Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

One myth that has been going around for decades states that a family can’t have a newborn and a cat in the house at the same time. In fact, this is nothing more than an old wives’ tale since many people have successfully had cats and babies.  Mixing the two can be very easy, if you do it properly.

Introducing your cat to your baby should be no different than if you were introducing the dog. Other pets that live in cages and aquariums don’t need much of an introduction. They can’t get in close contact with your baby, so they aren’t a potential threat or danger.  Save those introductions until the preschool years.

Before you even have the baby, show the cat around the baby’s empty room. Most likely, they will want to examine all the new furniture, sniff the new paint job and look around the room. They will be very curious, which is natural, so let them do it before you bring the baby home.

It is almost a guarantee that your cat or cats will want to sleep in the crib. Cats have a natural desire to sleep up high, where they have a view of their surroundings. Just like leopards and panthers who sit up in trees to stalk their prey in the wild, a house cat likes to have height advantage.

A Cat wanting to sleep in the crib is how the wives tale probably got started.  One, cats like to sleep up high and two, cats like to cuddle and be warm. A cat probably cuddled up with a baby, not being able to think it wasn’t good for baby. Cats also like to snitch milk and a baby almost definitely smells like milk, making them irresistible.

Keeping the door shut may sound like a great idea, but inevitably, it will get left open at some point. There are several ways to train your cat to stay out of the crib when the door is opened.

• Line it with aluminum foil before the baby is born. Each time the cat jumps up, the noise will bother them. They also don’t like to snuggle up with aluminum, so when it repeatedly gets in the way, they will give up on it. This won’t work after the baby is born, so set it up several weeks before your delivery date.
• Use a squirt bottle. As much as cats love high, comfortable places, they hate water. A small squirt bottle will break them of the habit fast! A squirt or two each time you catch them trying to climb in the crib or already in it will send them running from the room.
• Citrus scents. Cats don’t like orange scent, and if you spray it in the room or along the furniture (again, before baby arrives) the cat will associate the crib and baby room as unpleasant and stay away.
• Baby gates probably won’t work as a deterrent. One, they will impede your way in to the room more than the cats, since the cats can easily jump over or under any gate.
• When you do have your baby, let the cat near so he can sniff the baby. They need to get used to the baby’s scent and presence. Chances are, one cry and the cat will scatter. But your ultimate goal is for them to be friends, which is very possible.

Give your cat love and attention to prevent the feelings of jealousy from developing. This is a big change for you to have a baby. It is also a change for the pets who live in your household. With a little patience, the baby and the cat can live in harmony together.