Cats around new baby?

sarahewilliams118

my husband and I have two cats. One is very gentle and loving, and the other one is heavy footed, and badly behaved. He is always knocking over and shattering glasses, jumping on things he shouldn't, refuses to have his nails trimmed, destroys blinds, etc. I am super worried about having the baby anywhere near this cat. We love both of our animals, however obviously the baby comes first. The cats will NOT be allowed in the nursery. Does anyone have any advice on how to handle cats around a new baby? We do not want to get rid of the cat..... So if there is anything recommended, we would try that first. Hopefully we will not have to find a new home for the cat, but baby comes first.

Thanks!!!

jenboston22

Our cat is a bit badly behaved, too, but I'm not really concerned about him being around the baby. After all, I will be with the baby most of the time, and any other time baby will be in a separate room from the cat (i.e., the nursery). I would recommend that giving away the cat be an absolute last resort, since there are so many cats without homes already (I volunteer at an animal shelter)... 

Good luck!

Wigglesx2

We are in a similar situation. We plan on not keeping the nursery door open unattended and never leaving the baby alone with them. We are trying to give them as much attention as possible before the baby comes to help ease jealous concerns.

Hope that helps a little.

edavis926

We have a very well behaved cat. But I've been looking at crib tents and such to make sure she stays out. She's just an overcuddler and it makes me a little nervous. Basically when I mentioned it to my fiance I just said that it was the same as the 75lb dog not being allowed have unsupervised cuddle time. They are both very jealous of each other though so we'll see.

lisawpani

I read a blog where they installed a screen door on the nursery. That way kitty couldn't get in, but they could still hear/see into the nursery, and could still close the main door when needed. It sounded like it worked well!

AGMeeks

We have two cats and one is a rascal like the one you describe. My husband was ready to find him a new home if he didn't get along with our kids, but our rascal cat surprised everyone and is a complete sweetheart with our two little ones. Especially when they were infants, it was like he could sense how precious they were. Now that they're bigger, he let's them pet him and play and he never scratches them (me, on the other hand, he will scratch with no qualms). The other cat, who is so sweet with adults, is too scared to even let the kids get close to her. So, I guess my advice is be careful at first, but he might surprise you.

SparkZuZu

Our naughty kitty wanted NOTHING to do with the baby. Now that he is a toddler, the kitty is tolerant.

Knottie86476496

I plan to install a screen door as me to on above and will also make sure to never leave the baby unattendeed unless in her room behind the screen. You can also look into soft paws. They are little caps that go over the cats claws if you worried about scratches. Most vets will apply them.

Make sure to introduce all the animals carefully so the cat is less likely to act out. Cats don't like change. There are lots of great tips online how to introduce them.

kimberlygo

My cats were afraid of the baby. They didn't like the noises and the crying. When he got older, I worried more about the cats than him, since he would pull tails, hit etc

AshleeM7784

My cat is a stinker. She can be aggressive and has scratched me pretty bad a couple of times. I was worried about how it would go when I son was born. She LOVED him. I guess some maternal instinct kicked in and she knew he was just a helpless baby. She ran to him when he cried and was so gentle when she came up to see him in my arms. I obviously didn't leave her alone with him and made sure to keep the nursery door shut, but it was a really easy transition. My son is 15 months now and the cat is a little weary of him at this point. He's a littler grabbier than she would like so she mostly keeps her distance. She has swatted at him a couple of times when he's pulled her tail or fur but now he's old enough that he's learning to give her space and be gentle. She still loves him though and gets worried when he cries.

sarahewilliams118

lisawpani said:

I read a blog where they installed a screen door on the nursery. That way kitty couldn't get in, but they could still hear/see into the nursery, and could still close the main door when needed. It sounded like it worked well!

I have heard about things like this and also a crib screen.... My naughty cat will destroy the screen

Obviously my baby will never be unsupervised, unless he/she is asleep in the nursery with the door shut. However I picture myself doing the dishes with the baby next to me in a baby swing and my cat pouncing and hurting the baby maybe I'm just being silly? I also worry about when the baby is crawling, or having tummy time. Although the baby won't be unsupervised, I don't foresee myself wanting to crouch over the baby fending off cats lol

We have been trying to play a significant amount more with the naughty cat to see if his behavior changes, but I'm not convinced yet that it is working.... I sure hope it does!

sarahewilliams118

Our cat has had those a few times and always chews them off, and he won't let me trim or file his nails, so we decided we are going to have to take him to the vet every month or so to get his nails filed enough to not hurt the baby (or us, or the furniture....) lol

Playing more is something we just started to try so I hope that it helps calm him down

spraklepea

I'm more worried about my cats freaking out and feeling unloved than I am about what they'll do to the baby. I do have one who's pretty clumsy and clueless and I wonder if he'll just step on the baby without realizing he's there (this is a cat who set himself on fire and didn't realize it--long story). We are definitely going to have to stay on top of trimming their claws and I'm not looking forward to that battle.

DeeGreer

My cat is an 18 pound cuddle bug...which is also scary when I think about him trying to cuddle baby. We'll definitely have to keep the nursery door closed and keep an eye on the swing. He likes to lay anywhere I do..pillows, blankets, on my head when I'm on the couch lol! Just keep an eye on your cat. My sisters cat is the meanest cat I've ever met but he's a sweet pea to other animals and kids.