Pets and babies

SarahKate31 · November 2011

We have 2 large cats (18 & 20lbs each) and they are both sweet - one is super friendly and the other is much more shy, but neither is aggressive in any way. When we first brought DS home, we did not let the cats sleep in the same room as the baby for fear that our one cat (Jake) would jump into the crib with him. He can and does do this during the day when we're there to supervise, but at night, we close the door to DS's room and the cats can't get in there. We aren't afraid he'll hurt DS, but he likes to snuggle/lay on people so we didn't want him to do that to DS.

So this morning I discover that I accidentally closed Jake in DS's room last night. He made no audible attempt to get out because I would have heard that on the monitor (he almost never meows anyway). I feel bad that he was locked in there, but I'm not worried that DS was in any danger and it's kind of made me think maybe we don't need to close the door anymore, but I'm not sure.

After that long winded story....how do you handle your pets' interaction with your kid(s)? Are there any restrictions?

ThePastor'sWife · November 2011

We have 2 dogs - a miniature poodle (Cal) who's 18 lbs and a golden retriever/standard poodle mix (Maisie) who's around 60 lbs. I fully trust my dogs and have no worries that they would ever harm DS, but our rule is that he doesn't interact with them unless closely supervised b/c they ARE animals and therefore you cannot fully predict what they will/won't do. We've been working with him since he was very little to learn how to treat the dogs properly ("gentle" has been our key word), but even so - he's still an impulsive toddler. DS tackles Maisie on a regular basis to give her hugs, and will try to "pet" Cal (aka pounding on Cal's back), and it just makes both of us more comfortable to supervise these interactions - we also use them as a time to reassure the dogs ("good girl/boy" as they tolerate DS). All 3 are always together in the house, but one of us is always there with them, too.

On a somewhat related note, we have always kept DS's bedroom door shut at night b/c it's safer in the event of fire.

weezie825 · November 2011

We have a 15 year old cat that is HUGE. In the begining he was very tolerant, even protective of DD. He liked to sleep on the shelf underneath her bassinet. If she started to cry the cat would come find me and nudge me until I went and got DD.

That was until she started getting mobile. Now that she wants to play with him, he is much different. He'll put up with her trying to pet and play withhim to a point, but then he gets annoyed and swipes at her. Usually it is only his paw and not his claws, but once or twice he has gotten her hand pretty good.

Now that I am PG with #2 the cat is on me all the time. He will not leave me alone. (He was like this when I was PG with DD too.) He also constantly tries to get in between me and DD. If DD and I are sitting on the couch he'll try to scoot his way in between us. Then DD gets upset and cries.

I have found that I have to me much more on top of their interactions now, then I ever had to worry about it before. I have a couple cute pictures from when DD was small with the cat cuddled up next to her, but we don't let that happen anymore.

madladybride · November 2011

We have 2 black labs. Dog #1 is 10 and I've had her since she was 8wks old. Dog#2 is 4 and we got him from a rescue group last year. Both will come up to DD & lick her face.

Now that DD is mobile - she crawls and is learning to cruise. I do not leave her alone with the dogs. She moves FAST and likes to try to get the dogs. If left alone, she will crawl up onto Dog#1 and use her to stand up, pulling her fur all the while. Dog #1 takes it (it has happened when MIL was "watching" DD), but I don't let it happen because Dog # 1 doesn't deserve it and I am afraid DD will get bit. If DD gets within about 3 feet of Dog# 2, he will bark. If she gets closer, i.e. cruising from coffee table to sofa and Dog#2 is on sofa, he will growl and move. He pretty much moves away from DD when she gets too close.

We are tying to teach her gentle, but she is 10 months old. The dogs are still dogs and I don't want them to bite DDr because of something she unknowingly did.

camdenfaithful · November 2011

We have a few rules, but for the most part we're pretty lax about the whole thing.

I won't leave DD on the floor to run to another room to grab something with the animals but that's more because my dog has been known to just get the zoomies at odd times or fling her toys around. If she were to hurt DD I know it would be totally accidental. We let our dog sniff and kiss DD as much as she wants though.

Our cat is more of a PITA because he's just trying to be near us and because DD is always with us we have to limit it at times. The only time it's really an issue is at night/early morning when DD wakes up and I bring her into bed to side nurse her. Prior to having her, my cat would snuggle up by my face chest and he still tries to do that but I won't let him. If DD is in bed with us, he only allowed by my feet or anywhere on my husband's side of the bed.

ETA - obviously a lot of this will be revised once DD is mobile. Our dog is absolutely wonderful with kids but our kitty can get a little mean if he's cornered - left alone or able to approach you on his own, he's totally fine.

SarahKate31 · November 2011

Maybe we'll keep closing the door just in case. I *highly* doubt Jake would try to cuddle with DS at night with no one else in the room because when he does jump in the crib or cuddle up to DS, he does it to get OUR attention, not DS's. I do leave DS and the cats alone to go get something from another room and I'm fine with that. Obviously, things will change as he gets older and more mobile.

jcsntms06 · November 2011

We have two big dogs (80lbs each) and they are really great with DD. When we first had DD, and she was still in the NICU, we would bring blankets home for them to smell. Roscoe from the beginning would just roll all over the blanket and Josie would just smell and ignore. Once DD came home though, it was another story, these dogs loved her from the beginning. They would sleep near her bassinet or crib. But once she got older I started to shut her door, because she's a lite sleeper. From the time she was one until recently she has always liked to hug or sit on them (ride them really), but we've told her she can't do that anymore, with her being close to 30lbs. She is learning slowly that she can't hit them or pull their tails. I always make sure I'm in the room with her, because you never know when they will turn.

mrs. remy · November 2011

I have always kept sean's door closed to keep the cats out at night. they are both harmless but huge and like to snuggle so that was a concern when he was tiny. now I still keep his door closed mainly out of habit and to keep him from wandering in the middle of the night.

I caught my cat in the PNP 3 times the other evening with Blake, but that is in the living room and he never sleeps in there unsupervised or anything.

AKBrideinMD · November 2011

We have a 3 y.o. cocker/poodle mix, Phoebe. She's kinda nuts but sweet...she just barks a ton and I feel like we've done everything we can to fix it with positive training methods and nothing's worked. But I digress...our only real "rule" is that we don't leave her alone w/ DD. She's perfectly sweet to her, most of the time she just wants to lick her face (we have to keep her from licking her constantly) and if she's not doing that she's ignoring her, but I also know she's an animal and has growled at us before when we've accidentally stepped on her...I think she didn't realize it was us and it was just instinctual to turn around and growl, but I wouldn't want DD to accidentally do something and get bit, just in case. Most of the time that doesn't really apply because DD isn't mobile yet but we're trying to start early to get used to not leaving them alone together. We leave DD's room open because she's right next door and I prefer listening to her that way over the monitor, and Phoebe sleeps next to our bed.

mars37810 · November 2011

We don't have any restrictions yet with her being so young. Our dog would actually get pretty upset if we kept him out of her room. Her door doesn't latch properly and if she starts fussing he will push open the door to check on her. Also, he comes in the room while I'm nursing and just curls up on the floor. He had a fit the other day at my parents' house when he couldn't get to me while I was nursing her.

Once she becomes mobile we will not leave them in the room together if they could get to each other. He has been around children since the very beginning (the breeder had two small kids and the dogs were raised in the house with them) and he does really well with kids but there is always a chance that he could snap to protect himself. He is pretty tolerant and was even accidently punched in the face by my niece when she was an infant and throwing a fit and he just walked away from her but he did growl at my friend's daughter when she leaned on his back leg.

daisyterp · November 2011

Mhouser82:
Also, he comes in the room while I'm nursing and just curls up on the floor. He had a fit the other day at my parents' house when he couldn't get to me while I was nursing her.

This is how Daisy was with both of mine when they were little babies- if I was nursing them on the sofa, she had to sit right next to me and would flip out on anyone other than DH if they sat down on the sofa with us- it was kinda cool. She was very protective of my babies.

Daisy is 12, and maybe 13 lbs- so we do gentle touches, petting, kissing and hugging with her. Both of the kids like to "feed" the dogs and give them their treats.

Besides mama and dada, dog, was both of my LOs first word. DS yells Day-See really loud and it's the cutest thing.

He has only tried to ride Dixon once.

Megcheer2 · November 2011

daisyterp:
Mhouser82:
Also, he comes in the room while I'm nursing and just curls up on the floor. He had a fit the other day at my parents' house when he couldn't get to me while I was nursing her.
This is how Daisy was with both of mine when they were little babies- if I was nursing them on the sofa, she had to sit right next to me and would flip out on anyone other than DH if they sat down on the sofa with us- it was kinda cool. She was very protective of my babies.
Daisy is 12, and maybe 13 lbs- so we do gentle touches, petting, kissing and hugging with her. Both of the kids like to "feed" the dogs and give them their treats.
Besides mama and dada, dog, was both of my LOs first word. DS yells Day-See really loud and it's the cutest thing.
He has only tried to ride Dixon once.

It was one of DD's first words too! And for a while, she thought all dogs were "Jack," because that is our friendlier dog's name.

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