Pet Owners

kaylaakosua · March 2012

Any pet owners out there notice a change in you pet while being pregnant? IE Behaviour towards you ...

I have a 2.5 yr old Golden retriever Zazu who always been THE biggest suck baby, literally can't go pee without him in the bathroom or he whines has now become super protective ( not in an aggressive way ) but up until recently I barely ever heard him bark and I raised him from 6 weeks & Stella a 14 month North American Akita who has become my shadow making sure I get up stairs safely and sleeps on my side of the bed and wakes up every time I turn to make sure I'm ok.

How are all your pets reacting to you being pregnant?

MsCatra · March 2012

Yep! We have four cats, all of whom are more lovey with me, one of who has been obsessed with me since early pregnancy. If I sleep on my side she will sleep literally on my other side, almost on top of my bump, or with her rump on my stomach pillow and her front legs and head on my bump. We call it the Bump Snuggle.

joshandpanda · March 2012

I have 3 dogs, a Chihuahua, a Pug and a Great Dane puppy (who turns 1 year on my EDD) and I honestly can't say they have changed one bit towards me...

cmurphy09 · March 2012

My Dogs have been more loving & more protective. They always make sure to watch for me as I'm going down the stairs. once they make it down, they keep watch & wait for me

Photos of my two Goobermeisters

Lex

&

Lily

Expecting girl 3 · March 2012

My dog has been more alert. He's always been MY dog but once my DH leaves at 3:30 am for work Benny. Our dog, gets up in his place and is on high alert staring at the door. He does bark a lot more. God forbid we get the paper every week he goes nuts! But he goes everywhere with me. Bathroom included.

pc150805 · March 2012

My dog seems much more aware that there is a reason to avoid my stomach. We've always let her put her front paws on our hips/stomachs as long as her back paws stay on the ground. Now, she very tenderly puts her paws on my thighs like she knows she can't bounce off my stomach.

Maizey317 · March 2012

Absolutely! We have 2 cats. The one, Maizey, has always been up by butt, since the day we brought her home. She has been even more lovey and wanting my strict attention even more than usual..I will wake up and she will be sleeping either on my legs, or right on my bump..Shes not a small cat by any means, so I always have to "shoo" her off in the middle of the night b/c i cant breath! LOL

Our other cat, Nitrous, has always been a little scaredy cat, and not at all affectionate towards me or my husband. Lately it seems like he is a completely different cat! Its awesome! He can't get enough attention from either of us now.

I hope this lasts! I can definitely tell a difference in each of their behaviors.

CRobinson1207 · March 2012

joshandpanda, i love your pug! so precious!

I have a pug also and a pitbull and 1 cat.

My dogs have always been protective of me and my little shadows so that hasn't changed at all, but my cat has been all over me. She used to be the kind of cat that would only come up to you when she wanted attention and she would have her own place of the house she hung out at.. Now she sleeps with me every night and when I"m not home I find her sleeping underneath the crib. So that's been surprising. She still wants nothing to do with my SO though haha.

lizzymo19 · March 2012

The dogs haven't changed whatsoever but they tend to be pretty oblivious about everything (except for when we get out a suitcase to head to my parents!). My cat, however, is extremely lovey dovey and has been for a few months now. He would always sleep next to me in bed but not the whole night. Since about October/November he is by my side the whole night. He also used to be a lot more testy if you would nudge him or move him (he would get up and leave). But now when I try to nudge him so I can have more room he literally won't budge. Sometimes I wake up practically on top of him but he stays put.

I don't mind at all but it makes me nervous because I wanted to have LO in the room with us for at least a week or two in the PnP but if the cat switches his attention from me to LO then that definitely won't work!

NLS0412 · March 2012

Our 4 year old yorkie-poo has recently developed SEVERE separation anxiety. To the point that he was clawing at our doors and gates so badly he was cutting himself. We've tried all kinds of different ideas to get him to stop, but it continued to get worse. We took him back to the vet on Monday, and they gave us an anti anxiety medication for him. It was the last thing I wanted to have to do, but we had to do something.

mcgeeva · March 2012

I have an 8 year old pom that is extremely needy since I have been pregnant. Almost more then I can handle. He can't sit next to me he has to be on top of my legs at all times. He lays across my belly and even when my husband is home he has to be with me. I can't even sit here and type anymore he puts his paws on my laptop until I move it and there is not much space for him to sit in my legs with a huge belly in the way. Now if I was smart I should start breaking him of these habits before the baby comes but I just don't have the heart to do it since he's been my baby for the past 8 years.

Annie234567 · March 2012

My little girl dog hasn't really changed towards me, but she does occasionally seem more cuddly than usual. I foresee her becoming even more cuddly/needy when there is another baby around that wants to be held -- when our nieces and nephews are around, it's hard to get her off my lap.

roxygulrjax · March 2012

Marco (my dachshund/jack russell mix) is pretty much the same. But I will catch him in the nursery at least once a day checking out the crib and bassinet to see if there is anything in there yet, lol. And when we sleep he curls up next to my belly (but that might be because I'm now sleeping on my side in the fetal position instead of on my belly like I use to do).

BabyD15 · March 2012

I'd love to say my fur babies know that something is different, but that is not the case. Ella is still needy and follows me like a shadow everywhere I go and Zoe could care less unless I have food, a toy or am taking her for a walk. Same ol' doggies!

lolabunny919 · March 2012

Your dogs are adorable ;-)

And as I am sitting on the couch typing, I have 5 cats sitting on the back of the couch behind me, one dog at my side, and one dog at my feet...haha. They are always around me.

KatieO217 · March 2012

My 2 year old Pomeranian has become extremely high anxiety(waaaaay more barking if you leave the room or house) in the past 2 months...he knows somethings up! And yes, he has been even more of a snuggler... he lays on the arm of the couch next to me with his butt wedged between my bump and the couch itself.. its his new favorite spot.

or, if i am laying sideways on the couch he lays himself across my hip and belly!

desbaby · March 2012

Aw so cute! We have two goldens ourselves and they are just the most lovable dogs. Ours are 5 and 6 (both males) and have definitely started to take notice of all the baby gear entering their house lately and their 'Mom' growing a big tummy. I can't hardly turn around without just about stepping one of them! One of them actually naps in the nursery during the day and gets up for every trip I take to the bathroom during the night. The other is sort of the alpha and is alert and stirs at any sound outside. I think they will be great 'big brothers!'

AnriaLedou · March 2012

I have a cat - Isis - who I thought had no idea that anything was changing until my mom came over and let her big German shepherd in our back yard. He would bark at my cat in her window, but Isis didn't seem to really care about him until I came over to check on him and would bark at me and the cat. BOTH times Isis positioned herself in between me and the dog and even tried to go cat postal (hissing, claws, the works) on the dog. Now keep in mind the glass was there so no one actually did any attacking, but I was very touched by her protecting me.

Tambcat · March 2012

One of my cats has become more clingy and demanding. The other two and my dog haven't seemed to notice.

bornmommy · March 2012

Such cute pup photos!! I have two dogs and two cats. The cats are pretty much the same. One dog hasn't known me not preggo so can't really tell a change or not. The other, my baby girl Turbo, has been more clingy than normal recently. She literally waits for me to fall asleep so she can crawl under the covers to snuggle right up by my head. She has also calmed down a lot more but that could also be perception because of the puppy Redbone Coonhound/Boxer, Bruiser we adopted in October!!

kfranck1 · March 2012

I have 2 cats. Bootsie has always been my baby but now she hardly comes by me and sleeps most of the day away - hoping she's not depressed. The other, Cuddy, would never come by me, but was always next to the hubby. Now I barely sit down before she's on my lap, she follows me around like a lost dog. Definitely a huge behavior change in both. Oh and not to mention that just yesterday I found out that one (or maybe both) has been peeing on our brand new carpet! Neither has ever gone outside the box so I'm so frustrated! Really hoping we can correct that behavior before it gets too bad...

lizby · March 2012

My cat Bundy has always been a mommy's girl, but over the past few weeks she has gotten very clingy.. if I go sit on the toilet, she jumps on my lap. I was taking a bath the other day and she jumped right in and sat on my belly (which sticks out of the water like an island now)! It makes me feel so bad because I know I should gradually decrease my attentions to her so it isn't such a shock when the baby comes but she is making it really heartbreaking and difficult

kaylaakosua · March 2012

These stories are adorable! I love how their instincts kick in! and others are probably show it more once the baby is here. I feel like I have two constant body guards / sucky babies .... Not saying that I don't love it. When my hips are in pain and my waddle is more noticeable the are there to support me and I can use them like walkers, Thank god for large dogs!!

FizzyBride · March 2012

Yes, I think he knows something is up! I've got an English bulldog (who, in many ways, is my first child.) Bulldogs are sort of known for being needy anyway, and he's always followed me from room to room, even if I'm just going to the bathroom or checking on dinner in the kitchen, he has to be RIGHT THERE!

But lately he's even more protective. Last week, DH was out of town on a business trip and I swear my dog sat up in bed on high alert nearly all night long every night he was gone, like he was on watchdog mode or something. Also, since about the beginning of my 2nd trimester he has been very good about not jumping up on me- he jumps up on everyone else, unfortunately, but he seems to purposely avoid putting his paws on my belly or getting too rambunctious with me.

I've been trying to spend all kinds of time with him in case I'm too distracted to really play with him when baby first gets here. I'm also trying to spend part of every day in the baby's room, sitting in the rocking chair, so he can get used to it. I find that bringing his dog bed into the room and setting it at my feet keeps him from getting too curious. And I've also been turning on the swing, mobile, bouncer, etc. so he can get used to the noises they make and their motion so he doesn't flip out or anything. He's a bit high-maintenance, but I wouldn't trade him for any other dog in the world!

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