# Cats and Pregnancy



## Skoer1360

Hi!! :hi:

I just had a couple questions about your pregnancies and your cats..

As you can see from my signature, I have three cats and all of whom I absolutely adore! I really hadn't given it much thought until now, but what am I to do after I get pregnant with my babies??

-I wont be doing any litterbox duties until after I stop breastfeeding

-I *snuggle* and *cuddle* and *love on* my kitties ALL THE TIME :) When I have read about how to deal with animals (cats especially) they say to wash your hands after, but honestly I'd be rubbing my skin off because I would have to wash them every five minutes!

-They can't become outside cats because I live on the second story of an apartment complex.. and the litterboxes can't live in the bathroom since it's not big enough.

Questions are:

1. How do you deal with day to day activities with your furbabies?

2. What happened to the litterboxes?

3. Do you let your cats in your new babies room?

4. How do you keep them out of that room, if you don't let them in?

5. Our cats sleep in our room, would you kick them out?

6. Did bringing a new baby into the household stress out your kitties? If so, how did you handle that?


I knooowwww it's really long, but I would love some answers to these questions!! :flower: 

Thanks in advance!! :)

Oh- And getting rid of them is absolutely not an option unless LO ends up being allergic to them.


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## MummyMEE

Skoer1360 said:


> Hi!! :hi:
> 
> I just had a couple questions about your pregnancies and your cats..
> 
> As you can see from my signature, I have three cats and all of whom I absolutely adore! I really hadn't given it much thought until now, but what am I to do after I get pregnant with my babies??
> 
> -I wont be doing any litterbox duties until after I stop breastfeeding
> 
> -I *snuggle* and *cuddle* and *love on* my kitties ALL THE TIME :) When I have read about how to deal with animals (cats especially) they say to wash your hands after, but honestly I'd be rubbing my skin off because I would have to wash them every five minutes!
> 
> -They can't become outside cats because I live on the second story of an apartment complex.. and the litterboxes can't live in the bathroom since it's not big enough.
> 
> Questions are:
> 
> 1. How do you deal with day to day activities with your furbabies?
> 
> 2. What happened to the litterboxes?
> 
> 3. Do you let your cats in your new babies room?
> 
> 4. How do you keep them out of that room, if you don't let them in?
> 
> 5. Our cats sleep in our room, would you kick them out?
> 
> 6. Did bringing a new baby into the household stress out your kitties? If so, how did you handle that?
> 
> 
> I knooowwww it's really long, but I would love some answers to these questions!! :flower:
> 
> Thanks in advance!! :)
> 
> Oh- And getting rid of them is absolutely not an option unless LO ends up being allergic to them.

Hi hunny!
I have 5 cats and they used to have a litter tray but then they were old enough to go outside when they wanted to, we kept the litter tray for a while and OH changed it every day so I didn't have to.

I had 5 cats when I had my son and they loved rubbing up against his feet when he was tiny but they never went near his face or bit him or scratched him. I never stopped petting my cats throughout pregnancy or having a baby in the house and my son has no allergies whatsoever

Generally the cats stayed away from his room when he was in his cot and if they went in they slept under his cot
NEVER HAVE I KNOWN A CAT GET IN THE COT AND LIE ON THE BABY!!! 

The cats will continue to sleep in our room on the bed and the dog will continue to sleep on the floor in there too!

Erm, cats being full of self importance may not even notice the baby at first and when they do they will be disdainful as if to say "and what is that????" lol

If you are worried about the cats going in the crib / cot etc you can sprinkle some Olbas Oil on a muslin and put it in there - cats hate the smell of that and will stay away  xx


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## FeistyMom

I had two cats when I was pregnant with my first & second, and I developed some allergies that made it impossible for me to sleep with them anymore, so they were banished from the bedroom very early on - in fact, the respiratory issues probably started before I was pregnant. Then I developed a weird dislike for my cats - who had been my little furbabies up to that point. My hubby gave them extra attention to make up for me not wanting to snuggle or pet them as much - I still don't really understand why. They were exclusively indoor cats for my first pregnancy and year of #1s life, and never once bothered the baby. They would sleep in her crib or bassinette any chance they got, but mainly if it was unoccupied, so I took to closing the door when she wasn't sleeping! Hubby did most of the litter changes, but I did handle a couple myself, using gloves and with extra washing and a face mask just in case.

With #2, we had moved to a house and the cats had expressed interest in going outdoors more. Hubby took care of the litterbox exclusively since they were indoor/outdoor then, but I still developed a weird aversion. With both this went away shortly after the babies were born.

With #3, I haven't really had any aversions, but sadly we lost one of our kitties early on this pregnancy. The remaining cat gets extra attention from me and my husband, and my oldest now gives her lots of love, and is the kitty's favorite place to hang out.

The cats were MUCH more disturbed when we introduced a puppy - the baby was not a big deal to them.

You will know right away if your cats are inclined to sleep on the baby - this is not as common as it sounds, but it really will be pretty obvious, and if its a problem you can get nets/alarms/or just close doors. It probably won't be an issue though!


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## AveryATL

If your cats are indoor cats, then you do not need to worry about petting them or cleaning their litterbox. 

Cats can be carriers for Toxoplasmosis, a protozoan, that they can ONLY get from hunting rodents/birds. If your cats are indoor only (and you don't feed a raw diet), then your cats have no chance of spreading the protozoan to you. 

Even IF your cats used to be outdoor cats, and your cats happened to become infected with it then, it still won't matter. As a rule, cats only are 'contagious' to humans ONCE in their life for a period of up to two weeks, generally right after they get the initial infection. After that, they do not pass the spores anymore. 

Even if they ARE passing the spores, it takes 24 hours after the protozoan is passed from the cat (through their feces) before it can become harmful to a human. If you clean your litter box every day or twice a day, then even if, by some total remote chance that the cats were passing the spores, it STILL wouldn't harm you, provided you wash your hands afterwards to clean the spores off. 

The only way to get the spores is from coming into contact with the feces, and then ingesting it. So, again, if you wash your hands after you clean the litter box, it isn't a risk. 

If you are worried about it, you can also get a test to see if you are immune to it. I have been around cats my whole life, and am NOT resistant, which was a surprise to me. I am not restricting my contact with MY cats at all - because they are also indoor only, so I know they are safe. 

I am refraining from petting others cats, particularly those who are outdoor cats, because of the small, small risk that they may have licked their bum, then their hair, but honestly, their is a much higher risk that I would get toxo from eating poorly/unwashed veggies than petting random cats. 

My cats sleep with us too, and are a part of the family. We are going to take a wait and see approach, because I really think things will be fine. My cats prefer my DH anyway, and sleep on HIM, almost exclusively. I really don't think they will jump into a bassinet with a baby. I have one cat that really seems to enjoy kids - he always hangs around the ones that come to visit, so I think he will find the LO interesting. The other two will likely ignore him/her totally.


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## fairykate

AveryATL said:


> If your cats are indoor cats, then you do not need to worry about petting them or cleaning their litterbox.
> 
> Cats can be carriers for Toxoplasmosis, a protozoan, that they can ONLY get from hunting rodents/birds. If your cats are indoor only (and you don't feed a raw diet), then your cats have no chance of spreading the protozoan to you.
> 
> Even IF your cats used to be outdoor cats, and your cats happened to become infected with it then, it still won't matter. As a rule, cats only are 'contagious' to humans ONCE in their life for a period of up to two weeks, generally right after they get the initial infection. After that, they do not pass the spores anymore.

Haha - don't let my OH read this - ours is pretty much exclusively indoor - only been outside when we have taken her to visit MIL or SIL at Xmas etc (she does enjoy being nosey around other peoples houses every now and again lol, and doesn't go outside when we are there)........ during my pregnancy he has dealt with the litter tray and any accidents she ever has!!!! I'm quite enjoying not having to deal with the cat poo for a while!!!!!


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## Skoer1360

Thank you for all the advice!! I was just worrying a bit since everyone always puts emphasis on cats and the dangers of them when you're pregnant.. prolly wont tell OH the safety of indoor cats though lol (two of them have never set foot outside Rollie and Ferdinand, and Napoleon hasn't been outside since he was 6mo :) )

I really appreciate all the feedback! It really has put my mind to ease :flower:


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## Eternal

1. How do you deal with day to day activities with your furbabies?
No different, obviously you have a baby to worry about and they do get less attention. But we make time for our cats when our baby was asleep. 

Ive never heard anything about not touching baby if you have touched a cat. My cats are indoor cats too so dont know if that makes a difference, but they safely and happy co-exisit in our home. 

2. What happened to the litterboxes?
we still have litter boxes for our cats, my husband usually takes charge of cleaning them but i make sure i dont have any contact with them when im pregnant and hubby makes sure they are extra clean. 

3. Do you let your cats in your new babies room?
I let my cat into our room where our baby was at night, and the cat has been fine. When my baby moved to his own room we made sure it was cat free at night and closed the door, but during the day the cats sometimes go sleep on his bed (now he is in a bed) but never in his cot. 

4. How do you keep them out of that room, if you don't let them in? 
Close the doors of any rooms we want to keep them out of. 

5. Our cats sleep in our room, would you kick them out?
Not unless there was an issue, we didnt need to when our son was born but only had one cat then who stayed out of his room and slept on the bed with us, but we have a new kitten now too and twins on the way, if he tried sleeping with the babies i would kick them out at night and be extra vigiliant in keeping them away from babies. but i doubt it will be a problem so in that case no. My babies always come first before the cats, no matter how much i love the cats (and they are our babies too) but i dont see why they cant all live happily together. 

6. Did bringing a new baby into the household stress out your kitties? If so, how did you handle that?
My cat had one really weird day after my son was born, got really stressed and kept going round in circles. She was fine after that, we always made sure to give her attention too and she was fine.

You can buy serinium i think thats how you spell it, my breeder recommends it, it helps them stay calm, she said she would give it to them after the babies are born for awhile. I prob wont, but ill keep some on hand just incase there is a problem.


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## fairykate

Eternal said:


> You can buy serinium i think thats how you spell it, my breeder recommends it, it helps them stay calm, she said she would give it to them after the babies are born for awhile. I prob wont, but ill keep some on hand just incase there is a problem.

Oooo, thanks for the reminder - just thought I could buy some Feliway closer to the time for my furry one, might help her get used to the baby and be a bit calmer!! She does have quite a lot of mental days currently!!!


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## lissaw

I never even thought of not being around my fur babies lol I don't clean their litter anymore but hubby usually did that anyway. I couldn't possibly not pet and cuddle them, they are very cuddly kitties lol


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## Eternal

fairykate said:


> Eternal said:
> 
> 
> You can buy serinium i think thats how you spell it, my breeder recommends it, it helps them stay calm, she said she would give it to them after the babies are born for awhile. I prob wont, but ill keep some on hand just incase there is a problem.
> 
> Oooo, thanks for the reminder - just thought I could buy some Feliway closer to the time for my furry one, might help her get used to the baby and be a bit calmer!! She does have quite a lot of mental days currently!!!Click to expand...


Does feliway work well?


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## Skoer1360

lissaw said:


> I never even thought of not being around my fur babies lol I don't clean their litter anymore but hubby usually did that anyway. I couldn't possibly not pet and cuddle them, they are very cuddly kitties lol

lol that's where I was coming from! I would never be able to get rid of them!!! It isn't an option! I love my cats to death, and I will keep them until they pass on. All these people on Craigslist saying "oh I got pregnant and I can't have my pets anymore..." Ughh makes me so mad! :growlmad: They are your responsibility too!

lol okay okay, I'm done ranting hehe


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## c1403

Im not pregnant yet but hope to be soon. I have a cat and i love him to bits he is my first baby.

To answer your questions

1. How do you deal with day to day activities with your furbabies? I would just keep a close eye on cat and baby and never leave them alone together

2. What happened to the litterboxes? my cat doesnt have one as he goes outside, he just never used it....only in winter do we get it out

3. Do you let your cats in your new babies room? No i wont. Ill keep the door shut. Cat isnt allowed upstairs anyway

4. How do you keep them out of that room, if you don't let them in? cat isnt allowed upstairs/doos closed

5. Our cats sleep in our room, would you kick them out? Yes i think i would. Our cat as much as i love him hes not allowed in my room or bed 

6. Did bringing a new baby into the household stress out your kitties? If so, how did you handle that?
cant comment but my cat is very laid back so i think he would be fine


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## Chaos

Questions are:

1. How do you deal with day to day activities with your furbabies?

No differently than before my DD arrived. They are really no bother.

2. What happened to the litterboxes?

My DH deals with them, but when he goes out of town (as for example he'll be gone next week) I have to do them. I just wash my hands afterwards.

3. Do you let your cats in your new babies room?

We've always shut my DDs door at night, simply because one of my boys likes to "talk" .. and by that I mean, he don't SHUT UP! lol. So we shut it so he don't wake her up at night meowing. In the day the door is open. Will be the same with the new baby.

4. How do you keep them out of that room, if you don't let them in?

I just keep the door shut of places I don't want them. For example the nursery door has been closed for months, simply because I don't want them getting in to stuff that's not unpacked and sorted out.

5. Our cats sleep in our room, would you kick them out?

For the first 4 months my DD slept in our room and we leave our bedroom door open at night and they were no bother.

6. Did bringing a new baby into the household stress out your kitties? If so, how did you handle that?

Both my boys are indoor cats and had 2 years of peace and quiet before my eldest arrived. The day we brought her home, the first time she cried they just evaporated in to thin air and we didn't really see them for 2 weeks lol. We just let them get on with it and come out when they were ready. Now one of them is BFFs with my LO, the other one still keeps a healthy 2 foot distance from her at all times lol.

This was my DD and her BFF this morning :)

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i260/ChaoticOtter/Forum%20uploads/0908110107.jpg

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i260/ChaoticOtter/Forum%20uploads/0908110105.jpg


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## Chaos

Eternal said:


> fairykate said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Eternal said:
> 
> 
> You can buy serinium i think thats how you spell it, my breeder recommends it, it helps them stay calm, she said she would give it to them after the babies are born for awhile. I prob wont, but ill keep some on hand just incase there is a problem.
> 
> Oooo, thanks for the reminder - just thought I could buy some Feliway closer to the time for my furry one, might help her get used to the baby and be a bit calmer!! She does have quite a lot of mental days currently!!!Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Does feliway work well?Click to expand...

Not really, no. We tried it when we fostered a stray and there were so many fights, I noticed no difference what so ever.


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## vintage67

There is really ridiculous hysteria about this.

Google "cat kills baby". You will find nothing.

I'm glad to see that there isn't too much of this kind of thing still around, but was stunned in 2004 to overhear a pregnant co-worker telling another co-worker that they were getting rid of their cat because "cats steal baby's breath." Ridiculous.


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## Skoer1360

Well ya lol, I don't think the cats are going to steal the babies breath or anything, but my cats do like to jump on windowsills and get into things (like a crib, or bassinet) or cuddle up and sleep with someone, so I was just wondering what other people did with their kitties once they had their babies or what they plan on doing.

Also another concern was actually litterboxes and how they were handled..

lol I know cats well enough that they aren't evil!


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## willowtree

I have 4 cats aswell ....i agree they are not evil and wont take babies breath ...my friend told me a while ago, someone in a pet shop told her if you have your cat lie on your belly whilst pregnant the cat affects the way baby breathes ....first ive heard of this sound like rubbish to me!:flower:


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## vintage67

So nice to see all these other cat lovers!

We have six!


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## willowtree

I've always loved cats :) but one of mine is really bugging me at the min he's constant moaning all the time and he's got an high pitched meow too,he's not hungry or thirsty he's just a moaning lil sod lol:flower:


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## Caezzybe

I have 2 cats and wondered about what would happen after our LO was born. About a month before LO was due, we stopped the cats from coming in our room. They complained at first, but soon got used to the idea. I wondered what would happen when LO arrived but they just gave him funny looks and stared at me accusingly as if to say "Mummy, have you brought a KITTEN home???" :lol:

Although my kitties will always be my furbabies, I haven't had as much time to spend with them since my sone was born, but they seem OK with that. They are more resiliant than people give them credit for and have just slotted in with the new way of life. They'll still be around for cuddles when the kids get a bit older and don't want the cuddles any more.

LO is still in our room, so the cats in the nursery thing isn't an issue at the moment. However, when he does go in his own room, the cats won't be allowed in there. We will be keeping the door closed and/or using a cat net on the cot.

I can just imagine the look of disgust on their furry faces when Mummy brings another "kitten" home in November or December :lol:


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