Baby due soon. . .Any tips?

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and the doc says to be ready any time now. I've read all I can about intros between cats and babies, but I was wondering if anyone wanted to share their real life experiences with me?

I will have my husband bring home something that smells like the baby before we come home.

Anything else I can do? The cats have had free run of the nursery so that's not new to them (we have a canopy up over the crib so they can't get in there.)

Thanks!!

sorry, Cheryl, I know less than nothing about it. Just giving this a :bump: so someone with more experience might see it!

Congratulations on the new addition!!

Congratulations on the upcoming blessed event! My sis's daughter is now 5, and with her cats, they'd been allowed into the nursery, although her daughter wound up in the bed with her. Anyway, the cats just seemed to automatically accept her, as did my cats with my grandson & with mine 25 years ago. I think that the new baby must smell like the pride, or something. Just be warned, if your cats are allowed outside, they will hunt overtime & bring in lots of prey for the new kitten. And if they stay inside, even dead moths will be placed on the pillow!! The only time the cats seemed to mind the new arrival is during periods of the baby's crying,which sends the cats flying for cover. Even with our dogs, I've only had one dog be jealous of the baby, & prone to nip.

Congratulations! Cats sometimes take really well to new arrivals - as long as they're given the time to get used to them being there, they come around really nicely Sprocket and Greebo were really good with Alex - Greebo was a right little mother figure... she used to sit close to Alex all the time and if he dropped his pacifier, she would pick it up and bring it to me to wash it! I don't think you'll have any trouble Good luck!

Originally Posted by cla517

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and the doc says to be ready any time now. I've read all I can about intros between cats and babies, but I was wondering if anyone wanted to share their real life experiences with me?

I will have my husband bring home something that smells like the baby before we come home.

Anything else I can do? The cats have had free run of the nursery so that's not new to them (we have a canopy up over the crib so they can't get in there.)

Thanks!!

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Hi there!
CONRATULATIONS!!!!!
the only thing i can suggest to you is DO NOT let your cat sleep in the same room as your baby!!!!!! Cats love warm places to curl up and go to sleep. Cats generally will snub you for alittle while when you get home because you have takern their attention away but don't worry your little furr ball will get used to it all quicker than you will.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I don't think you will have trouble. If you are nervous about the cats being with the baby, you can shut them out of baby's room, but I think the bed cover is a better idea.

The main problem would be things like the cat licking milk off the baby's bottle, etc, so be sure the cat is healthy and doesn't have worms. But I don't know of anyone with a nice cat where the cat was rough with a baby.

As the baby grows and gets active, the cat will learn to stay away from hair pulling fingers, until baby can learn to be gentle.

Congrats on the new baby!

i was just about to say that but watch the tail pulling :-)

My daughter had her first child in April, and her 2 cats were allowed supervised sniffs the day she arrived home from the hospital. The female just shiffed and walked away, and has not bothered with the baby since then. The male, fell in love. He still sniffs her little head, and sits right next to my daughter when she nurses, and rubs his head on the baby's feet. He sleeps under her bassinet, but will sit next to it with his paws on the side until she goes to sleep. When she cries, if he does not think mom or dad is getting to her soon enough, he will bite their feet until they go to her. He sits under her swing and lets her feet rub his back as she swings. He has never tried the get in bed with her, or lick her. He lays at her feet when she is on the couch, but cries and whines if the humans leave her alone. She managed to get her hand around his tail once, and fell asleep grasping it. He just sat there and waited for her to let go. The funniest thing is he is a huge cat, and was just as ornery as could be until Olivia came. He is still kind of grumpy to everyone else, but he loves "his" baby. He would rub my daughter's belly with his paws when she was pregnant. I wonder if he knew that was the baby in there.

Oh congratulations! Babies are wonderful.

I had a Siamese cat before, during and after my pregnancy with our daughter. This cat and I had a very strong, special relationship and she was not terribly friendly to other people including my husband.

She was a lap cat in that whenever I sat she had to be on my lap.

When I brought our daughter home from the hospital, I let Susie (the cat) smell her and be around her. I did however, keep her out of the baby's room. Whenever I sat down to breastfeed, I made sure Susie was able to lay in my lap while doing so in order that she never feel "replaced" by the baby. As time went by it amazed us that the cat was gentle and patient with Jennifer even if Jennifer got hold of a tail or ear. She never once bit or scratched the baby. In fact our daughter would crawl to the cat who would be sitting in a chair, pull herself up and try to pet the cat. Once she was too rough and the cat literally "slapped" Jennifer's hand with her paw. Jennifer laughed aloud so obviously did not get hurt.

Jennifer's first word was not Mom or Dad - it was "Seesuz" for the cat Susie. When Jen was in her walker, the cat was never far away and Jen was always "sharing" her food with the cat.

I don't know if the cat sensed how important this baby was to me or not, but she would let Jennifer get away with things that nobody but me would have ever gotten away with before.

My advice is to ensure the cats know they are still loved and not being replaced.

mmph!

My cat moved to the neighbours as soon as my son started walking.::censor::censor::censor::
He was royally put out by the whole children thing!