Have we discussed how to get cats used to baby..?

kprater88 · August 2012

If I had a dog I would be much less concerned about how it handles and deals with the new baby. But I feel like cats and getting them ready for new addition can be more challenging. I worry about the cat coming into baby room and getting into the crib. Im not really wanting to just close the door all the time. I think that also would encourage the cat to be even more curious about the "room he is cant go in" and would cause him to go into the room anytime door may be open. Any thoughts?

Few things ive done so far...

-got the baby room cleaned out and set baby room up early so he can get used to the smells adn changes.

-I caught him in the crib once and "disciplined" him right away so he knows its a no-no place to lay.

If you guys have other suggestions I am anxious to hear them!!

JumpAroundBucky · August 2012

I'm not too concerned about my cats adjusting until LO is up and walking around trying to pet them. One of my friends brought her 3 month old over and the cats were very interested in his stuff, but as soon as he moved, they ran away.

We will definitely be watching to see if they are interested in the crib, and using spray bottles to keep them out. I think once we get the glider, though, they'll take that over. That's fine with me. I don't mind sharing with a kitten.

I think with my cats, it's going to be a lot more teaching LO how to act around them than teaching the cats how to act around LO.

moosegal · August 2012

If your cat is anything like mine, it will want nothing to do with baby once you bring him/her home. My cat was also interested in the empty crib, but once a wiggling, screaming baby was in it, it lost its appeal.

Tiger269 · August 2012

My cat is 13 and isn't exactly agile enough to jump into a crib from the ground, so hopefully as long as I keep the crib away from another dresser or table she won't be able to get in there. I have heard of other people setting the crib up a few weeks before baby arrives and putting tin foil or a rubber mat with the nubs sticking up in the crib so the cat learns they do not like being in the crib. Not sure if this works for every cat, but it might be worth a shot. Not sure about being able to keep the cat completely out of the nursery without having the door closed. Let me know what you find that works!

anglgrl718 · August 2012

I never even once thought about worrying about my cats. They run when I move toward them so I think they're gonna be too keen on going near a baby once he/she is here. If they are interested I definitely don't think it will be in a sinister way so I'm not worried.

I did, however, think we would keep the door to the nursery closed as long as baby is in there and sleeping. My female cat likes to snuggle at bedtime and I wouldn't want her trying to snuggle with baby while they are sleeping because of suffocation. But while they are awake and moving, I don't see any problems arising.

I'd be more afraid with a dog actually. We were thinking of getting a puppy once we got moved into the new house but when i found out we were pregnant we scraped that idea because I'm scared a puppy would nip or scratch or step on a baby if they are playing on the floor.

mylittlemegan · August 2012

We have very well behaved kitties for the most part. But I think when it comes to the babies room and crib, we might have to implement a spray bottle for discipline. I don't mind them in the room, but I really don't want their yucky kitty litter paws in the crib. I agree that trying to keep them out of a room will only make them more curious, so they will be allowed in the room, but like a pp said, they probably won't want anything to do with the room once the crying baby is in it! I am a bit worried about the bassinet/ sleeper that we get for in our room the first few months. I have a possessive kitty and I worry that keeping the baby in our room will make him act out. But, I'm trying not to worry about that until it happens. I do turn on those shows on tlc about birth stories,just so the kitties can get used to crying.... they hate the noise!

amywalt1684 · August 2012

I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless you have a very agressive cat who is posessive of you. The "jumpy" kitties will tend to just stay away and the "curious" kitty will check out the baby but seem to know the baby is fragile.

We have 2 cats, one of each kind. Turns out the jumpy kitty tended to be the more protective one over the baby, he would always be in her vicinity. We really didn't do too much to prep our cats, mostly because I just didn't know what to do.

We did have issues with the cats thinking that the crib was their personal bed. This only happened prior to putting the baby in the bed (like her first few weeks). Once our DD started sleeping in her crib, the cats associated it as hers and stayed away.

From the beginning I was terrified to let the cats into the room while she was sleeping (we have a 20 lbs cat that I was afraid would try to sit on her,lol). So when she initally slept in our bedroom we closed them out and then same thing from her room. I still do not allow the cats to go in her room while she is sleeping.

And for fun... bonus kitty pictures! LOL

DD and Max

Kitties lounging in the crib prior to putting DD to sleep in there. When I took this picture I scolded them and was worried they would aways sleep in there.

CocoR04 · August 2012

My friend's cat almost had a nervous breakdown when she brought home her baby, so I'll definitely be doing things to prepare my own anxious cat for our baby. Like you, I'll get the room set up early and let her spend time in there. I also got another suggestion to find a recording of a baby crying and playing it for her (when I can think of it) to get her used to the odd sound. This was recommended in a pets & babies class.

kprater88 · August 2012

moosegal:
If your cat is anything like mine, it will want nothing to do with baby once you bring him/her home. My cat was also interested in the empty crib, but once a wiggling, screaming baby was in it, it lost its appeal.

See here's the thing.. sometimes id swear my cat was a dog. It loves to "wrestle" like a dog. And it loves being around people when we have company over. but the biggest concern is he can be a biter if hes in a playful mood. (he is still young, just over 2 years) so its just so hard to decern what my cat will do with a tiny baby. its never been around little kids either...

kprater88 · August 2012

amywalt1684:

I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless you have a very agressive cat who is posessive of you. The "jumpy" kitties will tend to just stay away and the "curious" kitty will check out the baby but seem to know the baby is fragile.

We have 2 cats, one of each kind. Turns out the jumpy kitty tended to be the more protective one over the baby, he would always be in her vicinity. We really didn't do too much to prep our cats, mostly because I just didn't know what to do.

We did have issues with the cats thinking that the crib was their personal bed. This only happened prior to putting the baby in the bed (like her first few weeks). Once our DD started sleeping in her crib, the cats associated it as hers and stayed away.

From the beginning I was terrified to let the cats into the room while she was sleeping (we have a 20 lbs cat that I was afraid would try to sit on her,lol). So when she initally slept in our bedroom we closed them out and then same thing from her room. I still do not allow the cats to go in her room while she is sleeping.

And for fun... bonus kitty pictures! LOL

DD and Max

Kitties lounging in the crib prior to putting DD to sleep in there. When I took this picture I scolded them and was worried they would aways sleep in there.

Love your kitty's!! My parents have an obese 27lb cat and he's adorable too.

IncogNeato · August 2012

You'd be less cautious with a dog? When's the last time you've heard of a cat hurting a baby? It pretty much never happens.

Our cats were freaked out by DD from the get go. I had DH bring home blankets from the hospital, etc, but it didn't make a difference. They avoided her for the first year, and when she started walking they got extra freaked out and we had some pee issues, but now they like her and let her pet them, etc.

I always close her door when she's sleeping because EVERYTHING wakes her up, so that's not an issue. When she's not sleeping I don't care if they go in.

PS- I tried playing sounds of babies crying and they never even flicked an ear but when DD came home and cried, they hid. Go figure.

k8elee03 · August 2012

My cat pretty much hated my DD and wanted NOTHING to do with her for months. She (my cat) wouldn't come close to me when I was holding my baby, whereas she normally wouldn't let me just sit and watch TV; she always has to be on my lap cuddling. But after the baby came home, she wouldn't come within 6 feet of her or her room for months. Eventually the cat started to let my DD come almost close enough to touch her, and later, she would actually let her pet her, and finally, my cat loved her back. But it took a good three years, lol. If the cat didn't want to be bothered by my daughter, she wouldn't let her. She would just stay out of her reach. It's never been a problem.

walter7878 · August 2012

We actually have a baby gate in my son's room so that the cats won't come in unsupervised. I felt better about that than having the door shut, and if they can jump over it, they don't. That way they can see in, but they can't really get in.

maitrimama · August 2012

I'm concerned about our cat too, mostly because the room that will be for the baby is the room that had DH's bed & bedding when we moved in together, and thus she claimed it as her own & it has her hair everywhere. (Not to mention all the furniture we'll need to get rid of). I think she'll be jealous and putting all the baby stuff in "her" room will add insult to injury. I'm worried she'll be aggressive with baby but also whether baby will be allergic to her, as I kind of am.

Anyone ever have pets that are jealous of baby or had this situation?

wells2010 · August 2012

Our dog won't let our 2 cats anywhere near a baby. It's really cute to watch. I am more concerned about the baby's things becoming a cat bed. I feel like if we get a swing it will just become a $100 cat bed. I'm opting for portable/fold up ones instead.

I've heard (for both dogs & cats) that it helps to bring home a blanket or other clothing baby has been in before you bring LO home from the hospital. That way, they are used to the smell. I'm guessing both cats will be scared of the baby at first, but then the daring one will probably want to investigate (but she is gentle).

mishka29 · August 2012

I'm a little worried about this myself as I have a real a-hole cat.

When we had a baby over once she just stayed away...until the crying started. Then she ran right over and started crying too while trying to cuddle with me.

I just played a youtube video of a baby crying...it woke her up, then she got up and slowly made her way over to me while crying and then wanted some cuddles. It's like she's checking to make sure everything is okay.

ericalee27 · August 2012

moosegal:
If your cat is anything like mine, it will want nothing to do with baby once you bring him/her home. My cat was also interested in the empty crib, but once a wiggling, screaming baby was in it, it lost its appeal.

This exactly. Honestly I don't think our cat even realized we had brought DS home for the first few months. He could have cared less. Now they are best buddies. It's pretty cute.

We always just shut the door for wherever DS was sleeping so no worries about the cat getting into the crib while he was asleep.

buggirl72 · August 2012

amywalt1684:
I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless you have a very agressive cat who is posessive of you. The "jumpy" kitties will tend to just stay away and the "curious" kitty will check out the baby but seem to know the baby is fragile.

We have 2 cats, one of each kind. Turns out the jumpy kitty tended to be the more protective one over the baby, he would always be in her vicinity. We really didn't do too much to prep our cats, mostly because I just didn't know what to do.

We did have issues with the cats thinking that the crib was their personal bed. This only happened prior to putting the baby in the bed (like her first few weeks). Once our DD started sleeping in her crib, the cats associated it as hers and stayed away.

From the beginning I was terrified to let the cats into the room while she was sleeping (we have a 20 lbs cat that I was afraid would try to sit on her,lol). So when she initally slept in our bedroom we closed them out and then same thing from her room. I still do not allow the cats to go in her room while she is sleeping.

And for fun... bonus kitty pictures! LOL

DD and Max

Kitties lounging in the crib prior to putting DD to sleep in there. When I took this picture I scolded them and was worried they would aways sleep in there.

We have a black kitty also! She likes to snuggle at night so I do worry about her trying to sleep with the baby. She also stalks our small dog and attacks him (playfully) so I'll need to make sure that she does not decide that the baby falls into that category also.

ATLdesi · August 2012

I'll preface this by saying that my 3 year old shelter kitty is my "first-born" and "my 4-legged daughter," and to anyone who has asked me what I plan to do with the cat once baby comes and if the cat doesn't tolerate it well, I jokingly respond "well clearly, we'll have to get rid of the baby."

But in all seriousness - I appreciate this post b/c I'm one of those people who is committed to having a harmonious human/feline balance at home, and under no circumstances would rehome my pet.

A few pieces of info I'd recommend - though I haven't used them to acclimate a cat to a baby, I did use them when first bringing my highly energetic, hyper, sometimes bitey/scratchey cat home from the shelter - and they worked like magic to get her more comfortable, calm, and less overstimulated:

1) Feliway plug-ins. These look like Glade air fresheners that you plug into an outlet in your house, but they emit a pheromone (odorless to humans) that cats can smell, and they calm cats down, help them get used to new furniture, layouts, and even family members quickly. They have been shown to help with "problem peeing" too. Feliway also comes in a spray form, and a cat collar - so if you have a particular object that kitty seems to want to pee on (say, the car seat) - you can spray that item directly to help curb inappropriate elimination.

2) a tall cat tree. Kitty likes a tall, inaccessible place that is all his/her own, where he/she can look down upon baby and everything without fear of being attacked or handled in an undesirable way. Additional idea: if kitty has a high perch IN baby's room, or in a room where baby will spend time, this can be great b/c the cat might be curious about the baby, but afraid to get too close and/or want to get into the crib with the baby. This way, the cat's curiosity can be satisfied, while maintaining distance. I think there's a strong value to aversive training (spray water when cat gets into crib, etc.) but a lot of times, if there's an alternate, more desirable place for the cat to go, the cat will naturally gravitate toward it and you don't even have to worry about aversive training to deter kitty's taking over another piece of furniture.

3) For those worried about baby potentially being allergic: your best friends are a HEPA air purifier (I recommend the Honeywell 17000 for bedrooms; about $100-$120) and a solution called AllerPet-C (available on Amazon for around $10). My Nest Bio has more info on surviving cat allergies for those interested.

4) Something to do perhaps before baby comes, with those whose cats are high energy, highly intelligent, and therefore sometimes getting themselves into trouble: consider clicker training your cat toward certain behaviors, or away from others. A great book is Miriam Fields-Babineau's "Cat Training in 10 Minutes" (also on Amazon). You'll be amazed. I taught my adult cat how to come, sit, stay, shake hands, jump, etc. on command within a week, with only about 5-10 minutes of training each day. A lot of cats "get into trouble" (taking over cribs, playing with objects they shouldn't, shredding furniture, becoming bitey/aggressive, etc.) not because they're "bad," but because they're highly intelligent and BORED. Cat training is great for channeling their energy (and it's awesome, b/c their attention spans are so short, you only need a few minutes a day). It's a great DH activity so that he can continue it after baby comes, if your hands are full.

Hope some of this might help!

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