new baby

[ashleycat]

i have had my baby tues.. and my cat wont stop getting into bassinet.. i have to keep her in a sep. room when i bring baby around.. also there is too much kitty dander, and hair... im constantly around baby of course, and no time for kitty..what should i do?

[guster girl]

I'm not trying to sound mean or ignorant, but, too much kitty dander and hair for what? I may be wrong about this, and, I'm not saying your baby should be covered in cat hair or laying face down in it, either. But, I've heard that having them around pets and pet hair and dander can actually help them by getting them accustomed (maybe immune) to certain breathing problems and/or allergies as an older child and adult. Again, I could be wrong, but, that's what I'd heard. Is the cat agressive with the baby? I don't see anything wrong with keeping the cat out of the nursery, and, just supervising the cat and baby when baby's not in the nursery. As far as not having time for the cat anymore, that's really just something you should make the time for. Again, I'm not trying to sound hateful, but, that's just my feelings on it. Is there no one in the home that spends time with the cat anymore? It just seems like if the cat was a part of the family, time would be put aside (maybe while baby is sleeping) just for kitty.

[Denyce]

I totally agree with guster girl. I too don't mean to be rude or insensitive however your cat was your FIRST responsibility not just a thing and deserves your time and attention and love also. I just can't believe that one baby takes up so much time you can't sit with your cat in your lap for a little while? Or play with it while the baby is napping? And I have heard all the same things about cat hair and dander. Perhaps sitting down with a cat brush and your cat for about 10 minutes a day would solve many problems.

Denyce

[stephanie0122]

Your cat will be fine and will adjust. If you want the cat out of the babies room then just keep the door closed. Don't worry about dander too much...cats don't really have dander anyway. it is their saliva that we are allergic to on their skin...dogs are worse for allergies. unless your new baby has allergies i wouldn't worry about the cat. Congrats tho!

[catlady1945]

We just kept the baby's room closed when baby was sleeping. Our cat was really not all that interested in the baby anyway because we still gave him a lot of attention.

[thawks120]

New babies aren't a problem with a little common sense. First off a cat is like a 4 or 5 year old human child. They are curious, and even get jealous. Try including "kitty" in the baby activities, allow him to investigate the bedding, watch you change the diapers and feeding the new "Pet" in your home. Don't EVER scold or yell at kitty for trying to interact with the new baby. As for the dander / allergies... the previous postings are correct. The American Medical Assc. even had a study stating that children that grow up in home with pets, have a lesser chance of developing allergies AND asthma... Bottom Line, ALLOW your "First Pet" to enjoy your "Second Pet" along with you ...

:D Timmerz