Should A Cat Be Near A Newborn Baby.

[dartagnon]

My daughter is expecting twins - due date 9th May - and she has a 2 year old tabby cat. I told her that she'd better get rid of the cat before the children are born, but she insists that everything will be okay .
Am I being overly cautious or not and I'd appreciate others opinions.
Thanks in anticipation

[Prudie]

OMG there is so much far worse that is human inflicted on babies and children. Get a cat net and be vigilant (as other sensible posters have suggested). The anti-pet brigade really get my goat.

[black_cat51]

to answer your question, yes you are being over-cautious
At the end of things, she will do what she wants anyway, no matter what you say

[wolf63]

I am sure that dartagnon is glad he asked this question now :-)

I am sure that your daughter will manage to get things worked out and that the cat will either fit into the set-up or move out through choice.

You are being overly cautious - something that I am guilty of myself.

[Prudie]

And I hope she lives in a high-rise and if not suggest she moves - otherwise a fox might come in and eat the babies.

[tamborine]

Train the cat to use a shed, heat lamp installed, until the babes are stronger and able to cope.

[Mamyalynne]

Grew up with pets in the house from birth, never a problem, very easy to integrate both - use your head is all.

[Peaspeculiars]

Good Grief! Get rid of the cat? What do you think it is going to do, plot a murder? It really is very simple: Would you leave your baby alone with a dog? No. Would you leave your baby alone with any animal? No. The daughter will use common sense and use her doors to shut the cat out of the room when the baby is sleeping (using a baby monitor). There is no reason why they cat shouldn't live quite peacefully with the family forever more. Are you suggesting to her that she doesn't flea, worm and de-tick her cat or wipe down her surfaces? Is she really not going to be able to cope with the cat sleeping all day and needing occasional pouches of food putting down when the baby is born?
I get so frustrated looking at the Gumtree Pets section, the amount of people who casually throw away their pets like garbage just because they are expecting a baby is just appalling! 'Urgent Baby due -free' 'must go today as pregnant' 'Having a baby and can't cope with my 12 year old knackered cat as well' etc means the first person to collect the pet can take it straight to the dogs, disgusting IMO.

[tamborine]

My furry & feathered pets all live out. I cant fit them all indoors, let alone sleep with horses & goats ;)

[viv38]

If anyone had told me to get rid of my dog when I was pregnant, I would have wiped the floor with them! I hate with a vengeance people who get rid of pets just because a baby comes along. Living, breathing flesh and blood creatures treated like dirt as if they are nothing - appalling! And I simply cannot believe in this day and age that 'cats take away a baby's breath'. Are we living in the dark ages ??? Peaspeculiars, I totally agree with you about Gumtree, I wish they were banned from selling pets. Anybody at all can take them, poor wee things.

[ganesh]

Totally agree with you viv, I work in a cats and dogs recue centre and they get quite a few because of new babies-very sad.

[Peaspeculiars]

Thanks Viv38, Dartagnon - just to add, please don't take my post as a rant at you, although I do think you are being overcautious on this one, there are just so many instances of people getting rid of pets when a baby is due that it is really frustrating to animal lovers (whom are not wet or soppy, just of a different mind-set when it comes to pets). I just wish the easy option of 'getting rid' was not taken in these instances.

[viv38]

It is very sad ganesh. I simply can't understand how people can be so oblivious to the distress the pet will go through at being 'dumped' ! Pure selfishness.

[ganesh]

Yeah, I know that you feel your 'priorities' change when you have kids, no-one can deny that, but you are right, it is rather sad and usually unnecessary to disregard your pets well-being. My kids loved our dogs and cats as they grew up too.

[albaqwerty]

I've been reading this thread and am wondering if these will be dartagnon's first grand-children?

To dump or re-home a pet just because a baby (or babies) are expected is callous imo.

[jomifl]

It's not all bad news re. toxoplasmosis, an infected cat is only infectious through it's faeces and only for a few weeks after infection. Cats and babies can be tested and treated if infected and sensible precautions are not difficult though could get overlooked with the arrival of a new and first baby.
http://www.onhealth.com/toxoplasmosis/page5.htm#am_i_able_to_keep_my_cat

[ummmm]

If it's an indoor/outdoor cat chances are it goes toilet in other peoples gardens.

[jomifl]

Umm, where a cat sh1ts is irrelevant since it will end up with faecal matter on it's paws anyway. It is best not to go into denial but to make provision for probabilities. People shouldn't leave a baby's health to wishful thinking and chance. That said common sense and hygiene will reduce risks considerably. If it is an outdoor cat then either keep it out or in over the critical period or just keep it away from the baby for the appropriate period.

[B00]

How on earth did we manage all these thousands of years surrounded by animals before people discovered "bacteria"?

Give me strength!

[ummmm]

My thoughts exactly, B00, I'm amazed the human race isn't now extinct.

[jomifl]

Boo you are being irresponsible to ridicule sound advice. The answer to your question is by natural selection, millions died of horrible diseases. I once had Lyme diease from a tick bite, fortunately I diagnosed the disease quickly and a course of antibiotics cured it, My slightly more ignorant neighbour and a locum doctor on the other hand didn't recognise the symptoms so had treatment rather late and had to spend 2 weeks in hospital on an antibiotic drip.. Ignorance kills..it nearly killed him.