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When
baby arrives, Puss will be curious and slightly
wary of the new and noisy arrival so don't panic
when he sniffs the crib or hangs around. Many cats
soon lose interest and look for entertainment
elsewhere. Keep
the nursery door closed or fit a screen door when
baby is asleep, but make sure Puss is not shut in
the nursery as well. Keep windows closed (or fit
mesh screens) to keep cats from entering from
outdoors.
A baby alarm or intercom will allow you
to monitor baby. Keep
baby's feeding utensils out of Puss's reach and
wipe up spilt baby food before Puss gets into the
habit of hanging around and doing it for you. Keep
cat food and baby food well separated.
If you
get tired or irritated, don't take it out on Puss. Keep
a sense of priorities. You only have one pair of
hands: baby is top priority, cat usually second
and most other jobs can wait a few minutes.
Regularly de-wormed and de-flea Puss. Check which
flea powders are safest in a house where there is
a baby or toddler.
Wash
your hands after petting the cat and after
cleaning litter tray, cat bedding and food bowls.
Encourage visitors to pay attention to the cat as
well as the baby. Don't make Puss feel rejected,
the baby is part of his life too.
Beware that some cats love to suck on wool and may
be attracted to baby blankets!
Don't leave cat and
baby together unattended; most scratches are due
to a cat fending off an inquisitive crawling baby.
The warmth of a crib is attractive to cats and
though they usually stay away from a baby's face
(most dislike the smell of human breath) it is a
good idea to fit a crib net. When
junior reaches the toddler stage, you need to keep
cat food and litter well out of reach.
Make sure
that Puss can get to his food, but junior can't
reach it. If junior does manage to sample Whiskas
don't panic, just make sure the food bowl is
placed well out of reach next time. As toddlers,
Claire and Emily both tried Whiskas and were
none-the-worse for the experience - it's the
parents who suffer most.
Children and cat
litter trays do not mix. If you can put the tray
in a room or closet accessed by a cat flap, this
is ideal. Likewise, make sure the potty is out of
the cat's reach as even a de-sexed cat (male or
female) may attempt to spray it to cover your
baby's scent. Once your baby becomes aware of the
cat, start teaching him how to interact gently
with it e.g. not pull the cat about, grab its tail
or disturb a sleeping cat. Provide Puss with a
refuge on a bookshelf or windowsill.
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