3rd Trimester

Fingers crossed 4 me, DH, & kitty-- big changes ahead!

Well I have had Gizmo (our cat) for 8 years now. She's definetely a snuggle bug and loves to cuddle, especially at night. She kinda drives DH crazy because she insists on sleeping/purring/cleaning herself on him each night and he wakes up a lot because of it. Additionally, being the worrier that I am, I do worry about Gizmo wanting to snuggle with Madelyn too much and it being a problem.

Sooo....I made the purchase at BRU tonight. Got a gate with a swinging door that will block off our top floor from Giz. That includes our bedroom and Madelyn's bedroom. Not quite sure what to expect as Gizmo has been used to sleeping with me for as long as I've had her but I think that this will be for the best. I just hope she doesn't meow all night. It's hard enough to take this step already for me but to hear her be sad might break my heart....Crying

Fingers crossed for us please!

Re: Fingers crossed 4 me, DH, & kitty-- big changes ahead!

  • I hope that it works. Unless your cat is lazy and hates to jump, I think she'll still make it over the gate. I love our cats. One can jump over gates with the best of them, the other one is a giant wuss and won't jump over something on the floor :)
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  • Why don't you just get the crib tent to prevent the cat from going in the crib? I feel like this may cause more harm than good. You don't want to give the cat any reason to resent the baby you know? I just got my first cat not too long ago, so I don't know much about them but I hear that if they feel something isn't right they will start getting territorial and peeing on things. I hope everything works out! Good luck!
  • Aw :( Sorry for the changes!

    If it makes you feel better, I did not make such changes hoping all would be great and one of mine peed in her crib before she had ever even used it!! :( Begining that moment, about 18mos ago now, they have not been allowed in either of the bedrooms. We actually prefer it now.......no hair on our nice coverlet and of course no worries for DD's stuff.

    I can also keep clean laundry somewhere now and KNOW it will not be slept on!! lol They adjusted just fine IMO.

  • Aw, poor Gizmo - I couldn't imagine doing that.  My cats were 14 when D made his appearance, and there is no way we could have blocked the cats off from part of the house.  FWIW, my cats wanted nothing to do with D in the beginning, and they have NEVER gone in  his crib.  They still pretty much avoid him at all costs, but they are still big snugglers/lovers to us at night.
  • Please keep us posted on this!  I am fearing the same thing with our cat.  When we moved to our new house, we tried to keep her out of our bedroom and the nursery is always closed (she had been sleeping in our bed for about 9 months prior to the move.)  She was ok after a few days, but would then stand outside our door and cry at like 4am every day.  I was so not having that.  Now she can go in the room, but gets pushed off the bed anytime she is caught on it.  So instead she retreats to my designated "nursing chair" and sheds all over it and all over my clothes.  I am scared of LO choking on cat hair for how much she sheds!  We are thinking of trying to lock her out again and trying some spray/water technique to make her not even go near our room/DD's room.  It is very frustrating.  I know that TONS of people (me included) grew up around animals and it will probably be fine, but with all the SIDS talk and precautions, suffocation by an over-affectionate kitty who sheds constantly is an honest fear of mine!
  • Ugh, that is going to be miserable. Good luck!
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  • imageRory419:
    Please keep us posted on this!  I am fearing the same thing with our cat.  When we moved to our new house, we tried to keep her out of our bedroom and the nursery is always closed (she had been sleeping in our bed for about 9 months prior to the move.)  She was ok after a few days, but would then stand outside our door and cry at like 4am every day.  I was so not having that.  Now she can go in the room, but gets pushed off the bed anytime she is caught on it.  So instead she retreats to my designated "nursing chair" and sheds all over it and all over my clothes.  I am scared of LO choking on cat hair for how much she sheds!  We are thinking of trying to lock her out again and trying some spray/water technique to make her not even go near our room/DD's room.  It is very frustrating.  I know that TONS of people (me included) grew up around animals and it will probably be fine, but with all the SIDS talk and precautions, suffocation by an over-affectionate kitty who sheds constantly is an honest fear of mine!

    oh dear god, your child is not going to choke on cat hair! If shedding is a problem, get a furminator or other brush to remove the hair before it gets where you don't want it or get a sticky brush or other fur remover to use on frequented places like the nursing chair.  And the reference to suffocation by the cat reeks of the OWT that the cat will suck the breath from the baby.  Your poor cat wants affection, denying her that to which she became accustomed is not going to help.

    I ditto previous poster who said not to make kitty resent the baby by blocking her from the entire upstairs and radically changing the way she gets to interact with you (i.e. by sleeping in your bed).  We have two cats, one of whom we joked was going to be jealous of the baby in utero because she wishes she could be that close to me.  Neither she nor the other cat has ever gone in the crib after we brought DD home even after camping in there for weeks before I went into labor.  Close the door to LO's room after LO goes to sleep and let kitty snuggle with you at night - no one gets hurt this way and you have your peace of mind that the cat won't end up in the crib while the cat doesn't feel ostracized from her family.

  • imageSam78:

    imageRory419:
    Please keep us posted on this!  I am fearing the same thing with our cat.  When we moved to our new house, we tried to keep her out of our bedroom and the nursery is always closed (she had been sleeping in our bed for about 9 months prior to the move.)  She was ok after a few days, but would then stand outside our door and cry at like 4am every day.  I was so not having that.  Now she can go in the room, but gets pushed off the bed anytime she is caught on it.  So instead she retreats to my designated "nursing chair" and sheds all over it and all over my clothes.  I am scared of LO choking on cat hair for how much she sheds!  We are thinking of trying to lock her out again and trying some spray/water technique to make her not even go near our room/DD's room.  It is very frustrating.  I know that TONS of people (me included) grew up around animals and it will probably be fine, but with all the SIDS talk and precautions, suffocation by an over-affectionate kitty who sheds constantly is an honest fear of mine!

    oh dear god, your child is not going to choke on cat hair! If shedding is a problem, get a furminator or other brush to remove the hair before it gets where you don't want it or get a sticky brush or other fur remover to use on frequented places like the nursing chair.  And the reference to suffocation by the cat reeks of the OWT that the cat will suck the breath from the baby.  Your poor cat wants affection, denying her that to which she became accustomed is not going to help.

    I ditto previous poster who said not to make kitty resent the baby by blocking her from the entire upstairs and radically changing the way she gets to interact with you (i.e. by sleeping in your bed).  We have two cats, one of whom we joked was going to be jealous of the baby in utero because she wishes she could be that close to me.  Neither she nor the other cat has ever gone in the crib after we brought DD home even after camping in there for weeks before I went into labor.  Close the door to LO's room after LO goes to sleep and let kitty snuggle with you at night - no one gets hurt this way and you have your peace of mind that the cat won't end up in the crib while the cat doesn't feel ostracized from her family.

    Believe me I wish it were as easy as just shutting the door. However she paws and paws at it and it continuously bangs against the door frame etc. and is very well. We've tried that in years past. I would just let her sleep with us but I've been promising DH for years now that we'd try this as a favor to him as well. She just doesn't leave him alone at night as bad as it sounds. We'll see how it goes. Saving the receipt for the gate. I feel like we have to try and since we are still 10 weeks out from Madelyn getting here I don't think she'll associate the two is my hope.

  • My kitties used to sleep on me all the time, but we started kicking them out into the living room (no baby room) since baby will be sleeping in our room. They're doing pretty well and sleep wherever they please. Sometimes they cry at the door still, but they're doing really well. :)
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  • If that doesn't work how about using the gate in the door frame of the nursery instead? At least then they'll still be able to sleep with you & your hubby. =)

    Goodluck!

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