Any of you ladies have overly attached fur babies?

beccabeeee · July 2015

I have a dog and 2 cats, and my youngest cat has literally been attached to my hip since we got him at 8 weeks. Him and his siblings were dropped off at a kill shelter and we're going to be put down, but my local petsmart went and saved them. Well, he was pretty sick and malnourished when we saw him, and I had to have him! I have an extra soft spot for sick kittens...

Any of you ladies feeling sad about not being able to give all your attention to that special fur baby once LO comes? I'm a sucker for animals, he's my baby =\ I think I might actually have 2 babies to take care of lol! My other 2 fur babies probably don't give a rats ass about me...they bonded with DH instantly

yl1m32015 · July 2015

Yes!!! I just read a great book though, "Good Dog, Happy Baby." It really explained how to prepare and ease our fur babies into the idea of baby. Basically the goal is for the arrival of baby to be a hiccup in their routine, not a detrimental upset. My Max boy is my baby and I know it's going to be a big adjustment for him. We rescued him from a high kill shelter last year when he was 6months old. He still deals with anxiety so prepping him for several months will be helpful.

spottedginger · July 2015

Yes! I have two highly active Velcro dogs. They can't be near you or in the same room, they have to be on top of you. I can't even use the facilities to relieve myself or shower without company. I love my boys and don't want them to feel neglected as we add one more to the family.

JElizbetty · July 2015

Just the opposite, my husband is now the favorite. She submisses to him anytime he walks through the door its really weird because I've had her since she was a pup before I even met my husband and have always been her alpha

She's mad at me. I should add she loves babies and she loves my daughter.

koala1107 · July 2015

Yeah might be a little bit of an issue with my "first born" as well. My husband and I probably also need to stop referring to our dog as the baby soon :o3

yl1m32015 · July 2015

jmassoni85 said:
Just the opposite, my husband is now the favorite. She submisses to him anytime he walks through the door its really weird because I've had her since she was a pup before I even met my husband and have always been her alpha She's mad at me. I should add she loves babies and she loves my daughter.

There's a theory on that. When a man impregnates a women, his testosterone levels increase. The dog can sense that and therefore start to shift her allegiance. It doesn't mean she doesn't love you anymore! Just that she senses a change in hierarchy.

MrsBwIVF · July 2015

Yes!!! We tell our dogs almost daily that they are in for a rude awakening in a few months. They are especially attached to me now since I stopped working 7 months ago to focus on fertility. They sleep with us, on us, in the bed, every night and nap period. They are spoiled rotten because they only get a short time on this earth so why not?

dgarofoli · July 2015

I have a fur baby that is so spoilt and means everything to my husband and I. She is like our first child! I have also been anxious about the arrival of the LO and how it will affect her. I'm going to look up that book straight away. I just hope that we will be able to give them both the love they deserve!

beccabeeee · July 2015

Awww all your fur babies are adorable! I'm not too worried about the dog when LO comes because he loves just about everyone. But my kitties will probably have an issue at first. I'm really hoping they will come around once baby comes, and won't feel too left out. Although I'm sure when hubby is taking care of LO I'll be giving my fur babes so much love and attention

Edited: totally wanted to post a before and after picture of my over attached kitty, he's come a long way and I think since I'm the one that did everything to get him healthy again is why he's so attached to me and not my husband

chewie5990 · July 2015

I'm a little worried about my pup not getting as much attention when baby comes. My DH and I both treat him like our baby - DH even has a tattoo dedicated to our dog! It's been worse since he got hit by a car a little over a month ago (Thankfully he made an almost full recovery!) and has been way more anxious and now will cry any time we leave the room - he also never wants to be outside by himself for more than about 2 minutes. We are signed up for a dog and baby class through our hospital and they do some training on safety measures and things like that. We have 3 nieces - 1 that we live with and so thankfully he has been around babies and toddlers and has always been fantastic with kids.

beccabeeee · July 2015

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beccabeeee · July 2015

Crap...I don't think I did that right

Mizuiro007 · July 2015

I worried a lot about our two cats. They were a little over a year when my son was born. We read and got tips from others on ways to prepare them. We also got some helpful tips watching the show "My Cat From Hell".

Hubby started feeding them more so it wouldn't be a shock to their routine when I was in the hospital. Then while I was in the hospital hubby would go back home to feed them and give them attention. He'd take hats and blankets with the baby's scent so they got used to it before the baby was present.

Bringing the baby hope we set the carrier on the floor and let the cats sniff around him and didn't move him until they were ready. After that it really wasn't an issue. Our male isn't as big on attention so he was easy. The female is the clingy little diva cat. So many times I'd feed the baby or have him asleep on my chest and she'd be curled up in my lap. Sometimes he'd be rest on top of her sleeping and I doubt she could've been happier.

If there were areas we didn't want the cats to go with the baby, like his room, we closed it off before so it wasn't a sudden change for them. A baby swing was helpful in areas they were in. The female cat would curl up underneath it like a little gargoyle all the time. The male even got to where he'd alert us if the baby started crying. Is is sometimes helpful now that he's mobile, cats freak out if he leaves his play area.

tesary · July 2015

My dog is a big baby and very clingy to me. She goes everywhere with me. I was really nervous when we first had DD but Tate (my dog) did great. When we first brought DD home Dh and I made a big effort to still take her for walks, throw the ball, and cuddle with her. DD is now 4 and Tate is still a giant baby and is as happy as ever.

JElizbetty · July 2015

OMG I was wondering if that could be it, pretty much she now see's him as the leader of the house. Good to know, I miss being the leader but its ok its just her animal instincts. We took a stroll to Safeway the other day and I waited outside with my dog and he went inside and no matter how many people stopped to pet her she never once paid attention she just kept her eyes on the door waiting for him. @Embuzz247 Thanks!

khamilton2621 · July 2015

We have two cats and a dog as well! I'm not worried at all about Dogen, one of the cats, because he is so independent but he does have class. Fitz, our other cat, is such a lover I'm scared he will love the baby too much! And Lady, our dog, is insanely jealous and loud. I am terrified she will hurt the baby at some point. are any of you extremely nervous about introducing your animals?

grkgdss00 · July 2015

Count me in! My dog is a mamas boy anyways, but lately he's been extra attached. Here he is the other night laying with baby. It will be quite the adjustment for him!

VesperLove · July 2015

We are totally concerned for our pups. They are super spoiled love bugs who KNOW that they run the show. As soon as LO gets here and they aren't the center of attention anymore there is definitely going to be some moping and some jealousy. We are reading up on how to make that transition easier. Our pups are definitely our world!

yl1m32015 · July 2015

Are there any things in particular you ladies are doing to prepare your fur babies? The book I read suggested actually practicing everything before the baby comes. Get him used to the noise and movements of the swing/bouncer, practice walking him next to the stroller, and practice walking through the door with the car seat in hand all before baby comes. I thought those were great ideas!

rain0831boww · July 2015

Embuzz247 said:

Are there any things in particular you ladies are doing to prepare your fur babies? The book I read suggested actually practicing everything before the baby comes. Get him used to the noise and movements of the swing/bouncer, practice walking him next to the stroller, and practice walking through the door with the car seat in hand all before baby comes. I thought those were great ideas!

This is such a good idea. My dog is so attached to me, I hope he can adjust.

babytuck15 · July 2015

Thanks for mentioning the book, @Embuzz247! I'm going to have to read that one- our little lady is definitely a princess! She's been extra cuddly lately. My favorite is when she snuggles up to her new sibling. :x

spottedginger · July 2015

I'm reading There's a Baby in the House! by Mike Wombacher. It is helpful and covers similar topics to those discussed by @Embuzz247 above. He also recommends interacting more with your dogs when the baby is awake and present rather than trying to make up for the lack of attention and smother them with love when the baby is napping or in another room. This is so they don't associate the baby with losing out on your love.

khamilton2621 · July 2015

@Embuzz247 I'll have to find that book. I'm so nervous about my dog. She is older and my husband never trained her when he was a bachelor. He doesn't seemed worried at all but he also hasn't babysat children around her. She can't deal! I appreciate your ideas and hope once we actually have baby things in the house we can put those ideas to practice.

stickybun14 · July 2015

Best piece of advice I've read (not sure if it was an article or in here) not to only pay attention to pets once bub is asleep. They will associate that with only getting attention when bubs is not around. Instead give them lots of pats and treats for positive behavior around bubs so they are all 'freaking awesome, I get treats when this little thing is around and I'm a good boy/girl'.

This is one of our little fur babies. Been a bit of a mummas girl lately.

stickybun14 · July 2015

Photo this time....

Ohashfo · July 2015

My weenie and I have a mutually overly attached relationship. She is my little shadow! I definitely plan on doing some research to figure out the best plan of action to take to get her accustomed to baby! Also, she has her own Insta... Should I be ashamed?

JElizbetty · July 2015

awww Boxer love, here's my girl with her new alpha LOL

kristen2b · July 2015

Ummm yes. This is me trying to cook. He squeezes his big self between me and the counter.
CAN I LIVE??

Marchmellow2 · July 2015

2 cats that will not leave me alone!!

stickybun14 · July 2015

jmassoni85 said:
awww Boxer love, here's my girl with her new alpha LOL

Love the boxers!!! We also have a dalmatian. He will come up on the couch and sit in top of your feet. But you are not allowed to move said feet once he is there or you get death glares.

beccabeeee · July 2015

So cute! @stickybun14 I rarely see Dalmatians anymore! My husband and I were looking into getting one a while ago so our dog would have a friend, but we had a kitten and I let Google get the best of me, said they have high prey drive =\ not sure if that's even true lol

JElizbetty · July 2015

That is too funny! So basically they have the same human like personalities as a boxer? Lol so cute.

mrs14678 · July 2015

My poor dog! Hubby left for his 23-week Trooper Academy on Sunday and the dog has been moping around the apartment looking for him. He took a nap on his flip flops yesterday... The cat is still uber cuddly.

stickybun14 · July 2015

beccabeeee said:
So cute! @stickybun14 I rarely see Dalmatians anymore! My husband and I were looking into getting one a while ago so our dog would have a friend, but we had a kitten and I let Google get the best of me, said they have high prey drive =\ not sure if that's even true lol

Lol. My Denis (the dalmatian) is a big ol scardy cat. He is afraid of everything and is the biggest baby. He is very good around other people's children so I'm not worried about him at all.

Saying that - I would still never leave him or any dog alone with a newborn child.

Caligurl858 · July 2015

Embuzz247 said:
Yes!!! I just read a great book though, "Good Dog, Happy Baby." It really explained how to prepare and ease our fur babies into the idea of baby. Basically the goal is for the arrival of baby to be a hiccup in their routine, not a detrimental upset. My Max boy is my baby and I know it's going to be a big adjustment for him. We rescued him from a high kill shelter last year when he was 6months old. He still deals with anxiety so prepping him for several months will be helpful.

Thanks for the suggestion , gunna get this book. Got two spoiled Biewer yorkies that I'm worried about .

krick43 · July 2015

Our pup is absolutely spoiled- check him laying on my Snoogle pillow!

We have been starting to prepare him for life with his little sister by varying his routine while also taking into account he is only a year old and still learning himself.

He no longer walks at the same time everyday, we have tried to change things up so he can get used to what life will be like when she comes. We also make it a point to put a hand in his bowl while he's eating which usually makes him stop, sit and wonder what the heck is happening. I've read that can help in case the baby get near his food when she's crawling.

We have started leaving toys people have bought for LO around so he sees them and gets used to that. I've also read that getting the nursery set up so the dog gets used to that is good as well so that will be our next project!

The one thing I am struggling with is sleeping arrangements. Our pup sleeps in our bed snuggle with us and I know it will be hard for him to not sleep with us. Any suggestions?

1031em1031 · July 2015

We just started transition the dogs from sleeping in our bed to their own bed on the floor it was rough in the beginning but with treats and positive reinforcement it's going well. So proud of them. They are clings but want to set them up for success not failure when the baby comes. Both are rescues and both are lap dogs large lap dogs lol. Progress though

ammnam14 · July 2015

My fur baby is a cuddler. When she was a pup she would fall asleep in our arms and cuddle on our laps. It was cute. But now that she's 5 months I can't handle her being so close to me all of the time. Haha. We are watching my nephew and she's getting along well with the baby. I'm not concerned about her being jealous...yet!

hplunkett2883 · July 2015

My fur baby Apple is a 4 yr old American Bully. I have had her since she was 4 weeks old (her mom died). I don't worry that she won't get enough attention as DH and I have already discussed that. Plus my 3 older kids will continue to their normal with her. I am worried that she may become over protective with the baby. When I first moved back to Louisiana I stayed with my sister for a few months. Her son at the time was only 2. Apple became very attached to him and would not let "strangers" near him. She would sleep with him and follow him around the house. Now when he comes over to visit (he's almost 5) she still is all over him and grooms him for like 20 min. She also is very watchful over my youngest (7). I just think instead of her feeling left out I will be the one fighting with her to get baby time. She is the smartest most loyal dog ever and everyone who meets her begs me to let them have her. I wish I could post a pic of her but I'm on an Android right now and it won't let me.

vppittman · July 2015

I have two way attached pit bulls. One is way more attention hungry than the other and I am worried about their energy levels being too high around the baby, but luckily they are good listeners. I'm currently laying in bed having a hard time sleeping and one of my dogs has her head on my tummy. She is totally having doggie dreams and making tiny barking noises and movements. When she started doing that I felt the baby start to move right under her. It was very cute, it's like they're already bonding or something!

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