Cats!

[Heulyn]

And I'm not talking the musical here!

Does anyone else have a cat?
I have a few worries about mine!
Now obviously the OH is doing all the litter changing etc [I don't want toxoplasmoisis thanks!] and I'm trying to have as little cat-contact as possible nowadays, BUT:

Everyone keeps telling me I shouldn't have a cat, and that it will try and eat the milk from the baby, and the baby will die because of inhaling cat hair, and the cat will sit on the baby and smother it, and we'll have to get rid of the cat!!

I know this is possible, but surely I'll be keeping a closer eye on them than that?!
It's not like the cat is going to be sleeping in the crib ffs!

Also, when we got our cat, we adopted him when my grandma died [he had belonged to her], and he had been an outdoor cat.
He's about 20 months old.
Well since we've had him [for 5 months] he's had to be an indoor cat, as we moved house [and country] and we didn't want him getting too disorientated.

Now the time has come to start letting him out and I'm terrified he'll get lost/hurt/killed/starved or just go feral and won't come back.
Is it stupid, as he was an outdoor cat in the first place?
Will he have forgotten? Does he know me well enough to come to me? Will he come home at all?

Any tips on any of this rant will be appreciated girlies!! Thankyouuu xxx

 

[flexilexi394]

Personally never had cats or anything, I ave heard these horror stories about them and stuff. Just keep an eye on it surely! I agree! And never leave the baby anywhere by itself where the cat could get to it? My friends cat used to always try and get in the Moses basket with the baby, I think you have just got to watch it. And as for it goin outside, if it knows the house I'm sure it will come back. May as well get minimal cat hair and poo in the house as poss! It will do all that outside won't it? May be a good thing I'd it starts going back out side. Coming form a complete I know nothing aout cat person, just a thought! Sorry if that was completely useless. X

 

[Heulyn]

That's exactly what we thought, FlexiLexi, I'm glad someone else has these views!
I understand that babies smell lovely and milky and warm to cats, and the cat is naturally going to want to know what it is, but I think if the cat is out all day, and [how spoilt is this] he has his own room when he's in the house for his food/water/litter/bed, then he'll probably hardly even come across the baby!

And you're right about having less fur about the house, I dunno if he'll still come in to use his tray for poos, but we thought it's probably for the best to start putting him out now, so he gets used to it.

For a non-cat person, that was a cracking answer!

 

[Lilelephant]

Hun I have a cat, and I my only worry is the infection u can get from them but as long as your oh does the litter and u clean the surfaces then don't worry.
In regards to smothering baby etc, my cousin has 2 cats and a 12 week old and the cats are fine, although one did bring fred a mouse he he

On the letting him out, I was just the same with ours and I waited by the door the first time til she came home and she did! But your fearss are normal!.
Post a piccie my baby cat is in my avatar! Comet the naughty cat!

 

[Heulyn]

Here he is, as requested:

He's my little ginger baby, dunno what I'd do without him!
I think I'll have to sit on the steps outside so he knows where to find me!

 

[Lilelephant]

He's gorgeous hunnie

 

[clairebear22]

Hiya!

We have 6 cats!! My OH had 4 of his own and I had 2 and when we moved in together they all came with us!!

I'm also a Childminder so I always have at least 1 baby under a year in my house during the week.

My 2 cats are used to the noise and the children so will often be around the babies & children. I can honestly say I have never had to worry about them being around the younger babies. I'm pretty strict with the cats....
They're not allowed into our 2 spare room where the children sleep. They not allowed in any of my baby bouncers (purely because they leave fur behind!)

But apart from that the kids love having the cats around!! Even my 'princess' Cleo who like to sleep in their toy boxes! lol

Please don't worry about your cat being around your little one when he/she arrives!! They only time the cat will 'react' to a baby is when they pull their fur or tail!!

As long as your strict about where the cat sleeps because of the fur you should be absolutly fine!!

In my old house I had to have a travel cot in my bedroom for a while because my brother moved into the spare room. I used to lay a towel or blanket in the bottom of it so that if one of the cats did jump in and go to sleep the fur was on the towel and not the babies sheets! I still do it now with our dining chairs!! (just a little tip if you have a moses basket in the living room of if your cat sleeps in your bedroom! )

I'd never get rid of my 6 moggies!!

xxx

 

[Sol]

We have a cat but shes pretty old like 14+. We took her on when we bought the house 3 years ago. The Midwife did say I would have some resistance to the nasty stuff she carries so am not too worried. Hubby does all littery stuff and I'm not allowed to do so much gardening because our garden seems to be the cat super highway.
My only concern with her is shes love nice blankets to sit on and shes had a rude awakening the last few weeks because she had a thorough telling off to try and break the habit. We've also stopped letting her get upstairs too.

Sol

 

[lauren86]

i have 2 cats they are coming up to a year old and they aren't a problem they have the run of the back of my house and garden, i always keep my kitchen door shut so they can't go upstairs or in the lounge. They are more in door cats than out, i haven't found that they have wanted to leave home because of Ethan . And i carried on as normal with them through my pregnancy just never touched the litter tray and didn't feed them in the beginning because it made me be sick

 

[Tasha89]

We've got a kitty!

You can get nets for moses baskets and cots/cotbeds to keep cats out. I'm gonna see how ours is with baby before buying them. She only ever comes in for food and sods off after anyway - she's not affectionate unless she wants something so hoping she's gonna be ok when baby's here.

 

[bearsmummy]

I have 4 cats are none of them really bother with Livi. They know not to go near the Moses basket or cot and of she's asleep anywhere else they just sit and look at her it's almost like they're protecting her. They are really good with her. People just like to throw their opinion at you hun. Just see how the cat is with the baby before you do anything xxx

 

[isobel84]

just a little thing, if your planning on letting your cat back out, do it now before babys comin, cuz if you let it out about the same time as baby arrives, its a chance it will run of.

My little princess is very rarely aloud in the bedroom now night time, only sometimes if i need some comfort just for her to get used to it. she wont be aloud in cot, pram and mosesbasket but she will be aloud to be close to the baby (when im with baby aswell)

 

[lillie]

I have cats, and do some work for a cat charity - the amount of people who phone up to get their cat adopted because they are expecting is really depressing. Both can live together with a little common sense, get nets for the cot etc and keep an eye out for how your cat is around the newcomer.

Children like animals and personally I think its really important for kids to grow up with animals around them as it teaches them to look after and think of others.

As for letting your cat out, don't feed him beforehand as he will probably disappear off exploring and you'll chew off all your nails worrying! Do it in the morning too, and defintely before baby arrives (as isobel84 says)

 

[Toonlass]

I've got a cat and she has never bothered the babies but she brings all sorts in the house along with it's germs. I had to wrestle a magpie off of her from under the sofa yesterday, I only knew it was there coz I caught my one year old picking a feather up off the floor! All the mice, birds and god knows what she brings in is spreading germs around my house, I'm sick to death of cleaning up after her. My kid crawls around on the carpet she drops her 'prezzies' on, makes me sick!! I've had to start keeping all my windows shut and in this heat it's not fun. In summary I hate my cat but OH won't let me get rid of it. I would say a house cat is better when you have little ones around but then you have litter trays to condend with. Can you all feel the love I have for cats? xx

 

[inky]

isobel raises a good point - if you're going to do it then definitely let your cat start going outside again before the baby arrives, the cat will like having their own space and as long as you time it right won't worry about being turfed out because the baby is now there.

I've got 3 cats and was the same as you when it came to time to let them out, I was worried sick! They were just as nervous though and didn't venture far to begin with. I didn't have to worry about them not coming back!

As for how they will be when the baby arrives, time will only tell. We've already stopped them from going into either the nursery or our bedroom so they've got used to that already. To be honest I think any crying will keep them away from the baby but we will just be keeping an eye on them just in case. We're also going to use the nets that tasha mentioned so at least if they do get a little too curious they won't be able to actually get to the baby. It will be a learning curve for us all I reckon!

 

[Heulyn]

Well, Duke had his first adventure outside today.
After 2 and a 1/2 hours outside, and window-hopping, the OH made me go and bring him in. He was more worried than me!

Anyway, mission Cat-Wanderer was successful, I think!
Thanks girls!

 

[sam_london]

Toxoplasmosis can be very dangerous in the first 3 months of pregnancy and cats are likely to carry this parasite when they are allowed outside. Almost everybody gets infected with toxoplasmosis once in a lifetime. The infection causes hardly any problems when you are not pregnant so most people do not even realise that they have been infected. In some european countries every pregnant woman gets therefore tested for anti bodies. If she does not have antibodies from a previous infection she is strongly advised to not get in touch with any cat faeces or with soil or cat litter contaminated with cat faeces. Ask your GP for a toxoplasmosis anti body test. Beside that I think there is no harm for a baby growing up with cats or any other pets.

 

[Heulyn]

I think it's mainly cat excrement that carries Toxoplasmosis, so I'm avoiding all of that
And I wash my hands after being in contact with my cat [or any animal] anyway, but I'll ask about the antibody test next time I see the GP - thanks for the heads up!

 

[emmaandamyleigh]

i have a cat and she doesnt bother with amy never has been near her she lyes under her cot or beside it shes scared of amy but very protective if you go near the cot. shes not jealous coz shes et alot of attetion i dont think its true about the cat licking milk of a babys face my health visitor sed it aint true and sed babies produce more heat than adults or children and the go for where its hot hence why most cats sleep on radiatior were tina lyes next to chris or under the cot or in the bath room