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2nd Trimester
Pet Lovers Out There?
DH and I have two dogs and a cat, and we're getting pretty nervous about how all three are going to relate to DD when we bring her home from the hospital. That scene in Marley & Me when Owen talks to Marley before Jen brings the baby in? Yeah, that's going to be us.
We're convinced our Sheltie will be fine because she loves everyone and her breed is very good with kids. Our Yorkie, however, can be jealous. He already considers DH to be "his." So how do we deal?
And then there's the cat, who I've had since before DH and I were together. My mom insists we have to get rid of her. I'm laying awake at night worrying about whether she'll jump into DD's crib if one of us forgets to shut the door. DH says we'll just have to see how the cat reacts to DD, but I feel like we probably need to make a decision beforehand.
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Re: Pet Lovers Out There?
I have 2 dogs and worry too, but I'm doing what I can to prepare them.
My brother has 2 dogs and a cat and his dogs are amazing with his baby who is now 9 months old, and the cat has never jumped into the baby's crib. He knows it is off limits. I am sure it will be fine. Read what you can and do as much as possible to prepare them, but really I think they'll know the baby is the boss as long as you enforce it. Good luck.
There is no reason to get rid of a cat just because you have a baby. Do you know how many people have cats and children? And I don't think there's a cat/baby smothering epidemic out there. If you aren't able to train your cat in advance not to jump in the crib, make sure the door to the nursery stays closed. And if you can't guarantee that, buy one of those mesh tents that are specifically designed to keep kitties out of cribs. Finding a home for a cat is not an easy feat (ask me - I've had a foster for a YEAR AND A HALF) and taking her to a shelter just in case is inappropriate in my mind.
Sorry...kind of struck a kitty nerve there...
Amber
TTC since March '06
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1) Buy a baby sounds CD and play it a lot. This will help them adjust to the crying, etc that babies do. It won't be exact, but it will be better than them being totally taken off-guard.
2) If possible, have DH or someone bring home a blanket/hat/etc that smells like the baby while you are still in the hospital. Let the animals smell it, lay on it, lick it, etc. (You can wash it later). This will help them get used to the new smell before even meeting the baby - so s/he won't be so strange.
3) They make crib tents that will help with the fear of cat in crib. They don't fit all cribs, but it might be worth looking into if you're afraid of forgetting to close the door. You might want to start practicing closing the door whenever you leave the room now, so it's ingrained later. It's not hard to remember to close a door.
4) Jealousy issues might need to be taken up with a trainer/behaviorist. You can try to get help now, or wait and see how the dog reacts. He may not care a bit about the new baby, or at least not enough to be a concern.?
DO NOT GET RID OF YOUR CAT! That's cruel. She is your family, and to dump her on the possibility she'd do something she doesn't know is wrong is terrible. If you take her to a shelter she will be killed. Older animals are very rarely adopted. ?
Mes Petit Choux
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then. ~ Alice
What decision do you think you need to make about the cat before baby arrives? I hate people who think you have to get rid of a cat out of no real basis in reality. You have no idea how the cat is going to react. He/she may have no interest in the baby. So why would you get rid of it without knowing the situation?
We're going to train our cats that baby's crib is off limits. There are places in the house that the cats already know they'd better not climb on so this will be no different. We'll also keep the door shut when baby is sleeping. My MIL switched the door to DH's room to a screen door when he was a baby so that the cats could see in the room but couldn't get in. That worked well for her.
We have a needy golden who is very attached to her "daddy". We bought the book There's a Baby in the House: Preparing your Dog for the Arrival of your Child. I just started it though.
As for the cat, I read somewhere a while ago to set the crib up early and place empty cans with lose change in them on the crib mattress. They are supposed to make lots of sound and scare the cat from jumping in there. There is also a net you can buy to put over the top of the crib to prevent animals from jumping in.
You never know how they'll react. My dog seemed a little afraid of my nephew, walks away if he come over to her and my cat would just lay there and let my nephew pull on his tail.
I have 4 cats (yes you read that correctly, lol)
The 2 older ones I'm not worried about but I am nervous about the kittens (they are like 9 months old). Just going to take it day by day and watch them like a HAWK!
I found with my cats that lining whatever you don't want them jumping on with aluminum foil works well. They won't jump on it after the first time or two, even when the foil's not on there!
Animals aren't as dumb as people think they are. Of course they will need to adjust to the new screamer that lives in your house, and they will get less attention from you, but other than that you need to let them work it out on their own.
I would never get rid of an animal just because someone said I should. I grew up with cats and they didn't smother me, or my brother. They never went near the crib, what cat would want to sleep in a bed with a screaming baby in it? Just use your head, just like you check to make sure you lock your front door, check to make sure your baby's door is shut as well. Stay positive, don't do anything now that you'll regret later. If the animals become a problem, deal with them after you know it won't work.