Suffocation or smothering

Some people still believe cats will “steal a baby’s breath while he/she is sleeping”! A particularly friendly feline might interfere with a baby’s sleep by curling up in the cradle or licking the baby’s face. It is advisable to never allow your cat to sleep in, or even climb on, your baby’s crib.

The Facts about Pregnancy and Cat Litter

Because toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects in children, pregnant women sometimes assume they must get rid of their cat. This is entirely unnecessary since a few simple measures will thoroughly safeguard against catching the disease, especially from your cat. Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a parasite that can infect your cat if she eats prey already harbouring the parasite, or comes into contact with contaminated soil. Toxoplasmosis is rare among indoor-only cats.

To prevent getting infected with the disease, whenever you scoop or clean the litter box, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands immediately afterwards. Even better, get a friend or adult member of the family to take over litter box maintenance during pregnancy.

Baby Proofing

Once your baby is mobile, he/she will probably try to play in the kitty litter. As a part of baby-proofing your home, you should find a place for the litter box that is inaccessible to the baby.

Interaction

Try to maintain your cat’s normal routine after your baby comes home, and make sure they still get the same amount of affection and attention.

Allow your cat to set the pace and be in control of whether or not they want to interact with the baby. Always supervise interactions.

Associate positive interactions with something they love—treats/food, playtime, grooming. This will increase the likelihood of your cat developing positive associations with your baby.

As your child develops, teach them how to appropriately pet a cat (for example, only petting the cat when the cat wants to be pet), what not to do with the cat (for example, don’t pull their tail or touch their feet or belly), and how to read basic cat body language (for example, hissing is the cat saying “leave me alone right now.”. This way, they can build a respectful relationship with their furry friend.