Cat and newborn

[first_time_mummy]

I had an arguement with DP last night, as to our pet cat.

Im not a cat person, however there was a cat being put down in our local pound, and so i took it in, and since then its been a wonderful cat. Very friendly, sleeps all day...a typical house cat.
My DP loves cats, but didnt really want another one. But eventually gave in to me getting this one.

We have since got it chipped, vaccinated etc.

I got to thinking that i really DONT want any animals in the house when my baby comes, especially a cat.
I find cats are unpredictable, they can scratch and pounce at any slight movement, plus they try sleeping ontop of things (ie- my baby)

I have been worrying a fair bit, and mentioned to DP last night that i would like the cat to go outside, when bub is born.
He was angry, said that it would be ruining a good house cat, and said i should have never go the cat in the first place.

I think that if i saved its life, it was well worth it, and maybe if i rehomed the cat to a close friend, that would be a better option.

I just want others opinions on this, as i feel bad for getting the cat, and now having to give it away to another home, however i cannot risk having the cat in the home with my newborn. It wouldnt take much for the cat to pounce on my baby, at a sudden movement, or even curl up and try sleeping in the cot.

Please, let me know your opinions...am i doing the right thing by rehoming the cat? I mean, its not cruel is it? Its a lovely cat, I just cant take any risks when it comes to my baby.

[skybie]

we have an indoor/outdoor cat, although he really only goes outside when he's giving me the irrites, he's 3 and a bit and the miss is nearly 3 and he's never once scratched her or bitten her and the kid gives him ALOT of hell! lmao
i think so long as u leave bubs door closed at all time, when baby's in there or not u dont want cat hair all over your cot, you should be fine.
cats are incredibly smart and will know what the baby is, it'll be curious but wont do anything to harm it.
If the cat is already a good cat and u like it, i really dont think rehoming it is the right idea,the cat has already been through enough and sounds very settled with you guys and rehoming it will just stress it out unecessarily(sp?) and could cause issues for the new family.
An animal is for life not just when its convieniant for the owners.

[Cassius2]

at the end of the day if re-homing is the only option that makes you feel comfortable then go with it.

that said, we have 2 cats and a dog (and a baby!). if there is a sliver of a chance of you keeping the cat then do some research into how to find house-harmony for your pets and new baby. we spoke to our local vet who gave us HEAPS of great tips for the transition.

some included: letting the animals explore the nursery BEFORE bubs arrives. then, close the door and that's it. out of bounds.

get DP to bring back bubs clothes and your clothes from hossy so that they can smell it and get him to put them in the nursery and let cat sniff it in there.

at night, we put the cats in the spare room and closed the door. they had their water and tray and were happy as larry (in fact i think they were relieved to be away from the screaming, pooping machine LOL!).

true, you need to be vigilant and let the cat know that you are TC (top cat LOL!). and that baby and baby's things are off limits. water in a spray bottle may be your best friend for a week .
BUT, the reward of pets for kids is also amazing. and so so quickly cats (and other pets) begin to see the new one as part of the group and harmony is achieved again. our cats NEVER show interest in DDs room and have NEVER scratched her as a young baby...one gave her a swat when she pulled his tail but the claws were sheathed and that was only a couple of months ago (DD is almost 2). in fact we found they largely avoided her. were a bit perplexed as to why we went and brought home such a loud and hairless beast LOL!

[skybie]

mums cats bolt and hide as soon as they hear my car in the driveway! they dont come anywhere near DD
also like to add if your going to make the cat an outdoor one, try find out if it's been an outside cat before and what breed of cat it is, some cats like ragdolls cant be outside cats because they dont have the fighting skills should they need them and cats who havent been outside can sometimes not have any road sense.
and if your going to do it, do it asap so ur cat doesnt associate being kicked out because of the new addition and become resentful of the baby, sounds far fetched but it can be a possibility

[NaeNae]

I am far to attached to any of my animals to even consider rehoming them. Especially my moggy he has been a life saver of sorts for me.

Moe loves the nursery especially the snuggle bed, I have found him in there many times comfortably snoozing away. so much so that I am going to give the snuggle bed to him once bubby comes

When baby comes home I plan on using a hammock until bub is ready for the cot. I have a mosquito net over the cot and when that is closed the cat avoids it - you can also get ones that fit over the cot but are more like a tent (sitting taught IYKWIM)

As for all the other stuff, prams, bassinet, bouncer, rugs etc I leave them out and allow the cat to smell them so he knows its nothing to worry about but if I see him playing with them I make a loud clap and he *****s himself and runs away.

As with ANY inside animal, you need to be vigilant and keep your eyes open, you can lock the animal outside or allow it inside but locked in a different room. My Nursery door will always remain closed when bub is sleeping in the cot.

You can also buy pheromone (sp?) sprays and mark areas where the cat will be allowed to go making it a more appealing area.

No offense, but I do side with your DH on this issue the animals are a part of your family to, there are many many people who have babies and pets inside who never have problems.

FWIW - a friend bought over her 4-6 month old and Moe sniffed her and was curious but after a while he ignored her. A different friend had their 1+ year old son and the he was really interested in the cat but the cat was scared of him and kept running away

[Lisa]

My cat that I had when Harrison was born was actually scared of Harrison. He was a little curious and would come up when Harry was in his bouncer and have a sniff, otherwise he completely ignored him.
I was just a little more aware of where the cat was at all times when Harry was little. My cat also spent a lot of time locked up in his favourite room of the house when I was home alone with Harrison.

[Laranna]

Your cat sounds very young and playful if it is pouncing around at things! My 2 cats are 9 years old and I've had no problems at all with the baby. As soon as we decided which room was going to be the baby's room, we banned the cats from there. They haven't shown one bit of interest in DS or his stuff. They've never jumped in the cot whether he's been in there or not. They keep their distance! Now that DS is walking around, he follows them and they just run and hide under the bed or behind the couch.

I wouldn't be so quick to give the cat away just yet. Maybe wait and see how it reacts when you bring the baby home. Keep the distance between the baby and the cat and you should be fine.

[phynna]

Here is your perfect answer! I just bought one, and it was easy to fit and looks good! It's an Aussie product too! I then put another netting over it, a camo-colour green, and they look really really good together

Crib Tent - Essential Baby Safety Products - Crib Tents for Crib Safety at www.babycribsafetynet.com

[~Raven~]

My cat that I had when Harrison was born was actually scared of Harrison. He was a little curious and would come up when Harry was in his bouncer and have a sniff, otherwise he completely ignored him.

My boy went from smothering me when I was PG to not coming anywhere near me when R was born. He has only willingly jumped onto my lap a couple of times since and that was at night when she's asleep in her cot.
He has never liked being in the same room as her and if he's in the house when she cries or squeals and giggles he starts jumping at the door to be let out.

He also prefers to be outside and only comes in to eat. He sleeps in the garage.

[Lulu]

*sigh - I don't know why people think a cat suddenly turns into a baby smothering ninja .

If your cat is a typical lazy ass house model, I expect it will remain that way. Puss may be interested in sniffing around any new stuff that comes in the house, but usually the baby and all the associated noise is enough to have them retreat to the nearest quiet hideyhole....

[misty]

Cat's can be prefectly fine with kids. The truth is you don't know how any pet will react to the introduction of a baby into the house, but there are steps you can take to eliminate dangers and keep everyone happy.

Making the cat an indoor / outdoor cat should be a serious consideration - they get to burn off extra energy outside and can escape any unwanted attention.

With newborns, the biggest danager a cat poses is when baby is sleeping. NEVER leave pets and baby's alone together unsupervised. Cats like to curl up and sleep on or around baby's faces. Our cats are banned from the baby's designated sleep area (ie, our bedroom for the first 5-6months after birth, and a couple of months before birth, so they get used to it). If you put bubs down to sleep somewhere, then just ensure the cats are not in the same room and that they cannot get into that room while you are not there.

As baby gets bigger and is able to start grabbing at things, then the biggest concern is in regards to bubs pulling fur and the cat retailiating by scratching. The only thing you can do to minimise this is supervise.

Generally cats avoid confrontation. And if you are aware of the dangers that do exist then you can avoid them.