# Cat and New Born Baby-HELP



## Mrs. PBJ (Dec 29, 2009)

Ok so we just found out that I am in my second trimester of our first pregnancy. Which is a great thing but I keep hearing get rid of that cat. 

Now I can not imagine that every person to has a cat gets rid of it when they have a baby and to me its like getting rid of one baby for another. Makes no sense to me. 

So are there any major pro-cations I need to take? Or is it more of a just do not leave them in the same room together alone and such? 

I plan on breast feeding so bottles should not be a issue. 

But any other things I can prepare for. The cat is already not allowed in the nursery cause thats is our office and there are cords in there. But it will be changed into a nursery soon.

So any advice would be great.


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

I haven't got children so don't have many tips for you but I definitely don't think you should get rid of the cat. Too many people get rid of their pets when they have a baby and I think it's really sad. The pets may be upset at the new addition for a little while but with time (and possibly also the need for lots of patience from you), they will get used to the new arrangement.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Ive found the only people who think others should get rid of pets dont have a love for animals. Ive heard Drs tell that to elderly people. 

The only thing you should be careful of is when scooping cat boxes. There is no reason to get rid of a cat or dog because you have a baby coming into your household.


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

The _only_ concern I have ever heard regarding cats and new babies is the rumored danger of the cat suffocating the child. I can't imagine a cat would do this on purpose, but because cats seek out warmth, and babies tend to run quite warm, a cat may want to sleep with/on the baby and that could pose a danger. I know my younger kitten likes to sleep on my face, and I can push her off if I can't breathe, but a baby would not be strong enough to do so obviously. Just keeping the cat out of the nursery solves that problem.

I've heard litterbox scooping can be risky when pregnant because of T. gondii. I would assume it's less likely for an indoor cat to have that, but you may want to have your husband handle the scooping while you're pregnant just to be safe.

I don't know if this works with cats, but my boyfriend's sister just had a baby and they have a dog. Their doctor suggested that they take the baby's cap from the hospital home and give it to the dog so he could get used to the baby's scent before actually seeing the baby. It seemed to work great for them.


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## Mrs. PBJ (Dec 29, 2009)

thank you for the advice we do have a dog and cat. I have heard the suffixations stories also. With boss being a 18 pound cat and he is a slim cat we decided we would not be alone with the baby ever. Tell at least one when the baby could make him move alone. Boss will be 2 in may and our dog will be four in Feb. I am due in july. But the babu hat is a great idea. Will be doing that.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Congratulations! There's no need to re-home your cat. The only potential "danger" when you're pregnant is if your cat has toxoplasmosis, which is highly unlikely if the cat is indoors only. To be on the extra safe side, you could wear gloves when scooping, or ask your husband to do that while you're pregnant.

I agree with Saitenyo...the only potential danger is if the cat were to get into the crib. To avoid that, you can keep the nursery door closed. You could also get a crib tent (a mesh cover) to go over the top of the crib, just in case you happen to forget to close the door. Also, as you mention in your post, you shouldn't leave a cat (or any animal) alone with a baby or small child. 

Prior to bringing the baby home, it would be good to give the cat something with the baby's scent on it. Also, if you're cat is skittish about strange noises, then it's not a bad idea to get the cat used to the sound of a baby crying ahead of time (using a tape recording or similar).


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Susan said:


> Congratulations! There's no need to re-home your cat. The only potential "danger" when you're pregnant is if your cat has toxoplasmosis, which is highly unlikely if the cat is indoors only.


If you've fed your cat raw at any time, T.Gondii could have been transferred. I've also heard/read somewhere that pregnant women should be very careful when handling raw meat when they are pregnant. 

https://hshpetsitting.ca/uploads/Toxoplasmosis.pdf


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Congratulations!

I don't suppose you're going to ask our help on naming this new arrival? We're really good at it! :grin:


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

marie73 said:


> I don't suppose you're going to ask our help on naming this new arrival? We're really good at it! :grin:


 Ooh! I'd like to offer up some names:

Tiger if it is a boy.
Tabby if it is a girl.


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## Mrs. PBJ (Dec 29, 2009)

LOL i love this forum its great luckily on litter box that hubbies job when we decided to keep boss I told hubby he has litter duty. So I have never scooped his box unless hubby was sick or out of town. 

As for names we have a girl name. 
Makenzie Rose 

But boy names are open give it a shot. I like different names and different spellings.


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## swatkat (Aug 21, 2010)

Congratulations I do not have human kids so I can't help you very much but for the cat just keep it away from the crib that is all I can say, but for boy names their is Kodi or Kendall.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Rarely have I run across a cat with toxoplasmosis. And the cats have contracted it while being outside. You can have to your cat tested for toxoplasmosis if it would make you feel safer. But I sorely doubt any cat youd have would have it. You have more of a chance of getting it from raw meat or not washed range free chicken eggs.

Its an old wives tale that cat suffocate babies. I think you have nothing to worry about having a cat & a baby. My friend has 6 cats and 4 dogs when her baby was born. Her daughter is so comfortable around animals and knowledgable when it comes to cats. She is an amazing little girl. She wants to become a vet when she grows up! 

Ask anyone about their family pets when they were growing up and they will light up like a light to tell you about them. Animals play important part of our journey in our younger years. We all remember them with great fondness.


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## Fran (Jan 9, 2008)

The big issue with cats and babies seems to be introducing the new family member into the household without making the kitty feel threatened or jealous. Cats get deeply upset if their territory suddenly changes, which includes losing access to their people, or the family bed, or favorite chair or room. If you remember to include Boss, go slow and try to see his point of view during the rough moments, it should go well. If you move too fast making changes, he might react by trying to "reclaim" things by peeing on them - the only way he knows to express his unhappiness about territory issues. I think bringing home baby items in advance is a perfect way to start.

Years ago when our boy was a baby, we did it wrong with our sweet elderly kitty girl Nikki. To this day, I feel bad about how stressed and miserable she was during her last year with us before she died. If I had known any better, I would have worked harder on making it easier on her.

Fran


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

My brother-in-law and his wife had their first baby recently and they were very worried about their cat as she is extremely antisocial. But they made sure to take things slow with the introduction and give the cat lots of attention and she has been amazing with the baby. She'll hiss and bite any adult who tries to touch her, but the baby can whack her repeatedly in the face and she doesn't do anything. She loves to curl up on my sister-in-law while she's feeding the baby and is not territorial at all.

The rest of the family jokingly refers to the cat as 'Cujo', so I think if a cat as antisocial as her can learn to accept a new baby any cat can with proper introduction and patience!


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## Mrs. PBJ (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks everyone!!!!

Lucky for us boss has been around my 15 month old nieces from about 6 months old. They started staying on and off with us from they time they could crawl. I am hoping it all works out and Boss seem to adjust to not being in our room. But our house changes so much that Boss is so used to change.


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## reluctantcatlover (Jan 12, 2011)

T. gondii - if your cat has eaten raw before, chances are you've already HAD the infection, and it's one of those things that once you have, typically your body's immune system will fight off again and again. It's a safer bet to use rubber gloves and then wash your hands and arms thoroughly if you HAVE to scoop the box, or just get your husband to do it like he most likely will (since he loves you and all), but don't worry about it too much (as in you have a lot more to worry about to stay healthy, and you're most likely immune to it already anyway). 

Unfortunately my friends cat died before her baby was born, so I can't give any advice on that one.


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