worried about my moggy and new baby!

Hi

Im due in March and am looking for some advice on how to get my cat ready for our new arrival. We also move to a new house next week so was going to try to start his new routine then? The main problem that im not sure how to deal with is the fact that hendrix loves to be where the people are!! He has always slept in the bed with us, loving to sleep on our pillow for the company and warmth it provides. When we first had him we tried to shut him out of the bedroom at night but it was a nightmare! He scratched the door until we let him in. Obviously with the new baby we cant risk having him sleep in with us anymore as the baby will be in our room and we can not take the risk that he will try to get in and sleep with the baby. How do we go about this? He is going to hate the fact that he no longer gets to sleep with us and we want to make this as easy on him as possible - would hate for him to feel left our totally when the baby comes along. How do we go about this, all advice much appreciated, we love our cat very much and are very worried about this.

Thanks

I dont think you should shut him out of your bedroom. That is just asking for behavior problems. I know as new mothers we tend to be overprotective of our children. Heck, my son is 1 1/2 and I am just now easing up.

But anyway, dont shut him out of your bedroom. With the shock of the baby I honestly dont think he'll want to be anywhere near it, let alone sleep with him. Cats usually dont bond well with very small children because they are so unpredictable.

To prepare him, i'd get a life sized baby doll, and put up the crib, and treat that doll as if it were the baby. See if you can get recordings of a baby crying, so he is used to that sound.

When the baby is born, have your husband bring over a blanket with the babys scent so your kitty is used to the scent when baby comes home.

Most importantly: Dedicate time to your cat! Despite what some people say, taking care of a newborn baby is not ultra exhausting. Babies sleep alot those first few days and any chance you get, put him on your lap and make him feel loved. Or play a quick game with him. It wont be hard!

Can you get a mosquito net or something to go over the baby's cot to keep the cat out? I agree you don't necessarily need to shut him out of the bedroom but if you are going to do that start the new routine asap.

Unless you have a strange unusual cat, I guarentee your cat will not want to sleep with your newborn! My guess will be that your cat will avoid the baby -- babies (newborns especially) cry A LOT and no cat wants to listen to that!

Your post reminds me of when we brought my first daughter (now 6) home. After one night of sleeping in our room I had to "banish her" to the nursery. She squealed and squeaked so much in her sleep that DH and I were constantly on guard that she was waking up. So, we put her in her room and turned on the monitor. Like we needed a monitor! Her cries were loud enough that I could hear them from downstairs without a baby monitor.

Enjoy your time with your new baby (when he/she comes). I really don't think you have a lot to worry about with your kitty.

When my granddaughter was born, we worried about the cats, but it turned out just fine. We showed her to them the first day. The female just looked at her and went away, but the male, Cotton, fell in love. He was always very careful with her, and slept under her crib. If she cried, and my daughter did not get up quickly enough to see about her, the cat would bite her toes until she got up. He would sit at a good distance and watch her while she slept, sometimes sleeping,too. When she was very small, he would not cuddle with her. Now that she is bigger, he will. Sometimes she would wrap her little hand around his tail while they slept. She is nearly 2 now, and they are the best of friends. She is being taught to be nice to kitty, and she has a protector. Now that she is big enough, he will give her kisses. He has never even acted like he would use a claw or tooth on her.