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Keeping cat out of nursery?
When we bought our house our spare room (now nursery) was my cat, Molly's, room basically. She slept in there sometimes, her litter box was in there and food. Since finding out we are pregnant we've moved all that stuff out, got new carpet and painted, and kept the door shut 99% of the time. But now that the baby is almost here we kind of want to keep that bedroom door open more...and when its open now Molly runs in there as fas as she can and doesnt have any intention of leaving. Does anyone have any suggestions of how to keep the cat out of the nursery with out using chemicals (for babys sake)?
Thanks!
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Re: Keeping cat out of nursery?
Cover a large area of flooring right by the door with crumpled up foil and leave the door open. Cats hate the sound when they step on it. I would put some leading up to the door and on the other side of the threshold as well. Leave the door open and let them walk on it. It won't take long for them to start avoiding the area. My sister used foil to keep her cat from jumping into the crib. They set it up a month or two before the baby came and I think the cat ended up jumping in there once and never again after she found the foil.
I know it seems like it wouldn't work, but we use baby gates to keep our cat out of a lot of areas in our house, and she doesn't jump over them. She's happy to be able to see what we're doing through the gate.
One other bit of caution - we recently consolidated our office into our guest room to make room for the nursery and our cat immediately developed "Feline Idiopathic Cystitis" which basically means she suddenly has to pee constantly and in all the wrong places, her urine is bloody, and the vet doesn't know why or what to do for her other than "reduce her stress". The only change in her daily routine for the last 5 years was the moving of that furniture into a different room. Moral of the story: (apparently) cats can be SUPER sensitive to changes, so maybe try to go slow with those to avoid the current mess we're dealing with (it's totally stressing me out.)
I agree with the foil trick. Another trick is to spray the cat with a squirt gun/bottle with water. (My cats never minded this enough for it to be effective.)
Maybe if you give the cat an alternate "spot" in the room, she will go there? A window ledge or kitty condo?
Good luck! I'll be dealing with this when we get our furniture soon!
Honestly with 3 cats and now only 2 cats with this LO, it is all about shutting the door. The cats are allowed in when we are there, but other than that we keep the door closed always. Baby toys are basically cat toys, shiny, crinkly etc so its hard to get them to want to be in there, plus a crib is like a cats dream, cozy, and a great place to nap. How come you want to keep the bedroom door open more now?
Also: Tin foil and sticky tap, etc never worked for out cats with any furniture, etc.
The only thing that was really tough was when DS slept in our bedroom in a bassinett, the cats loved that thing and there was no way to keep them out when DS was not in there. So we just covered it every time we took DS out with a sheet so the cat fur would not get all over the sheet he slept on.
I have been worrying about this myself. I have 3 Furborns that the babys nursery is what we call the cats room. Since moving into this house they have used it for their naptime, bedtime and looking out the window. My mom suggested gates- but they would jump over. Shutting the door would just drive us crazy- we can't shut any door in our house (besides the front door) or my cats think someone is in that room and will Cry, scratch at the door and carpet until someone opens the door. I mean it- my stubborn Henry would stay at that door fusing for 5 hours straight if you didn't go insane first! Spray bottles don't work for them either. I will try the foil thing. I don't mind them in the babys room- I just dont want them jumping into the crib and sleeping! Maybe I will try saran wrap over the crib itself when we set it up. That way it looks like they can jump in but won't be able to.
For a little while we had trouble with our cat jumping over gates too. We bought an electric "scat mat" that emits a low shock when it's stepped on, and we put it in front of the gate so she couldn't get close enough to jump. It worked great and every now and then we still get it out for various reasons but don't have to turn it on because she knows what it means.
Ours was small enough that we could easily step over it and the gate.
Can I ask a dumb question? Why do you want them out of the nursery?
We have 2 cats and one of them always slept in that room and still does during the day. We put foil on the edge of the crib and balloons inside it so neither one has ever tried to get in the crib since they found that out. The one that sleeps in there sleeps under the crib or glider only and we just vacuum the room often. At bedtime we tell the cat to leave and we shut the door all night long.
When DD was in the pack n play or the bassinet the cats were curious but way too scared to get that close once they heard her cry. I was totally afraid they'd be in there snoring with her though...DD is 20 months old and my one cat is still scared to death of her, won't go within 2 feet of her!
Of course now that we're moving another bedroom into another nursery I'm pretty sure my cat is going to FREAK when he's locked out of 2 bedrooms but he'll adjust.
I just simply do not want the cat in the nursery. During pregnancy you're not supposed to touch the litter box, and after petting a cat wash your hands. I've also heard of cats getting into cribs at night and biting the baby because she smells milk. The cat has also had a lot of issues with staying faithful to her litter box, and I dont want her to go in that room.
I've tried baby gates...but she jumps them. Aluminum foil she loves to play with. I've already caught her getting into the crib several times, and sleeping in the bassinet. Its just a preferance that I'd rather not have her in there.
I really think you will just have to shut the door. It's the only foolproof way to keep cats out. Cats are pretty stubborn-- and sneaky. Ours aren't allowed on counters and they KNOW that, but I bust them there from time to time when they don't think we can see.
I agree, we have two cats and we have never let them in our bedroom or any bathrooms unattended, the doors are always shut and if they get in they are removed straight away (usually with treats, but if they won't budge, I find hairdryers work well for getting them out from under beds), in fact the cats are very rarely ever allowed in even when we are in the bedoom/bathroom, I can't stand cat hair in my bedroom so I have never liked them in there.
I have found that our cats do not learn from anything, sprays and stick or crinkly paper do nothing, all they learn is to not do it when your looking, and even that doesn't work all the time, when the baby comes the same rules will apply, they will not be allowed in the babies room or ours.
Also to a PPs point, our cats occasionally cry all night to be let in (they are pretty skittish and don't like it when we have house guests), if you leave them for a couple days the crying stops, if they learn the crying works they'll keep doing it.
Diagnosed with Anti little c antibodies. DS1 7.11.11 - Anaemia and Jaundice. 10 days in the NICU, 1 exchange transfusion and 4 blood transfusions. DS2 29.8.13 - Anaemia 7 days in the NICU and 1 exchange transfusion. Both are now happy and healthy.DS #2 - 4/2/14
Pre-baby we are setting up the room and letting the cats in there, just not putting the bedding out for the cats to sleep on.
I was thinking about a retractable screen door so that you can see in the room once LO is in there, yet keep the cats out.
https://www.amazon.com/ODL-RTMA01-Retractable-Screen-Door/dp/B0001Y74FY
My cats can't stand a closed door. It drives them crazy so I feel like if the cats can see in the room, they will be less inclined to try to get in or run in when the door is opened. Not sure though.
I'm assuming you're worried about toxoplasmosis?
You only have to worry about it if you feed your cat a raw diet, or, you allow your cat to go outside.
You don't have to completely avoid your cat during your pregnancy.
One poster on the Pets board installed a screen door in the nursery. This way the cats can see in, but can't get in unless she allows them. And honestly? Once the baby is in the nursery, most cats will avoid it anyway.
I'm not sure about the retractable screen but a friend of mine growing up had cats and when her younger sister was born, her mother put up a basic screen door to the nursery. Not sure how well this would work with claws but mine are front declawed so I plan on doing this. I will definately look into the retractable screen too.
#2 BFP 9/25/2014 EDD 6/10/2015
All of this. I even *gasp* still scoop the litter box. You're only in danger if your cat eats raw food and if you touch the poop and the manage to touch your mouth.
I also don't really see the need to keep the cat 100% out of the room, but if you do, I think you need to just keep the door shut.
LCT - 5.15.14 ~ 9lbs, 22.5 inches