3rd Trimester

Anybody with cats I need advice please! (long)

My husband and I are about two weeks from welcoming our daughter and we are getting increasingly paranoid about the cats. We have three and they get on EVERYTHING. We catch them on the kitchen table, counters, windowsills, bakers rack, laying on the tv stand...the list goes on. The amount of hair in the apartment is a huge factor also. I dust regularly and a minute (I am not kidding) after I dust, the surface of the thing I dusted will be covered again. We will be eating at the kitchen table and find a cat hair in our glass or food. As if the hair were not enough, we have carpet on our stairs and bedrooms, so we keep the litter box downstairs where the tile is. We have purchased different litter mats that are supposed to minimize litter being tracked around, but like I said the cats get on everything and we will find litter on the table and counters and sofa. I am worried about setting out my daughters playpen, with the hair and litter that might end up in there or that the cats will jump in. I am also concerned about putting her bottles on the bottle drying rack to dry because of the hair that just seems to fall on everything. It makes me so frustrated I have had so many crying breakdowns because it feels so hopeless. Never ending hair and I can't help but think my daughter will never be able to touch couch or be put in playpen or high chair because of the hair and litter issue. My husband is reluctant to give the cats away but we don't know how to deal with this anymore. If you have cats and a child or baby, please let me know if there is anything that can be done or am I just being really paranoid?

***I know I forgot to mention this but someone suggested so for the record I do vacuum, everyday...the vacuum never gets put away it is a permanent piece of decor in our home :(                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Re: Anybody with cats I need advice please! (long)

  • I would try to vacuum more if possible. Dusting probably isn't enough. Our cat doesn't even really shed, but vacuuming does collect a lot of her hair. Animal hair likes to settle into carpet, onto furniture, etc..
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  • Do you have a garage?? We're putting our cat in the garage primarily while LO is little. He doesn't shed as much as it sounds like your cats do.. I would recommend sweeping & dusting DAILY.

    You can also:

    - get training spray to keep them off certain areas (must spray daily)

    - go to PETCO & get a "furminator" brush, it is AMAZING!! We use it on our dogs & cat... it gets all of the loose fur off. We do this daily!

    -Sweep & dust DAILY- a must if you have as much shedding as you do.

    Your LO will survive, but if you're like me, you don't want him/her covered in hair all the time... yuck!

    #rainbows and #unicorns make any situation #cute. keithcorcoran
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  • We have three indoor cats as well. Two long hair and one short. We do have quite a bit of hair around, but we just put in laminate flooring, instead of carpet and that seems to help. Yes, we have to sweep more, cause we can see the hair.. but it's better than it being smashed down and kept in the carpet. We keep lint rollers everywhere! And we vaccuum couches and chairs regularly. Mine don't get on table though or countertops, at least when we're home. I wouldn't ever get rid of my fur babies, so it's become just more of a cleaning routine, than normal. Good luck!
  • I take my long hair cat to the groomer's. He gets the "lion cut" about three times a year. They shave his body, leaving his "mane" and the little poof on the tip of his tail. He actually likes it because he doesn't get hairballs and I don't get fur all over my furniture.
  • I have two cats, one long haired and the other is short.  My entire house is carpeted. I don't really have this problem because I brush my cats hair regularly and my vacuum picks up a lot of their hair. Sometimes I do it twice over just to make sure, I use a dyson.  I would suggest maybe limiting them to certain areas of the house or perhaps like someone said, bring them to a groomer.  If your cats have short hair, they shouldn't be shedding as much as you say they do.  I have designated beds for my cats so they pretty much lay in there and I keep a blankets on the chairs so they lay on that rather than the couch/recliners.  Perhaps try putting sheets on your couches and take them off when you plan on putting the baby on there.  Have you consulted with your vet as to what to do to try to reduce the amount of shedding?
  • Try brushing your cats more so you catching the loose hair before they shed it. Also maybe get a better vacuum cleaner. We are looking at the Dyson Animal.

     If you are keeping your bottle on a drying rack cover them with a towel.

     Start training them now to stay off baby things, either with a spray bottle full of water and a touch of vinegar (our prefered method) and you could get a crib tent to keep them out of the crib. Also I heard putting foil down where you don't want them deters them. I have not tried that.

    For what it is worth, we have 5 indoor cats and I am not concerned that cat hair is a life or death situation, I will do what I can to minimize it but I am not going to stress if the baby gets some fur on him.

    Also my best friend has a 6 month old and 3 indoor cats, and these cats pretty much have free range of the house. They sleep in the babies crib (when she is not in it) and the baby plays on the floor, and so far she is still alive and well. 

  • I agree with the PP, I would get the lion cut. It really sounds like you're doing everything you can so I would seriously shave those suckers, it seems like the only thing left to do.
  • We have one cat and she had free reign until DH and I moved into our new house together.  DH wanted more rules and didn't want the cat on certain surfaces.  We spray-bottled trained her in days.  Now if she just sees us reach for a spray bottle she stops whatever she is doing and that's that.  Just takes a few cheap spray bottles and some water.  As for the shedding, I agree with the brushing more and the lion cut.  GL! 
  • I have 4 cats AND A dog and the whole hair paranoia ended for me as soon as LO came home and I realized it was really not a battle worth fighting.

    The hair won't kill your child and the litter crumbs are what they are.

    You'll find then when you have a real live baby the cats have less interest, not more in his/her things because they smell like the baby and not like some new novel thing.

    I would try to just let it go. I went through the same thing, I mean, I went NUTS over cat hair only to find that the only way to live in harmony together is to just let it go. 

    Vacuum every day like you always do and just live with it. 

  • I vote for the lion cut! We have a long haired cat and we also get this cut for him 2 or 3 times a year.
  • imageanhella:

    For what it is worth, we have 5 indoor cats and I am not concerned that cat hair is a life or death situation, I will do what I can to minimize it but I am not going to stress if the baby gets some fur on him.

     

    this EXACTLY - I didn't realize cat hair was poison to babies - oh wait - it's not....no allergy = no problem

  • I understand your frustration. We have 2 Siamese cats and their curious about everything! We even found them the other day fast asleep in the crib, my fear! So as far as the hair, I would say that the lion cut sounds like the best bet for a while, at least during the first few months. Please dont give your cats away!! It will take some adjusting but I assure you I have been around cats since birth and the hair hasnt killed me or given me allergies or asthma. Babies are tougher than we give them credit for. Good luck to you guys!
  • I have to admit I am disgusted by this post. I understand wanting to protect your child, but try worrying about real threats first. Cat hair is not the enemy. Your house is clean. Cat hair doesn't make it unclean or unsafe. 

    We have 4 cats and 2 large dogs. We have crazy amounts of hair around the house and I am not concerned 1 ounce about my child's well fair. As long as the kid doesn't have an allergy then it won't hurt the kid. 

    image
    Eleanor 1/8/10 Harriet 1/19/12 Margaret 10/31/2013
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