Introducing Your Cat to Your New Baby
Tips and Tricks for Preparing Cats for the Arrival of an Infant
Worrying about whether the cat will be jealous of a baby, harm it or take to sleeping in its crib are all justifiable concerns; however, there are ways to prepare cats for a new arrival, and minimize the chance of problems.
Fortunately cats don’t need to be walked like dogs do, but they still need attention. And while they may not admit it to their owners, cats will feel neglected and miss the owners' company if there is no longer a special cat-human bonding time. So owners should prepare their cat well in advance.
Things to do With Your Cat in the Lead up to the Birth
It is important for owners to prepare their cats well in advance of the baby’s arrival home. Preparing the cat will then mean he or she won't associate the baby with a lot of changes and less attention. It is cruel to dump a cat outside when the baby arrives, and clipping its nails is not recommended if the cat does venture outside from time to time, as this is its means of escape should it be chased by a dog or something equally threatening, and claws are used to defend itself in a fight.
- Allowing the cat to familiarize itself with the nursery is advisable, but owners should not allow the cat to sleep in the crib.
- It may also be helpful for owners to purchase a recording of a baby crying, or have a friend with a baby make a recording, and then play it for the cat. The cat may not have heard a baby cry or scream before, so it is helpful to try and get the cat used to the noise. This should prevent them from stressing out too much when the real baby cries.
- After the baby is born, a blanket that has the baby’s scent can be brought home and shown to the cat. The cat should be allowed to sniff the blanket, but not sleep on it.
- Make sure the cat is up to date with worming and flea treatment.
- When introducing the cat and baby for the first time, owners should avoid rushing the introduction. Introductions should involve talking to the cat and allowing it to smell the baby.
- It is important that the cat associates the baby with a positive experience so owners should talk to the cat whenever they are with the baby.
- Owners should attempt to keep the cats' routine the same as cats are creatures of habit.
- Owners also need to set aside time everyday to spend with the cat without the baby present. This might mean playing with the cat, grooming the cat or simply allowing it to sit on the owners lap for half an hour.
- When the baby is sleeping, owners should make sure the cat doesn’t have access to the baby. This is a good time to have a quick play with the cat also.
- When the baby is older and begins to crawl and walk, it is advisable to have an area that the cat can escape to and where the baby cannot access. A small barrier across a door allows the cat to jump over but does not allow the baby through.
- Synthetic cat pheromones are available from veterinary clinic that have a calming affect on cats. This may help should the cat become upset or stressed about the baby.
Owners should never leave their baby and pets unsupervised and should seek veterinary advice if they have concerns. You may also like to read Introducing Your Dog to Your New Baby.
Cat and Baby
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