Introducing Your Cat to Your Newborn Baby

Cats can have a whole spectrum of responses to a new baby. Curiosity is a big one! They want to sniff and identify this noisy newcomer! This unbridled enthusiasm is the most common reaction to a new baby. Another common response is to ignore the baby. Though we cannot know what cats are really thinking, they may just choose to walk past the baby and pretend they are not there (at least for the first short while). Other cats seem to be jealous (if this is possible for cats), though this is considered a human emotion and we do not like to anthropomorphize. These cats, whatever one terms the emotion they are feeling, will often excessively attention seek with the adults. They may try to jump up on the nursing mother's lap, interjecting themselves right between the baby and mother if allowed! They may also be more affectionate than normal. Note that some cats that are allowed access to a nursery have also been known to secretively pass their bowels under the crib. This has sometimes been attributed to spite or jealousy, but perhaps it is more likely that the cat is stressed, or that the diaper pail by the change table may be letting off odors that stimulate the abnormal behaviour. This has not been closely studied, but as a general rule, it is prudent not to allow the cat unattended access to the nursery.

Other cats are somewhat afraid of the commotion! These cats may choose to hide for a while until a routine is established. It is extremely rare for a cat to show any aggression towards a baby, but never leave a baby or young child alone with your pets, even for a short time, even if they seem to get along well because a baby can roll over onto a cat or cry out loudly, and the resulting startle or fright could potentially lead to an aggressive incident, even in a well-mannered cat. If the cat is unpredictable in their behaviour in any way before the baby arrives on the scene, you will need to be more vigilant and it would be wise to discuss any concerns with your veterinarian before the baby arrives at the home.

There is an old wives tale about cats smothering a baby if allowed to sleep in the crib. The common sense message that lies below this old adage is to prevent access of the cat to the baby's room or crib/pen for the sake of cleanliness, quiet, and to guard against any unusual circumstances. A great solution to a parent's wish to leave the nursery door open or ajar to hear the baby is to install an inexpensive screen door, and leave the wooden door open. This provides air circulation and allows one to hear the baby, while keeping pets outside of the nursery. The door can be removed when the child is older.

Cats that show good tolerance of the new baby in the first few days and weeks sometimes like to sit near the baby and purr as if to share approval of the newcomer! Remember while baby is sleeping to pay lots of attention to the cat to let them know that they are still very special.

A baby will gradually come to show interest in the cat but only once they are through the newborn phase. There are generally no issues regarding acceptance of pets by children growing up with pets, though in the toddler phase, exuberant activity can be stressful, particularly for a senior cat. As always, parental supervision and gentle education of the young child will help them to understand what is appropriate when handling their pet. Parental supervision provides a quick way to reinforce good handling (gentle voice, petting, snuggling but respecting the cat's limits) while providing a way to promptly intervene if hair or tail pulling occurs in a child who does not yet know better.

Make sure your cat is healthy and up to date on vaccinations and has had a physical examination and a stool sample performed to confirm that there are no parasites before there is contact with the baby.

The acceptance of the new baby is best facilitated by a gentle, gradual, low-stress introduction.