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My cat hates other people and kids and I'm pregnant

post #1 of 8
1/13/11 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 
My cat Keeba has never really liked other people coming into our home. She'll run and hide and has attacked my older sister as well as my friend's toddler. She attacks for no reason... Even when they aren't paying attention to her. There was one time when she was hiding under the bed and a little toddler walked by and she ran out to swipe his legs with both paws and really scratched him. Then yesterday the same little boy walked into the house with me and when she saw him she attacked him again. With my older sister she'll attack her for no reason and chased my sister up on a couch a few times! She has gotten used to my sister a little now and the weird thing is that if she is petting her, Keeba will attack her when she stops petting her...like she wants her to keep touching her and she's not allowed to stop...its very strange.

I'm pregnant, so we are a but worried about her and hoping she'll get used to our baby in the house. Is there any method or suggestions that will help her live happily with the baby? Getting rid of her is not an option.... We are just hoping she can learn to like the baby and not feel so scared. Our other cat Riley isn't fond of other people either, but she is the one I feel will be fine. She's curious about kids and doesn't hide from them, so I'm not too worried about her. She will hiss and scratch if bothered, but not attack aggressively for no reason like Keeba does.
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post #2 of 8
1/13/11 at 11:31am
The one thing I would suggest is keeping her nails trimmed short. Do that regularly. I do my cats nails once a month.

Also can you get a baby doll that makes baby noises? That way she can slowly get used to the noises the baby will make and you can hold the doll and do baby stuff with the doll. The other thing that comes to mind is that your baby will smell like baby powder and what not, maybe you could put some baby powder on a towel and put it under her food bowl so she gets used to that smell. When you are at the hospital, if someone could bring home an item for the cats with your actual baby smell on it, so they get used to that before the baby comes home that would be a good idea too.
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post #3 of 8
1/13/11 at 3:58pm
Several more ideas for you. These aren't based on experience, but things I've seen suggested elsewhere here.

Youtube vidoes of babies crying. Like the suggestion above, it'll help desensitize her to the sound. And praise her when she doesn't react to it or stops reacting to it or ignoring it. Use her favorite treats as a reward too.

And the baby powder is a great suggestion! The other thing is when you have the baby, have DH bring something home from the hospital that smells like baby before you come home with her, and put it in her bed or under her food dish - someplace safe or something she'll associate with "good."

The other thing you may want to consider is nail caps like Soft Paws or something. You may want to get her used to wearing them now.

that because it'll be YOUR baby she'll feel protective!
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post #4 of 8
1/13/11 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post
The other thing is when you have the baby, have DH bring something home from the hospital that smells like baby before you come home with her, and put it in her bed or under her food dish - someplace safe or something she'll associate with "good."

that's a good suggestion!
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post #5 of 8
1/13/11 at 5:32pm
Your baby won't be a stranger or someone elses kid. Your baby will be part of the household and cats get used to the people they live with after a bit of time. You'll also be able to teach your child how to behave around your cat so that will help, too.

Time and careful introductions will work, cats are pretty adaptable once something becomes part of the daily routine.
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post #6 of 8
1/14/11 at 4:59am
Thread Starter 
Thank you! I'm hoping she'll just adjust and get used to the baby. I'll definitely clip nails more and bringing home an item from the hospital sounds like a great idea, thank you everyone so much!
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post #7 of 8
1/14/11 at 9:15am
Hey, congrats on the new baby. I have two little girls and new two kittens and of course, my girls are crazy about them. But, they did get scratched, until....Soft Paws. I highly suggest you try them. I thought it would be harder than it was to put on, but it was a breeze. I wrapped the kittens in a blanket...burrito style. It has been two weeks and I have only had to replace two on one kitten. I hope this helps.
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post #8 of 8
1/14/11 at 11:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Homemommy View Post
Soft Paws. I highly suggest you try them. I thought it would be harder than it was to put on, but it was a breeze.
If you can't get them on, just call your vet. A vet tech will do it for you. That's what we do with Luna and Midnight. We leave them at the vet for the day, and through out the day they apply them. Then we pick them up before they close.
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