Need some Advice

I need some advice. I've been thinking about getting another cat. Obviously right now it's not an option. With Annie Rose and Bagheera's health problems and vet bills. But I told a couple of friends about getting a cat after the baby was born. I want to take my time and get the right cat. Anyways. What I need advice on is..... Several people have voiced there rather obnoxious opinions that I should get rid of my cats because of the baby.

Obviously I'm not going to do that. They are my babies and are here to stay. But how should I responde when someone says that. Ive had complete strangers come up to me when I'm getting cat food/liter and tell me I shouldnt have cats. That it will hurt the baby while I'm pregnant. And after I have the baby that it will sleep on the baby and kill him/her. So how should I responde when someone butts their nose in? I really dont know what to say. When its my friends I just say mind your own business. But strangers I dont want to be rude to them.

Other news on the home front. I talked to John and we are over our first fight. He sent me some pics of his goats today. He has 3 all females. Shashi, Nalini and Acacia. He's a strange man. I'm trying to get him to get a cat. We shall see how that works out.

I'm going in for my next sonogram on Friday. Hopefully I will beable to let you all know if its a boy or girl! I'm doing fine too. I'm finally getting used to the fact that. Yes I'm having a baby. I'm soooooo excited now.

Here are the pics he sent me. I had to share.
Shashi


Nalini


Acacia

I would simply tell them that you are following the advice of your obstetrician and will follow the pediatrician's advice when the baby arrives regarding the pregnancy and the cats. They can't question that, can they?

Cute goats!!

Um, about the strangers asking you about the cats/baby thing...why would strangers even ask talk to you about that?? SHouldn't they mind their own business?

I would probably just say something about how you don't intend to leave the baby unsupervised unless the baby's room door is closed....But then again, I would rather say something a little more gruff. But thats just because I don't like people not minding their own business.

Something off the wall like "Actually I was thinking about getting rid of the cats, but not sure yet...Well, I know I'm going to bring them to some country road and drop them off miles away...but I haven't quite figured out the road I'd like to take them too, and I'd like to wait until winter just so they freeze their @$%# off."

I would tell them that it is an old wives tale about cats doing that.And that you have enough common sense to know to watch your baby with your cats near them.
Good grief some people should mind their own business!!!

People have wierd ideas. Like the notion that you can make the baby sick by the act of cleaning the litter box. Not true, you can make the baby sick by cleaning the litter box and not washing your hands, then touching your mouth. And who doesn't wash thier hands after cleaning a litter box?? I took care of a cat and two horses while I was pregnant. I washed my hands very frequently. I didn't eat at the barn anymore (I used to have lunch with my horses nearly every day) because it's kinda unsanitary. I washed my hands after cleaning the litter box (I also put a plastic bag over my hand, probably overkill but it made me feel better), and was very careful about touching my mouth or any part of my face, really. I didn't get sick, my baby was born perfectly healthy. And she actually never went to the doctor for an illness until she was 18 months old. My doc was amazed, and his nurse asked me what I did to keep her so healthy. I said "I wash my hands.....a lot!" She said if only more people realized that, most kids would stay a lot healthier. It's simple, really.

But yes I dealt with the "cats smell the milk on the baby's breath and will suck the air rom them" line from my MIL. I blew her off. And after I brought my DD home, I found it to be NOT TRUE! Imagine that! I was nursing DD, and had taken a saturated breast pad out of my bra and tried to toss it in the trash. I missed. Gizmo walked RIGHT PAST this pad, saturated with milk, and didn't even look at it. Oh yeah cats are justattracted to that, huh? I did catch Gizmo in the crib a few times, but she never laid on my baby's face, or tried to suck air from her. She was just curious and wanted to see what this wierd noisy thing was. I've also heard of cats who jumped in the crib and raised heck, and the family discovered that the baby had quit breathing and the cat was having a fit. I've heard that one more than once.

My MIL frequently tells me that living in our "filthy" (she's never been in here, just speculating since we have a lot of pets) house with "all those animals" is going to make my DD sick. Well she's nearly 4 1/2 years old, and so far has been sick twice. Once with bronchitis and once with a 24 hour bug that she caught from her cousin.

But of course the rule of thumb is to never leave a baby unattended with any animal, because accidents do happen.

I would kindly let them know that you do not take advice based on old wives tails. That you have consulted both your OBGYN and your Vet and both have no objection to cats & pregnancy/babies. I'd smile really big and then leave it at that.

Originally Posted by fatkitties

But of course the rule of thumb is to never leave a baby unattended with any animal, because accidents do happen.

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Yeah I know that! Thankfully all my animals are used to kids. Well except for Lily. She will slap them if they mess with her. I'm already moving the dogs stuff out of their room. It will be the babies room and the dogs will have to share the office with me. So anyways I would never leave the baby alone with any of the animals. I'm extremly paranoid any time my nieces come over. I dont want them to hurt the critters or the other way around.

You should tell them that before they voice their opinion they should do an updated research with a doctor.

I'd just smile (because they mean well) and say, "I've got it covered."

Cheers, from
SwampWitch