Cats and ( Human ) Babies

[J (Indoorcatsuk)]

J - What a positive post for me to read, my baby son Kob(my first) was born on Saturday 15 Dec and although there were a few unsure glances from Maisy and Tommy at first so far everything is going well.  We have made the decision to shut the cats in the kitchen at night instead of letting them run free (which I admit I do feel a bit bad about as Maisy used to love just to sleep under our bed with us all night) only problem is Tommy is a 3-4-5 am waker and did used to jump up on our heads for some padding.  Do you leave your cats out at night?

I totally agree Kobe will be bought up to respect and love animals (especially cats!!!) as I think this is very important and if more people taught their children this at a young age we would not have the animal cruelly we currently do.

Congrats Marie !

I can understand that keeping the cats in the bedroom at night might be a bit of a problem if you are using a Moses basket, however my husband and I hate wicker so we don't have one.
What we have done is we have a big travel cot in the living room which she sleeps in during the day, I have adapted the basonette bit you get with it into a cat safe cover by sewing it back on itself, so the basonette bit that normally drops down inside is the cover and doesn't drop down at all, and is sturdy enough for even our sturdiest cat to sleep on it and it doesn't drop far into the cot, just a cats arse size drop  .
For the bedroom we just have a big cot with the standard white cot net on it.

I haven't experienced any negativity from any ' professionals ', my health visitor and nurse are both total cat people themselves thankfully ! All our family is either very animal friendly or know not to incur our wrath by making any comments.

The one thing that worried me was that I'd somehow feel differently towards our cats when the bairn came along, but I feel just as strongly, if not more about the cats.

I was brought up with four pawed siblings myself and I hope my daughter has the same love from and towards them as I did.

Sarah - On the jealousy thing, I think this may be more of an issue in single cat households, but in multi-cat households the cats are used to sharing time, affection and space so I think it's less of an issue. I think so anyhow.

[Sarah (seldom_use)]

what a lovely post

a few people have mentioned this to me saying 'you'll have to be verrrrry careful having the cats around when baby is born.'

i understand things could happen, but the way people STILL think that cats are sneaky, want to hurt/smother babies through jealousy is bizzare   my cats personally would never hurt anyone intentionally, i will be careful when baby comes along at first, i've already said how bad i feel that the cats may feel left out but i know it will be fine

that video of the baby had me in stitches

[Marie]

J - What a positive post for me to read, my baby son Kob(my first) was born on Saturday 15 Dec and although there were a few unsure glances from Maisy and Tommy at first so far everything is going well.  We have made the decision to shut the cats in the kitchen at night instead of letting them run free (which I admit I do feel a bit bad about as Maisy used to love just to sleep under our bed with us all night) only problem is Tommy is a 3-4-5 am waker and did used to jump up on our heads for some padding.  Do you leave your cats out at night?

I totally agree Kobe will be bought up to respect and love animals (especially cats!!!) as I think this is very important and if more people taught their children this at a young age we would not have the animal cruelly we currently do.

[Desley (booktigger)]

A lovely post to read J, wish more people were like you.

[J (Indoorcatsuk)]

So if we have kids (I’m still at the it will hurt part) we’re keeping the cats though I’m all for getting rid of my husband

I was in that place for a hundred years.
It's a billion times less painful and more easily forgotten than the pain our four-pawed friendships can cause us when they leave us physically, and that wouldn't put you off having them around would it. 

[Sabrina (Auferstehen)]

Such a nice post.

The few folks we know that have kids and cats (most have cats only – they’re waiting till later for the kids) really enjoy having both.

One friend will send around pictures of his cats more than his kid, after a year I’ve only recently see his son… I’m not sure I even know the kids name, but I know all 4 cats.

Another couple were in Ireland visiting from Halifax Nova Scotia and the mom said she missed the cats more than her daughter

I grew up with animals (not cats, my dad couldn’t stand cats – but has a lovely girl named Shadow now) and I do think they teach you responsibility and how to deal with love and loss.

So if we have kids (I’m still at the it will hurt part) we’re keeping the cats though I’m all for getting rid of my husband

[dolcetta46]

Ohhh that video is so adorable!!

It is often amazing how animals "know" when it comes to little babies and toddlers.  One of our housemates long time ago had a big scary looking doberman (he just looked that way, he was a big baby in reality), it was so cute to see the 3 year old niece of this housemate giving him a piece of sausage, he would screw up the mouth ever so gently and carefully to take that sausage and not to harm her teeny finger.
It was a whole different story with the rest of us, he would come at you all mouth and enthusiasm, many times I had to release the treat and leave it in the air just before he reached as I still wanted my hand!!

[unseeliechylde]

Well, though I confess to not being a baby person, I think that this is one of the loveliest posts I've read in a while Crazy cat ladies cannot be allowed to die out - the torch must be passed on! No, seriously - that is so wonderful. If only more kids grew up in such caring households, taught to respect and love animals from the start, a lot of animal welfare issues just wouldn't exist.
Besides, as a qualified psychologist, I've read countless studies showing that kids raised with animals are kinder, more compassionate, more socially aware, confident, calm, balanced, and tend to develop cognitively and emotionally to a much greater extent than those raised in non-pet households. I'm sure your daughter will grow up to be a wonderfully kind young lady, and will have lots of wonderful memories of growing up with her furry siblings 
You are doing such a wonderful thing - for the future of your human, and furry, babies

[clarenmax]

What a lovely post   

Children should grow up with animals, they give so much pleasure.  I remember we had a dog when I was a toddler who was sadly pts when I was bout 3 ish, but I still remember our walks in the park etc. 

I really can't understand the idea of giving up your pets due to having a baby, unless of course the child is extremely allergic and it becomes impossible.

I would love to see a picture of the torties giving your daughter a foot wash, how adorable 

[J (Indoorcatsuk)]

Just a shortie really to post about how beautifully my four indoor cats are coping with the fact they now share the house with my five month old daughter, and how I have encountered non of the OMG Cats and Babies problems that stupid ignorant uncaring b*stards use as an excuse to get rid of their furry charges when they pop a human child.

The cats will quite happily sit on my knee at the same time as my daughter and the two torties have both attempted to give her a quick foot wash.

I have made a cat safe cover for the top of the ( large travel ) cot we have in the front room and the cats sit and sleep on the top while my daughter snoozes happily below.

I know there are a lot of us on here who aren't in the least bit ' baby ' people but someone has to breed the next batch of ' mad cat ladies ' eh 

Found this rather super video on youtube of how beautifully cats and babies can combine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqOPuwUViI

I know that the toddler age can be difficult in terms of the tail pulling and so on but my daughter will be trained that cats are to be respected from a very very early age ( ie now ).

When my daughter isn't using her chairs and rockers, the cats sleep in them, and they seem to have suffered no ill effects from being in touch with any baby dribble.