Introducing Your Cat to Your New Baby

Introducing your cat to your new baby can be tricky, but guest columnist Wendy Nan Rees walks new parents through the process.

The most important thing during the last trimester of your pregnancy, besides preparing for the birth of your baby, is preparing your cat for the arrival of your new baby at home. Remember, cats are not fond of change, and bringing home a new baby is one humdinger of a change.

A new baby can throw your regular routine right out the window with night feedings, colic and crying. A baby comes with new smells, new noises and an increased amount of new visitors. You may not intend for your cat to be displaced. However, it can still happen unintentionally. So, the one thing you really want to do is build the nursery slowly and introduce your cat gradually.

Have you ever heard the phrase: "Don’t get your knickers in a twist"? This is one of those times in your life where your kitty can be all twisted up, with anxiety. You can make a smooth transition with a little planning and work. Cats love their predictable routine, so it is very important to try to keep your cat’s eating station and litter box in their regular places. Your cat’s personality can also make a difference. If you have an outgoing cat that is friendly, there should be no problem. If you have a shy cat that tends to be reclusive, you will need to do more preparation to ease the transition of sharing life with a new baby. Make sure that you don’t force your cat into the situation; let him get involved at his own pace. You should begin making preparations a good twelve weeks before the baby is due. This way you will have a smoother transition when you bring home your new bundle of joy.

When preparing your new baby’s nursery, try to have all the painting, carpeting and furniture moving done around the same time. This way you will have less disruption with workmen traipsing in and out of the house. You want to do this in easy stages to help your cat get used to the difference in the house. As you make changes in the nursery, get the cat involved by letting him or her come in and see each change that you make along the way. Let the cat see and smell all the toys you have gotten for the baby, but don't allow him to claim anything as his. Getting a few new cat toys may go a long way toward helping your cat accept this new disruptive influence in his life. If your cat is hesitant to enter the room, you can use a treat to let him know that he is welcome in the nursery when you are there.

Make the crib off limits before the baby comes home. Set the crib up as soon as you can, and the cat should not be allowed into it. As the cat goes in and out of the litter box, no matter how clean you keep it, they can still exit the litter box with stuff on their feet or between their paws. Babies tend to test everything by putting it in their mouth first, so it's very important to keep litter material away. Get a spray bottle with an adjustable stream and fill it with water. Leave it in the nursery and use a quick spritz to deter your cat from unwanted behaviors in the room. This could include climbing in the crib, climbing the drapes, etc.

There are some other easy things to do to help your cat adjust to the changes. Get a friend with children to make you a CD of baby noises like crying, screaming, laughing and gurgling. Play the CD so your cat can get used to the new noises it is apt to hear from the baby. You can also get a baby doll and wrap it in a blanket. Let the cat come over and smell the baby doll. Let the cat smell the baby powder, baby wipes and other baby cleaners you may use, so he can get used to them also. Under your supervision, let the cat explore the nursery on his own before the baby comes home.

As for the extra company you will be expecting, limit the amount of visitors you allow to see the baby in the beginning. This will help you and the baby bond, and you can also let your cat bond with the baby. Introduce the baby to the cat gradually. Sitting on a couch where you can hold the baby and the let the cat gently investigate him/her is a good place to begin your introduction.

Here are the important things to remember:

• Don’t change where you feed your cat, or where the litter box is.
• Let the cat investigate the baby’s nursery as changes are made.
• Let the cat smell all the products you may use on the baby.
• Last but not least, introduce the baby to the cat under your supervision, and let the cat smell the infant.

In time, your cat may come to love the baby as much as you do. After all, just think of all the food that your cat has to look forward to receiving when the baby throws things from his or her high chair!

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