it could smother a VERY small infant,and since you are going to supervise I wouldn't worry.I have 5 cats and my babies grew up just fine.
Haven't you heard of cat poisoning?? This girl was bitten by a cat and she's blind now! Better trust your sister. she's right to be worried.
When my son was a baby our cat was a built in baby monitor, as soon as my son slightly cried that cat would come jump on us until we got up and followed her.
You have to know your cat I think is the answer here, if she's jealous there may be more of a concern to be careful with it near the baby, next to that who cares. Babies near any animals is a good thing, teach them to be gentle and loving to the animals.
I have 2 nephews who are now 1 and 2 and love coming to my place, I have 6 cats and 1 dog for them to play with.
I have had my cat for about three years (she is a rescue case) and I just had my first human child nine months ago. My cat was my baby before I had my son so we have a little bit of old sibling jealousy going on. She was fine with my son as an infant, she really hardly noticed him. She jumped in his bassinet once while he was in it and we took her out immediately, she was kind-of standing on him. The milk smelling thing is actually an old wives tale. Please tell your sister not to worry. My son loves my cat and spends half the day crawling after her. He has hit her and pulled her tail (we stopped him immediately, so please don't think I let my child abuse my cat), and she has scratched him twice, he did not even cry and still tried to grab her. They will be fine, when to cats have had enough they will probably walk away, mine does. She just jumps on a bookcase and gives my son that look that cats are so well known for. Dogs can be dangerous to have babies around, but not cats. Good luck to your family at this wonderful time of life!
I am of the school - the cats wont hurt the baby.
I have two children and always had dogs and cats. The cats were interested in the strange "thing" making weird noises but after a while they couldnt care less.
The dog actually lay next to the cot and watch over the baby.
There are many old wives tales in regard to babies and cats. You just have to watch how your cats react and you can always shut the cats out of the room where the baby is or get netting to cover the crib/cot.
They are more likey to show interest in the baby if they arent allowed to see/smell him in the first place.
The only thing that I'd be worried about if there were cats in the house would be allergies. My son is allergic to cats and was almost hospitalized because of the cats in my mom's house.
Another thing is if the baby is big enough to crawl around. You have to be careful about the litter box, b/c the cat poop has bacteria in it that can kill a baby or small child if digested. Gross, I know, but we all know that babies love putting whatever they get their hands on into their mouth.
My cat Joshua loved to lie on the sofa between my twins when they were babies. He hated kids after being mauled by my friends little boy! I thought he would hate the twins but he didn't. Of course I would never leave him with the twins if I was not in the room. Its common sense really. Cats are curious creatures and may want to have a sniff at the baby. The only time Josh will take a swipe at the twins is if they get a bit rough with him. I think he was completely justified swiping one of them after she tried to stab him in the face with a biro! They are 3 now and have learnt he is an old cat who needs love! As long as you watch the cats around the baby you will be fine. If the baby is staying overnight make sure the cats are shut out of the room he's in and the door is firmly closed. When your nephew starts crawling keep an eye on him as he will find its fun to chase after the cats. Cats feel threatened when they do this and if they get backed into a corner they will attack him. You see its not really the cats who are the problem its the kids! LOL
Hi when i had my daughter everyone said i should get rid of my cats. My reply was they are part of my family and were here first. I didn't regret it they never caused me any problems or harm to my daughter, at the time i had 13 cats. Tell your sister not to be so worried as you said your not going to leave the cats alone with the baby so there wont be any problems
keep the baby cook the cat
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