Our cat got 'donated' to MIL when we moved. Partially because we were moving 3000km interstate, but also because his favourite trick was to sleep on our pillows, preferably when our faces were on them. Nice...

I felt that having a first baby was going to be a challenge on its own, without constantly worrying about the cat as well - we live in a small flat, so there wasn't the option of putting him outside. Giving him away was really difficult (we'd had him for 8 years), but it was the right decision for us. After a couple of days of settling in, our cat loved his new home and has a huge backyard to roam!

Every pet is different though, and you have plenty of time to get your furry one used to the idea of there being an addition to the family - good luck!