It has been seen to happen that the arrival of a new baby in the house can elicit feelings of jealousy among house pets, particularly cats. So if one already has a pet cat at home, who is already very much part of the family, then there may be reason for apprehension as to how a cat would react to the new born.
Among pregnant woman, there could be changes, including her scent, and this can cause cats to become more attention seeking and attentive. Here are tips to help prepare a cat for a newcomer –
- You can precondition a cat to the presence of a baby by wrapping a life sized doll in a blanket and pretending to nurse and cuddle it.
- Adhere to the cat’s routine of play, feeding and other scheduled activity regardless of the disruptions in sleep and so on that will inevitably be caused by the baby.
- Prevent accidental scratching by using a protective net over the baby’s crib. Do this in particular if the cat shows tendency to play and cuddle with the infant. (And it is a bit of a myth that cats smother infants trying to get at the milk that they smell on the baby’s breath.)
