Babies and Cats

Get her a crib tent! That is what we did and it worked out just fine. The tent actually enclosed the entire crib, not just the top. The framework is designed to hold a 15 pound cat without collapsing. (My cat weighs this much and it worked with no problem). That being said, we tried to keep the cat relegated to another part of the house, but I knew at night that if he somehow snuck in that the baby would be protected because the tent was zipped (and pinned) shut. It made it much easier to sleep at night.

I have 2 kids. When DS was born, we had 5 cats and a 2 story house. Only 1 cat wanted anything to do with the baby. The others were never on the same floor at the same time as the baby for about the 1st 6 months. Then, they wanted even less to do with him because he was mobile. The one that wanted him, was more like a mother. She would hover anytime we were holding him and definitely every time he cried. Also, once he was home, no one slept in the crib or bassinet. Sometimes under it. With the second babe, we had 3 cats. Again, same thing. Stealing breath is an old wives tale as someone already mentioned.
Vaccumming and combing will help with hair. And, the dog leaves hair everywhere also, just not in the bed. Don't get rid of the cat, which I assume is also a member of the family. Wait til the baby comes and give the animals time to adjust. It will take a couple of months for that. Then see.

Hi J.,

I dont think the stealing breath thing is true anymore. But From my own experience, Cats like to be very protective of babys,If they get in the bed,some cats will not let you get the baby out. When my 4 yr old was a baby,I had to get ride of my cat cause she would not let my touch my son. She would bit me if i got near him. So just watch that,and i would not worry about the taking breath thing. Good luck,and Congrats

Hi J.. I had 3 cats when my daughter was born. They were very scared of the baby when we brought her home. They stayed away from her and they still do and she is 3 now. I kept the door shut to our room when she was a newborn and sleeping in the room with us and when she moved to her own room we always shut the door also. The cats have never bothered her. I did have to vaccuum more often when she started crawling but that was the only extra thing that I did.

I have also just read that babies are less likely to get allergies or ashma if they are raised with a pet. I wouldn't worry about the cat. I think it will be fine.

Hi J.! I think the stealing the baby's breath is a myth. I have an indoor cat and he always sleeps in the cradle! When my daughter was born, he stayed out of it until she was bigger. Now that she is in a toddler bed, he will sleep at the bottom of it! They are curious and they think you put that crib up for them! I think once the baby is born, the cat will stay out of it once it sees something else is taking up their space. Don't fret, I think it will be fine as long as the cat is good tempered, mine is so dosel. When I brought my babies home, the cat would honestly get in the car seat when baby was not in there, he would sniff EVERYTHING!! They are just like little kids too. I hope this helps. Take care, A.

J.,
We had two, very active male cats when my daughter was born. Even before she had arrived they found that the crib was the best, new cat bed. So I purchased a crib tent from Babies R Us. It worked like a charm. Once my daughter was home the cats were very curious but after a short amount of time they could have cared less that she was there. I have also heard the "stealing breath from babies". What cats actually do is that if you see them up and around a babies face they are usually licking the left over breast milk or formula that might still be on the baby. Or they might be looking for a warm object to lay up against.
So I wouldn't get rid of the cat. They will adjust.
Bets of Luck,
L.

Hi Grandma!

Congratulations on the upcoming arrival. We have a wonderful 8 month old daughter along with 4 cats and 1 dog. Of course during the pregnancy, my husband was responsible for the litter box (as a matter of fact, he still is!) And we too keep her bedroom door shut. but not because of the cats jumping in the crib, which I'm sure they would, but because of not wanting to vacume every day. Prior to getting pregnant, we chose to keep certain room door shut to avoid cat hair in EVERY room of the house LOL.
Our cats get along with the baby. They stay away mostly, but will come up on our laps when we're holding our daughter. I know cats can become jelous, just like dogs. But if you give them love and attention as well, they do fine. Ours did! And our daughter loves to squesl with delight when they get close to her!

"Stealing the breath" is an old wives tale. Legend has it that a cat will sit on the chest of a newborn and lick the milk off of its mouth, thereby smothing the child. No truth to it at all whatsoever. If she has issues with the cat hair, I'm sorry, it comes with being a pet owner. They make "tents" for cribs that are like mosquito netting that they could put over the crib to keep the cat out. We've had 2 cats and a dog since before we had our son, and have had no problems. He is so used to them that he barely pays them a bit of attention. A lot of it has to do with making your pets know that you're in charge, and keeping on top of the pet hair helps too. Bedding needs to be washed often enough that it shouldn't accumulate too much hair.I personally remember the first time I saw my 8 year old male cat curled up next to my six month old son during a nap. My heart melted!

There are TONS of old wives tales regarding cats and babies. And they are just that - old wives tales. My kids love having a cat. My 1 year old just started walking and loves to walk over to pet the cat (and dogs). My other kids are old enough to start help feeding the pets. About 3 years ago, the cat started sleeping on my 6 year old's bed every night.

Our cat avoids babies at all costs - most cats do. Sure, he was always hanging around in the baby's room before baby came home. He liked sleeping in the crib. But once a baby comes home, he never steps paw into their room until they are 1-2 years old.

Having a pet is one of the best things you can do for a young child... it's a companion, a friend, a confident (my son tells the cat about his day as he drifts to sleep), a 'protector' (my son isn't afraid of the dark if the cat is in his room). It teaches responsibility, unconditional love and empathy toward other living things.

If the cat still jumps into the crib after the baby is born, she can buy a mesh crib tent at any store like Babies R Us that covers the crib and keeps critters out. But in all probability, the cat will run and hide and avoid the noisy smelly thing that just turned his world upside down and "stole" his owners from him. :-)

Hi J.!
First off congratulations on your grandbaby! I can share my experience, I have 2 cats, and I was also worried there might be problems when I brought my son home, but we really didn't have any. They recommend bringing home the baby's "smell" before you bring baby home, just so the cats have some idea, since they can be territorial. We brought home a onesie that our son wore at the hospital before bringing him home and let them smell it. You just have to watch how they react and keep an eye on them once you do bring baby home. Mine were mostly scared of him when he cried, and otherwise wanted nothing to do with him. As far as the nursery goes, we also closed the door in the beginning, but then decided later on to put a gate up to discourage them from coming in, not for safety but for cleanliness, because I was tired of the cat hairs all over baby's stuff. A lot of baby books have sections on preparing pets for babies, so you might want to check these out from the library. Good luck!

Hi J.
I can understand your concern. We have a cat also and when my daughter was born, we were concerned as well. She never jumped up in the crib but she did spend a lot of time in the pack-n-play. I let her lay in the pack-n-play with her. I know that sounds weird but the cat laid under the changing part and my daughter laid more in the middle of it and it was never a problem. I would just suggest watching the cat very closely when baby comes home. And if she seems to smothery to the baby pick her up by the nape of the neck and be stern with the cat and tell it no. And you can even push back on the tip of the cats nose and it should respond to that as well. Good luck! I hope her cat is as good as our cat was, we never had any issues. We now have a second baby and they all do well together.

A cat can definately get curled up onto a baby. Where will a newborn go? They can't roll over.

With that said I would recommend a crib tent. They keep the cat out and baby in. They are good until a child is pulling themselves up and by the time that happens a child can roll over very well and "escape" from the cat if need be. My daughter is four years old and she sleeps with our cat as if he is a stuffed animal. I worried about her when she was first born and the crib tent took those worries away!

Hi J.! About a year ago I was in the exact same boat. I have a cat (16 pound cat) and a baby on the way. The cat liked to climb up on our chests to sleep & I was very worried about that happening to the baby. Of course, a baby can't withstand the weight of a 16lb cat on their chest. So, I talked to the vet. They said while this CAN happen they have never ever ever seen it. That was a little reassuring to me but not totally so I asked my OB/GYN and the pediatrician. They too said it CAN happen but in all their years of practice has never seeen it. Ever. The baby has a better chance of being trampled by a mountain goat in the desert. So, I decided to keep the cat until the baby came home to see how they acted together. And ya know what? The cat still lays on my chest but wants absolutely nothing to do with my daughter. She will be 1 in October and the cat still wants nothing to do with her. So, I would go that route. See how the cat does with the baby. Teach the cat right off the bat that the baby is a no-no (like when the cat first tried to climb the Christmas tree or curtains). Just keep your eyes peeled the first few days to make sure there are no problems. It worked out well for us and I am now very glad we didn't get rid of our kitty. Good luck Grandma!
A.

Sorry, but are you for real? Cats stealing the breath of babies? It isn't 1397! :) We had the same problem with our cats thinking it was a good idea to sleep in the baby's crib before they were born. For the short term, we covered it with a receiving blanket so that the crib would stay clean. Once our babies came home, though, trust me - the cat will want nothing to do with that crying, smelly baby. Once the baby's scent is in the crib, I think the cat will leave the crib alone. I wouldn't give the cat away. Things will be fine, she just has to let everyone in the family get used to the new member.

Congratulations Grandma!

Some friends and I were talking about this a long time ago. We've heard that a cat can lay across the baby's face for warmth, making it not be able to breath. We're not sure if it's true or not but since a newborn isn't able to move around to avoid an overfriendly cat, better to be safe than sorry.
So, one of them had this idea she used -- she put a screen door on the baby's room. That way, she could see inside and hear everything as if it were open and it kept the cat out. Might not be the best decor to have but if it works...

Hi J.,
Before my first son was born, I was worried about our cat suffocating him. Here's what we did: we put the crib up a few months before the baby was born. Then we took a piece of cardboard and covered it with strips of double-sided tape and placed it inside the crib. Our cat jumped into the crib once or twice, but of course did not like the tape sticking to her paws! She never got in the crib again. But I still always made sure the cat was not in his room while he was sleeping.

That's just an old wives tale:) They used to be afraid that a cat would sit on a baby's head, but it just doesn't happen. I don't like haveing cat hair all over my kid's beds and rooms, so we keep both our dog and cat out by shutting the door at all times (actually, our door too, I don't like hair all over my bed either!). We just use monitors to hear them.

Our cat avoids our daughter, always has, then again "our" cat is really my husband's cat, she prefers him. If your daughter doesn't want to close the room up from the cat, there are natural sprays that your daughter can spray on the baby's things to discourage the cat from getting on it. Keeping the door closed is simple enough a solution especially with a baby monitor. We always closed our girl's door at night to keep the cat out, recently we've had to put a baby gate across it to keep the cat from "knocking" at it while our little one is asleep. Also helps keep her in her room during those fussy nights because she's now old enough to climb out of her bed.

Tell her to keep the cat and close the door. Simple solution, as long as the cat doesn't turn aggressive once the baby is home there shouldn't be a problem. When we were going to bring our girl home for the first time we took one of her little hats she had been wearing and my husband took it home first and let the cat have it. You can try that, watch the cat's reaction to the item that has the baby's scent, if the cat sniffs it and ignores it, things will be good.

I msut admit I didn't read everyone's responses. I have four children and have always had a cat. I too was worried when I was pregnant with baby #1 b.c our cats loved to sleep in the car seat, crib, and swing. Now, the one cat still likes to lay in the swing and be swung; it is sooo funny. My cats never hurt my babies in any way. I would make sure they are de-clawed, but that is because my indoor cats are; so it might just be a personal feelings :) The only problem we every have is the cat trying to drink the baby's milk which is easily fixed by not leaving the bottles laying around.
I agree that there is no reason to get rid of the cat or dog unless the animal attacks the baby for no reason. Plus, since it is your daughters first baby, she is probably just being a first time mom who is trying to avoid the worst...like I am sure we all did :) Congrats on the baby

J.....Yes, there is truth to that. Of course not all cats do that, but it's not worth the risk. Also, a dog can be jealous of a new baby, so I wouldn't leave a dog alone with a child for a minute. It's better to be safe than sorry.

J.,

You've had a lot of great responses, but I can't resist adding my 2 cents. I had 3 cats when my son was born. They, too, loved jumping in his crib and sleeping there before he was born. Even though I know my cats would never deliberately hurt him, one of my cats is incredibly graceless and could fall on him accidently. So, we bought a crib tent:

http://www.securebaby.com/crib_tents_all.html?gclid=CISjh...

It worked great! Not only did it keep the cat OUT, but it kept my son IN. We never had to worry about him climbing out of the crib. ;-)

My cats shed, too, but it's never hurt my son. Mostly, they've ignored him. They have swatted at him when he forgot to play gently with them or pulled their tails (as all toddlers will do). But, that's an important lesson in growing up.

Good luck!
P.

I am a first time mom to a now 8 month old little boy and i have had a cat from day one of him being home..my cat also liked to jump in the crib and bassinet and bouncer and swing!!! anything he could get in he did!! I did not want to get rid of my cat so i simply kept the nursery closed (most of the time) and if it was open it was okay because i kept a sheet over his crib matress that i could simply take off when it was time to lay my son down...when i laid him down however i made sure the cat was out of the room because unfortunately the taking the babies breath thing is very true...although they dont mean it cats tend to try and sleep by a babies face because they can smell the milk on his breath and therefore will curl up around the baby and well you know what can happen..so just be extra careful but i dont see any reason why she should have to give her cat up as long as the baby isnt left unattended around either the cat or dog then he will be just fine.

Dear J.,
I have an older friend who was bitten by a cat and it became very serious. He had to have surgury on his hand because it became infected. His immune system was down because he already has MS so that is probaly why it was so severe. I would not chance it. Kittens will bite and give "cat fever"
to them. It is a very serious condition where you fever goes very high. I would find a new home for the cat. L. J

Hi, J. -

I'm the mother of a nearly 4-year-old daughter AND 5 cats AND 2 dogs. I don't know where that old wive's tale about cats stealing babies' breath came from, but it's utter hogwash. However, there are a few precautions to take with animals that are just good sense.

First - yes, it's good to keep your pets out of the new baby's stuff, in my opinion. The baby will have a lot to adjust to in the "outside world," so keeping potential allergens and hair and whatever out of the baby's main sleeping area is a good idea. I am as die-hard a cat lover as you will find, but even I didn't let our cats into my daughter's crib or room until she was about 5 months old - just to give her time to adapt to her environment.

Next - cats are smart and perceptive. They know when a change is coming, and they like things how they've been. They are really creatures of habit. They need time to adjust, too, and they are also inclined to be territorial or possessive, to greater or lesser degrees. Changing a cat's environment can make it irritated, and it might act out by doing things it ordinarily wouldn't - like peeing where it shouldn't. My eldest cat son used to try to jump up on my stomach when I was pregnant or into my lap when I was feeding my daughter because he knew I was denying him access to that area, and it had never been of-limits before. So, for my daughter's protection, I never placed her anywhere that my cat might decide he needed to jump up or in without being extremely watchful. That's the only interpretation of "stealing a baby's breath" that I can even imagine.

To help our cats prepare for the arrival of our baby, we actually played a CD of baby sounds, including crying and tantrums so that they'd had an idea of what was going to be in store. We played this CD from a player in her crib so they'd get the picture. We also introduced them to things with her scent on them once she arrived so that they'd realize she was part of "us" and that they needed to accept her. They've never once peed on or destroyed anything of hers.

There is absolutely no reason that your daughter can't keep her cat. The cat poses no danger to the baby, in and of itself. Babies tend to make erratic movements which cats don't understand, and they may respond with a hiss or a swat. It's the parent's job to be a bridge or a barrier between the baby and the animals until they can be taught how to interact. Some animals -- including cats -- are very protective of babies and will immediately take on the job of looking out for them because they understand these are precious new additions to the family. My cat Kalinka actually sleeps in my daughter's doorway or in her room rather than sleeping with us, and I believe it's because she is doing her part to "protect" her.

Really, when it comes to cats or any domestic animal, attention must be given to putting yourself in the animal's skin and trying to imagine how they are interpreting these big changes around them. Most of the time when there's an animal issue, it's because the humans haven't taken charge of managing the transitions and just "expect" the animal to get it. Each animal has its own inclinations and nature and personality. Your daughter should extrapolate from what her cat's personality and tendencies are to determine which of these precautions are most applicable until the baby is old enough that it can start properly interacting with the cat.

By the way, I'm an animal shelter volunteer at a no-kill shelter where we have approx. 500 cats. We have been taking our daughter there with us since she was 18 months old, and she has never had any bad incident with any cat because she knows how to behave with them. She even has one who seeks her out and follows her around every time we're there.

Please encourage your daughter not to get rid of her cat! I would be happy to coach her through any questions she's got.

Take care,
H.

Well, I am not a vet, for starters! We do have a cat, he is 8 now, and my son is 20 months. I was concerned about my cat being all into things, and really he wasn't. He climbed in the bassinet once, and that's all. I have never seen a sign that he's been in the crib, although I believe once I convert my son's bed to a toddler bed the cat will sleep with him. Once we brought my son home, really, that cat wasn't interested. He would nap next to him on the couch/floor but now they are best buds (it actually borders on torture to the cat but since Mr Kitty takes about 3 steps and lays back down in the middle of the toys...oh well!). I don't know about that old wives tale, I supposed if a cat slept too close to a newborns head maybe.....but I have never heard a "confirmed" story of that. For my cat, if you make a big deal over something he's way more interested (kinda like a toddler!), but I wanted my son to be around animals - to help prevent allergies and teach him kindness and such. Once he started crawling, I know he did eat a few pieces of cat food, but I just tried to watch out for it and not freak if he did. Good luck!

Hi J.!

We have 2 cats (had 3 when our son was born). I am also allergic to them, so keeping them off the beds etc is impairitive. One of our girls in particular loved sleeping in his crib. So to keep her out I lines the mattress with crumpled up foil, when she would jump in it poked her feet, she would jump right back out. I did this the whole time I was pregnant, after a few attempts she got the point. I have also heard fly paper works well. A friend placed plexy glass over the top so her cat actually bounced off the top, they never tried again.

I don't really think there is much to a cat "stealing a baby's breath" but have heard that thay can suffocate a baby by being left to snuggle without supervision. Our oldest cat claimed my son as her's before he was even born (she sat on my stomach everytime I sat down..lol) she still sleeps with him to this day, everynight!

As long as your daughter is close at hand, I don't thik there is any reason to get rid of her cat.

Goodluck!

We actually have a toy that hangs on the crib that our cats are terrified of - the only problem is Nick likes to avoid falling asleep to play with it, so we wait until he's fast asleep and put it up. Between the toy, making sure the gate on the crib is up (I know its not gonna keep them out, but it doesn't exactly make it easier for them), and how excited he gets when he's around them, all they do is occasionally stand on their hind legs to take a peek inside the crib. (The toy is a spider that plays, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and its by Playschool.)

Have your daughter talk to her vet about any ideas to help transition her pets to the new little one.

If she's still torn, maybe this story will help her decide: http://www.ataboy.ca/howcouldyou.htm. Yeah its about a dog acting like a dog, but the principle of it is the same.

No, a cat can’t steal a baby’s breath (though having a large cat sleep in the crib with baby is probably a suffocation hazard… maybe where this myth came from). We have two cats and they pretty much avoided our daughter when she first came home. They also can't jump up in the crib because the sides of the rails are too high. Your daughter can close the door to the baby's room if she's worried about the cats milling around in there or getting in the crib while the baby sleeps. I think there are also guards for the top of the crib that you can buy to keep pets out. Your daughter can also ask her pediatrician about this... our doctor said cats aren't any problem (as long as they're not sleeping in the crib with baby). In fact, having pets around makes children more resistant to allergies. The only way I’d get rid of our pets is if they showed hostility towards our child or made me believe they were somehow dangerous and I’ve never felt that.

I have never heard of "Stealing the breath" but I too was a little hesitant of bringing my baby home to a house full of cats ( the first time we had three cats). But they did great cause they were interested in what the crying was but for the most part could have cared less about this new addition. Now we are having #4 and still have three cats ( one of them is different) and I will just play it by ear but am not worried about it. Good luck

Hi J., I had cats when my children were babies and my daughter has 2 children and has cats and absolutely nothing happened to any of our babies. We allowed our cats to smell the babies and didn't make a big deal about pushing them away everytime they were around and the cats never really cared about them. They basically ignored them. I think if you make a big deal and yell at them to always get away from the baby that's when they are more curious and try to find out even more what this new person in the house is. I also know many other people who have had babies and cats and they had the same experience as me and my daughter and they also made sure to include the cats instead of making them stay away from their new babies. I remember hearing about the cats sucking the milk out of the babies mouths and was worried and I was told that those stories were old wives tales.
Good luck and Congratulations of your new grandchild.
L.

I just have to answer and let you know that there is absolutely no truth in stories about cat's stealing a baby's breath. That is nothing but an old wives' tale. The biggest thing you have to worry about with cats around babies is their claws. Even if a cat isn't mad and is just playing around, they can easily scratch a baby. It probably wouldn't be a concern until the baby is a little older and might grab the cat or pull its hair. Also, if a cat were to bite a child, or adult for that matter, for whatever reason it will be nasty. A cat bite is very serious and can lead to infection. I had a cat that bit me once when I picked her up not knowing that she had an injury. An injured animal, especially cats, will bite if you touch them. I didn't think the bite was serious, but mom kept bugging me to go to the ER to have it checked. I ended up going to the ER where they cleaned the wound, put some medication on it, and prescribed an antibiotic. The next morning I woke up with my hand throbbing. My thumb was all red and swollen. The pain was so-o-o intense. I could barely move my hand for several days. I hate to think what it would have been like if I hadn't had it cleaned at the ER and I wasn't on an antibiotic! I don't think you'd have to worry about this was a baby though. Cats don't attack or try to hurt unless they are being hurt, usually anyway. I've had cats all of my life and I've never had one try to hurt a baby in any way. The cat hair could be a problem as you have noted. I'm not sure what to tell you about that especially if the cat is long haired. If you have a cat you will have cat hair. Fact of life! Of course making sure it is thoroughly brushed every day can help with that. Hope that all helps some!

Hi J.,
We have two kids and with both have had two cats and one dog in the house. I too was worried with the cat jumping in the crib etc... our cat loves to lay in soft places.
We got one of the baby tents that goes over the crib so the cat can't jump in while the baby was in it. You can get them at Babys R Us etc...
We never had a problem with the cat laying on the baby or anything.
We have a 95 lbs. black lab that used to weigh 120 lbs. and he is so cute with the kids. We had a friend bring home a baby blanket from the hospital with the baby's sent on it for our dog to smell. He is so gentle with the kids and lets them climb all over him and he shares his toys with the kids and everything.
We're very lucky!
My sister had a dog that was part chow and it attacked their little boy...and they had to put the dog down. They didn't want to risk it happening again.
So, you know your animals better than anyone else.
It might take them some time to get used to the new baby in the house.
If you're worried about the cat jumping in the crib, get one of the crib tents. :)
Good luck!

The cats stealing breath isn't true, but if they are temperment and believe they are a kid themselves or a member of a family that treats them as a kid, than they do get jealous and try to suffercate. But not always true. I've been around cats my whole entire life, since I was born. Couldn't tell you if the cat tried to steal my breath or suffercate me, but I can tell you as long as the cat still gets its attention, no problem. I have 3 girls and had cats around every time we had kids. The cats can cause allergies, but same with any other animal. We never had any problems with the cats around babies. I'd say we've had problems with the dogs though. We have one dog that loves kids, including babies, especially babies, the problem, she always has to lick the babies face and mouths and that has caused my youngest daughter now two to gasp for air a few times. So we can't really have the dog in when there are really tiny ones in the house. What you can do is talk to a pediatrition and a vet and see what they believe and think. Also do some research on the internet about cats stealing or suffercating babies. The only thing I can think of is if she really don't want to get rid of the cat, is to just make sure that when the baby is born to keep an eye out for where the cat is going and where it might sleep. If she gets the cat comfortable in a different spot of the house than the baby's crib, than things will change and everything will be alright. We have a cat that loves sleeping with my youngest, ever since it was a kitten. He never slept near her face, he slept next to her feet. But because we really didn't trust him especially when we were all heading to bed, he knew, he either had to be put out or he has to find another spot to sleep for the night. Good Luck!

I would definetly make sure the cat doesn't jump into the crib, while the baby is sleeping, i've always heard about cats wanting to lay on the warmest thing in the house and that's usually a sleeping baby and if they do that then suffocation can occur!

I had a baby about a year and half ago. She is fine and LOVES our cat. When we set up our nursery before my little girl was born,we let the cat know that she was not allowed in her crib. She only jumped in the crib 1 or 2 times before she realized that she would get punished if she did it. Once we brought our baby home she has never jumped on her or in her crib. She barely goes in her room. I was scared at first too, but we learned by teaching our cat early on.

dear J.,

hi !! i have no idea what other responses youy are getting, so this is completely from my own personal experiences. i have no idea of truth to those stories. yes, we have all heard them. BUT..i have my own 5 kids, 3 grandkids, and babysat for 28 yrs, several of whom i started watching as newborns. during the entire time i had cats. and never just one. i promise you, i NEVER EVER had a problem with the cats laying on the babies, licking at their mouths, etc. the only problem, i will say, was that they will chew up a bottle nipple in a heartbeat trying to get to the "milk". personally, i do not feel it necessary to find new homes for the cats(cat).

good luck with everything, and have fun with those grandbabies!!!!

C.

Hi J.,

I wanted to respond to your post because I understand your concern. I also wanted to let you know I think it will be ok if the cat stays with your daughter. My husband and I was worried when we had our son 19 months ago, but our three cats have been awesome! There was nothing to worry about at all. Good luck!

Check out the Crib Tent by Tots In Mind. This is one of the best things I bought for my first baby. Kept the cats out. Even our 18 pound cat didn't bring the tent down when we set him on top of it (to test it out)and as he climbed off of his claws did not snag the material. PLUS when baby is big enough to start climbing out of the crib, it keeps him in. It was pretty easy to put together so even if it needed washed it is not to bad of a chore, although not something I'd want to do on a weekly basis. I honestly can't say enough good things about it. The only possible drawback is the sound of the zipper as you close it after laying a sleeping baby down. However we had this up and ready to go when we brought our baby home from the hospital so he was used to it from the beginning. I would hate to see someone get rid of a loved pet when for less than $70 the problem can be fixed. I hope this helps just google tots in mind and you can find the website.

I have 3 cats and a daughter who is going on 2 years old now. We never had any issues of the cats climbing in her crib or in with her. In fact, they're a little spooked by her :-) We did keep her door closed because we didn't want the cats to be goofing around while she was sleeping...we didn't want them to wake her up. But, we're almost ready to transition her into a big girl bed and we'll leave her doors open then.

As for the cats stealing the baby's breath...completely an old wives tale :-)

Hi, J.! Congrats to your daughter and to you for an upcoming new grandbaby!! As for the kitty... tell her to keep it. I have two cats and three children. It has never been an issue. My sister also has two cats and two children, which has never been a problem. As a matter of fact, my 11-1/2 month old baby girl just loves my cat! Unfortunately, my kitty passed away four days ago after being attacked by about 60 bees. It was awful. But my advice for the cat in the baby's room... she will have to keep the door shut or put up a gate. I've always used a gate in front the nursery door and my cats always stayed out. For whatever reason, they never jumped the gate. I am not a fan of animal hair, so I was a little bothered by the cats in the baby's room. "Stealing the breath" is just an old wive's tale. Don't worry about that in the least. Let your new grandbaby enjoy the kitty... who knows, they may grow up together and be the best of buddies!! I know my daughter is already missing our Misti. So enjoy that furry little thing, but make it known to that cat that it isn't allowed in the baby's things (crib, changing table, bouncer...). Congratulations again!!

I would worry more about the dog personally.
STEALING THE BREATHE - is SO NOT TRUE!!

My cat had her "own" room before our son was born - we turned her room into the nursery. She adjusted GREAT! Never any problems - The cat was around for both babies. We NEVER stopped treating the cat as part of our family! We let her smell the babies, she never licked them or slept with them (the cats choice). Cats are very independant animals.

Our children are now 19 & 15 and love the fact that they were raised with pets. We just lost our original cat - she was 20 years old.

I think there is so MUCH more worry now a days that it is starting to get crazy!

Good luck to you - just remember that when you take in a pet - they are not disposible - they are a part of your family - treat them that way.
You can also think of it this way - will she consider getting rid of her oldest child when she realizes that the oldest can accidently hurt the new baby?!? (when she has her second)It happens you know. I don't think she will - why would a family pet be any different? Oh come on! you know your kids aren't ALWAYS nice to each other!

God Bless!

I was in the same situation - I had my first baby last Sept. (he's 1 now!) and we have a cat and dog. Our cat hopped in the crib and bassinet every opportunity she got and we were so worried about the same thing (cats snuggling up to babies while they sleep and smothering them.) We did everything we could to keep her out, but no success. Finally, when my son was born and we put him in the bassinet, she didn't even try to jump in! She was (and still is) scared of him! She never got in his bassinet/crib again. I definitely wouldn't get rid of the cat until the baby is born. You never know how it will react around the baby. Tell your daughter good luck and congratulations!

Hi J.!

I don't think the myth of stealing breath is true, but here is something to try: put tinfoil in the crib and bassinet. It will startle the cat and eventually condition him not to jump in there. Since they have until March, they have some time to work on this.

I have always had cats and mine never were interested in getting into the crib (or the babies for that matter!). Good luck!

They sell crib tents that go over the crib so that it keeps pets out! about 60 dollars at babysrus. i have used it to keep my cat out of my cribs! i could never give up my cat i would of felt bad!
they dont steel breaths they smell the milk on their breathes and want to get close to that smell so they lay on the baby and can smother them! also can placea water bottle in the crib now and every time the cat gets in the crib spray the cat, really spray the cat! i have done that to keep the cat off the high chairs.
but i love the crib tent, and it also keeps babys in when they get older!
good luck

When we started setting up the crib, the changing table, etc. our cat thought they were for her to sleep on. We put some big loops of packing tape on everything we wanted her to avoid which did the trick. The foil mentioned before would work too.

It's true - having cats (and dogs) will help prevent allergies to animals later in life.

If I were your daughter, I would wait and see. It depends on how old the cat is, and how 'active'. I have always had cats, and rarely had any problems. Yes they like to sleep in the beds with them, they are warm and snuggley but I would keep the cat out of the baby room at least for the first several months if it tries to sleep with the baby. Some won't, they actualy get 'scared' of the babys. Some will just get curious and watch the infants but not bother them at all.

A warning though,, found out from a vet once when I had a cat that suddenly decided to pee in the basement, cats can get 'upset' by changes like having a baby. If it does this, then she will have to get rid of it. It just depends on the cat.

We had cats with all of our babies, we just kept the babies room door closed. BUT an awful thing did happen to our son when he was just baout a month old. We had come in the house and he was sleeping in the car seat so we left him sitting on the chaise lounger up against the back of the couch. The cat used our sons face to jump from to get onto the back of the couch and scratched the you know what out of his little face! Oh my God, I cried and cried and felt so horrible. He healed just fine but it looked so horrible. So please do be careful with the cats around the baby. I never imagined that could happen to our son.

MY family had the same concern when my daughter was born. (She is now the mother of our first grandchild, so all went well!)My husband's family had cats, so no concern on their part.

Cats don't "steal the breath" from babies. They may be attracted to the milk smell on babies / their clothes from nursing or formula, but they do not interrupt the baby breathing, unless they lie ON TOP OF the baby's chest, which LIMITS the breathing. Possibly before diagnosing SIDS, that may have been an explanation for babies' deaths??

MY ANSWER: I installed a plain wooden screen door, with a hook latch, in the hallway side of our daughter's door frame. This did not interrupt the regular door, I could still close it if I wanted the door completely shut. That kept the 2 cats (who could not have cared less!) out of the baby's room. No fur in the room directly, but there will still be fur in the air.

Hope this helps!
C. W

No, those stories aren't true. They're old wivestales. Chances are, once baby is here, and sleeping in his/her crib, kitty won't want to be in there any more. Lots of people have cats and babies. It's nothing to worry about. She can train kitty to stay out of the room or out of the crib.

Hi J.,
I understand your daughter's concern. The only thing I can share is my own experience. I have 6 cats and a 2 1/2 yo daughter. I was a bit concerned before my daughter was born, but I have not had any problems at all. Yes, my cats have laid in her crib, but certainly not with her there. To be honest, as soon as I brought her home, they were so terrified of her that they never went near her. As a precautionary measure, I always kept the door closed when she was sleeping, but my cats never tried to get in the crib with her when I was in there with her with the door open. I don't think it's necessary for your daughter to get rid of her cat. Just as she will with her dog, she'll just need to keep an eye on the cats to see how they react to the baby.

I also want to add that 3 of my cats are declawed, and 3 are not. My daughter has never been bitten or scratched. And if she had been, I most certainly would have gotten her immediate medical attention to prevent any type of infection. I am certain your daughter would do the same.

All my best!
A.

Congratulations, Grandma! My dad was concerned about us having a cat when we were planning to have kids, but we have had two different cats and didn't have any trouble with either one of them. I remember our cat climbing into the crib to investigate when we first set it up, but he had no interest in being in there with that weird creature that cried all the time and smelled funny! I hope your daughter has the same experience.

Oh Please! That is such an old wives tale!! I have 4 cats (yes 4!) 2 of them I have had for 12 years... one for 5 years and the youngest for 2 years now. I have 3 children ages 9, 5, and 6 months... and as curious as my cats are- they want nothing to do with the baby. Yes they jumped in the crib, bassinett, pack n play, car seat and swing... but just to sniff around because it was new stuff that appeared in the house. Once the baby was actually here... it was another story... they didn't jump in anything while she was in it.
Now as far as cat hair goes... just lay an old towel over whatever you don't want the cat to get hair on while the baby is not occupying it. You can try to keep the door shut to the babys room but you run the risk of shutting the cat in there so I wouldnt recommend that. You can also buy those sticky lint rollers.. basically giant tape on a roll.. which are very handy to have around. Good luck!

I have always had a cat. I have three children. When I was pregnant with my first our cat would jump in the crib. I really think he liked the soft bedding. Once I brought my son home and he slept in his crib the cat never once jumped in the crib again. I have never had a problem with our cat and our children. There should be no reason for your daughter to have to give up her cat!!

my cat slept in my sons crip till i brought him home. after that i never saw him in it again even if it was empty, but they do make tents that go over the top of a crib to keep cats out if she's worried.

Looks like you have a ton of advice here, but I'll add anyway:) When my son was born we had 3 cats. They liked to jump in his crib too, but we taught them not to with alot of persistence. Never have they been interested in his milk smelling mouth, but they did like to cuddle with him when he fell asleep on the floor on his blankie. They always cuddled next to him, not on him, but I always kept an eye on them just in case. As soon as he could crawl and pull their tail they haven't went near him since, lol

Yes, I have had cats and babies, three times actually. No cats can not steal the breath from a baby. They can lay on their chests and they can lick the mouth area to get the milk residue which is where that old wives originated.
Cats, like dogs, birds, and people, carry certain germs that can be harmful to babies and to us.
If the animal is clean, had it's shots, is healthy, and a trip to the vet can answer all of these questions, there is little danger of disease. I have always had the front claws removed from my cats as they are supposed to be in the house. The real problem in a scratch from the hind claws, litter box residue. And yes, cats have mouths second only to humans for dirty. None of my cats ever bit once they were no longer kittens.
Cats love cribs, cradles, car seats, etc., just as they love boxes and paper bags. When the cat gets in the crib a squirt with a water bottle will discourage them. There is a great, and very safe, product on the market called "No" and one called "Pet BeGone". Spray the crib and other areas down with the product, let it dry and the animal will stay away. There is an odor we humans do not detect and it is not harmful to us.
If the cat is an indoor animal there is little to fear from the outside germs, bacteria, etc. My 1st baby the cat would sit on the dresser and watch her sleep but did not want the baby to touch her so stayed just out of reach. The cat was interested in the baby but didn't want contact. 2nd child we had two cats and the younger one would get in the crib but at the bottom and only if the baby was awake. He only stayed for a few minutes then left to go to my daughter and her bed where again he slept at the foot of the bed. My 3rd baby was the one I had the most problem keeping my son's cat away from. He just wanted to be with the child so we made sure the door was closed at night and during times the child would be in the crib and that the cat was not in the room. By 18 months they slept together and laid on top of each other, the child is now 10 and they still sleep together, I finally gave up! The child has never gotten ill because of the cats, or the dogs, the fish, frogs, toads, or hamsters.
I am in favor of keeping the cat, spraying the areas you don't to have the cat in and letting the two enjoy each other.

We have 2 cats and one of them did the same thing before our daughter was born. When we brought her home it was a different story. They completly kept there distance. I think they don't like the way the babies smell. Seven years and two kids later they are great pals. The stealing the breath thing is just an old wives tale. Relax and Enjoy

Hi! I have heard to put foil in the crib. If the cat jumps in the foil scares the heck of him and he will never go near the crib again. There are also nets to put around the top of the crib. I do not have a cat and have never tried the foil....just soemthing I heard!

There is truth in cats "stealing a baby's breath" they smell the milk around thier mouth and try to get it. However, before you ship the cat out the door, I have a cat that has never even tried to get near my baby. All cats are different. If your daughter is attached to this cat I suggest seeing how it reacts with the baby, keeping the nursury door shut is still a great idea, you don't want cat hair getting into the babys mouth.hope this helps

We had a cat when our daughter was born and yes the cat loved to jump into the babys crib until the baby came. Then she wanted NOTHING and I mean NOTHING to do with her!! The cat never came to the second floor after Brie was born and hid when she was downstairs. It was kind of funny actually. I woldnt worry too much about it right now. If after the baby is born and the cat becomes a problem, deal with it then. However since cleaning up cat hair is a pain she could buy a spray bottle and fill it with water and just mist the cat when it goes into the babys room. Its harmless and the cat will get the point!
Good luck
SZ

Hi J.,

Encourage her to keep the pets, please!

I have 2 12yr-old cats, and they have adjusted wonderfully to my children-almost 10yr-old daughter and 3 1/2 yr-old twin daughter and son. Of course they had to check out all the baby stuff (crib/bassinet) before they arrived, and we let them; we just rewashed the sheets and made sure everything was clean before thr rightful owner(s) arrived home. By then our cats had rubbed their scent on the items (like they do, not gross, just rubbing their cheeks and paws on stuff) and that way they knew the babies were part of our family it seemed. Our cats have been so sweet and gentle to them, wonderful loving companions.

As far as "stealing baby's breath" my cats often liked to be nearby when I breastfed or pumped, so that may be the origin of that myth.

In fact, they now say babies exposed to pets are less likely to have asthma/allergies later.

Bringing a pet home is a commitment for the pet's lifetime! Keep the pets!

Love my kids AND cats,
K.

When I was a teenager, my cat used to lay on my chest when it was cold. He even tried to be around my face while I was sleeping. I think the "stealing the breath" is when it is cold the cat might try and cuddle up to the baby. It is not an old wives tale. You need to be careful with all types of pets. We all were very sad to hear about the dog who thought the baby was a chew toy just recently. I am sure there is some danger with birds and other animals.

I say keep the cat and see how the cat reacts to the baby. If there is a problem or they are too uncomfortable, see if someone will house the cat for a while until they are comfortable.

I understand her concern. The pet hair would drive me crazy too! You want everything to be clean and perfect for your new little bundle.

Congrats on GB#4! Whatever decision she makes will be the right decision.

Hi J..
When my friend found out she was going to have a baby they had three cats. What they did was buy a wooden screen door that they painted and put up on there babys room. So that way they were still able to hear the baby but the door was shut all the time so the cats weren't able to get in.

I know I am little behind here and you have already had alot of replies, but I just also wanted to reassure you. I have a cta and have had many in the past. I am one of those "crazy animal lovers/rescuers". ha. Anyway, I have twin girls that are 7 months old now. I was so worried about how my cat would act when the girls were brought home. It turned out I had nothing to worry about! At first she just wanted to check them out from a distance, now she gets close to them with an occassional sniff on the head but still gives them room. Before they were here she was curious and wanted to investigate the baby stuff in the house, but now she leaves it alone. I did have a friend whos cats was up in all her stuff and they installed a full wooden framed screen door going into the baby's room. it seemed to work great for them. So I guess it is just a wait and see kind of thing with kitty, however I don't think that re-homing is a good idea. I am really happy to hear they have not chosen that route.

Oh, and the wives tale about "stealing the baby's breath" is true and false in a sense.... it was because cats were attracted to a baby's head because it was warm and they would curl up on the child and smother it. we have heat in our homes now. it's not an issue anymore.

Hi J.,

I have a 16 month old and have 2 cats - they're 10 and 12 years old. Before my son was born, they would get in his room, in the crib, etc. As soon as he was born, they didn't get in the crib anymore (under it, maybe, but not in). I do keep his door shut when he's sleeping and make sure the cats are out,but it hasn't been a big deal for us. Best wishes with your new grandchild!

It's funny how cats will find the nicest places to lay. You will know if your crib is comfortable enough for your baby if your cat likes it! We had the same problem before our dd was born. I used a spray bottle. If I walked by and the cat was in the baby's room, I'd squirt it a few times with a spray bottle. It worked like a charm. I left the bottle right inside the door to the room. After a couple of days we never saw the cat in that room again. Mostly cats stay away from babies, but toddlers LOVE cats! One of my 3rd daughter's first words was "kitty." Pets are such a good experience for children. Give the animals a chance, at least. If once the baby is home, its not going well, then find them a new home. Congratulations.

I think that old story came from people seeing cats loving on babies who had died from sids. Got to blame something for things they didn't understand. The only issue I have is her cleaning the litter box. There are dangerous germs in there. We have a kitty and she loves our grandson. she likes to curl up around his feet. And loves to kiss him.
Have you daughter groom her cat. Like a dog if they are routinely brushed they don't loss hair nearly as much. At least our kitty doesn't. I would say keep it but beware they do not like change and it mas resent the baby and pee on it. That would be my biggest fear. Out grandson got peed on by the past sitters cat. We are surprised He loves Kitty Girl.

Hello. I just want to comment on what was said about having cats around babies. I have a 1 month old daughter and I also have a cat. Yeah you have to watch the cat because of the hair being everywhere on the baby things, but as far as the cat trying to "steal the breath" that is not true. The cat will try to smell the milk on the baby's breathe if your daughter let's the cat that close to the baby. She really do not have to get rid of the cat. But I really do not recommend having the cat all in the baby's face just because of the hair being all over the place. That should be the only concern that you and your daughter have. Other than that she has nothing to worry about. In fact a cat is the perfect pet to have when you have a new edition to the family. And also let me just congratulate you on your new bundle of joy.