We've got three cats, and from my experience, the introduction of a squealing, alien creature into their territory is far more likely to send them into hiding in the linen closet rather than in the cot! When we had DD1, our (very affectionate and companionable cats) flat-out refused to even set foot in our bedroom until she was over six months old and they'd finally worked out that she wasn't going to kill them (of course, then she started crawling and they had to learn to get up high or she'd grab their ears and give the killing scenario a damn good try!). If your cats aren't used to babies, chances are they'll be far too frightened of this strange little thing that makes heaps of noise and steals all the attention, to go anywhere near it, for a while at least
When DD2 came along, the cats had got the whole 'baby' concept sorted, and although they still avoided her as much as possible, they weren't so petrified every time she cried Our female cat had just had a litter when DD2 was born (they were 8 weeks old and went to their new homes the week before I gave birth), so she understood this time and would 'mother' the baby by sticking her nose into the blankets to check on her and would lay on the floor or couch near her bassinette to watch over her, but she never got in the bassinette or lay up close to the baby (still too scared of getting her ears tugged lol).
I'm sure your cats will be similar when your baby arrives, but if you're really nervous, is there any chance you could room bub in with you for a few weeks just to see how your cats react to the new presence, and know that you'll be right there (and up at all hours of the day and night for feeds) to check and get the cat out if it does venture too close for your comfort? Best of luck, I hope it all works out for you
Bookmarks