Mammas with pets

hannahtelford

I am a first time mom due in two weeks and I wanted advice on two things. 1. I am having a home birth and was wondering if I should leave my cat home or if others thought that would be distracting. 2. Has anyone had problems with newborns and pets I should know about? Oh the weird things I think about at 3 a.m. when I can't sleep...

highsteaks

i’d say that it depends on the personality of your cat. my cat is pretty chill, so we didn’t have to worry about him after we brought our kids home. he handled the change just fine. my friend’s cat ended up peeing on baby stuff constantly after her firstborn. if you think your cat might be nervous about the change, i’d advise you to make sure you give him/her a safe space to retreat from the chaos, try not to chang their routine too much, and give them the same amount of attention pre-baby so they don’t think this new tiny human is a threat and tries to assert dominance.

purelex

I think the cat at home for the birth is probably fine.  I doubt he or she will want to be anywhere near you during your labor but if so, you can always confine him to another room.

As far as after baby is born, we had two types.  One was completely uninterested and the other very curious.  I was always concerned about the curious one wanting to try to snuggle baby so we kept doors closed as necessary.  We were lucky and didn't have any inappropriate peeing/pooping but YMMV depending on your cat's personality.

It's an adjustment for animals, too... go easy on them   Try to reassure them, give attention or space (whichever they need) and help create new routines for them, too.  Most adjust fine!