Cats

I know that my OH and I will be firm with our cat if he tries any inappropriate behaviour with the baby. Saying his name followed by "no" curtly and loudly does the trick. It might take a few times but cats are pretty smart.

I also plan to keep our cat away from baby during sleeping time and just be aware of where my baby is and the surrounding environment. Not judging anyone else but personally, I don't think I could part with my kitty, we genuinely love him and he is a part of our family so we will find a way :)
 
The feliway plug ins are amazing-I plan to get some and start using them as things progress. I think they sell collars and wipes, I know I bought some but may be another company. Used the wipes for the cages when recovering after a spay/neuter(I do tnr trap the ferals neuter them and release them back out where they were trapped from). Has your cat had bloodwork at any point to rule out medical issues? Even healthy may be worth doing to have a base of where he is at.

Also what may help is a birdfeeder or some food left on railing or something for animals to get in morning. I often stick out something for the birds to get in morning and my cats are so caught up watching them they let me sleep longer
 
My cat tends to mark when she has a bladder infection or crystals in her bladder. She's been on some heavy duty meds for a while, and it seems to be helping. But it's tough, because we live in an apartment in a house near other people, and she goes outside and marks on all of their stuff. She even going inside some of their homes if they leave the doors open and peeing on their beds :-( We have to move to a two bedroom for the babies, and I'm just concerned if she continues this behavior it'll cause problems where we live. She came to us as a lost cat, has lived her life outside. It breaks my heart to keep her inside more, and we only let her out when I know that everyone's doors are shut. She is my baby and we will do everything we can to keep her, but if she risks us losing our home, especially we have two babies to keep a roof over their heads, I have some serious thinking to do. Rehoming her would not be my first second or third choice even, but if it comes down to it I have to think about it. I know this is off the original topic, so good luck to you :)
 
To those even thinking about rehoming your cat, please consider that 3 in 4 cats in shelters are euthanized because they can't be adopted out within the week or often less they're usually given. So unless you have a friend or relative who can take them, rehoming is usually a death sentence.

Please read this if you don't believe me. It's a very lightweight article compared to others I've read, where many shelters often use gas chambers to euthanize the animals, which is far from being a quick and painless death: https://digitaljournal.com/article/309290

Yes, cats are creatures with instincts, but as long as you supervise them every time they're around your baby, there will be no issues. As for us, we're probably co-sleeping, so we do need some kind of good protection for the crib when we're asleep, if they're in their own room, it's as easy as making that room a cat-free zone.

It also bothers me when I see this talk of cats being inferior to human babies. Granted, they are different, the bond I'll share with my child is very different from the bond I'll ever share with a cat, but the intensity is just as strong. Hell, the intensity of the love I feel for them is just as strong as the love I feel for my husband, and that's certainly a different kind of bond! In any case, I didn't rehome my cats when I moved from the US to The Netherlands to be with my husband, so I am certainly not rehoming them just because we have a baby on the way. If anything, our cats will be a valuable part of our child's upbringing, teaching them compassion, and being wonderful playmates. Our cats are family, not things, and that's a value that we're proudly passing onto this baby and any others we have!
 
And also some shelters will euthanize owner surrenders on the spot, they will never get a chance you will sign papers and they will be taken right into the kill room. Especially when they are packed full of kittens that will also end up euthanized.
 
And also some shelters will euthanize owner surrenders on the spot, they will never get a chance you will sign papers and they will be taken right into the kill room. Especially when they are packed full of kittens that will also end up euthanized.

Exactly. This is something that people really need to be aware of. Breaks my heart.
 
I have a cat whos about 1 so hes never been around DD when she was a baby but he will not be rehomed. We will work around it. He already sleeps in the kitchen every night so he's not near DD so thats not a problem and my baby will sleep next to me downstairs all the day time so that not a problem either. You can get nets that stretch across doors and retract again too if you want to keep cats out of baby's room but still hear them. I don't think it'll be that hard to balance but maybe its just because i have a well behaved cat :|.
 
To me, rehoming means finding a loving home, with the caveat of calling me to take her back should the situation not turn out ideal. I would never place her in a shelter. But like I said, that would never be my choice if I can help it in any way. I love her like a baby- even though she's a bit "touched" lol
 
To me, rehoming means finding a loving home, with the caveat of calling me to take her back should the situation not turn out ideal. I would never place her in a shelter. But like I said, that would never be my choice if I can help it in any way. I love her like a baby- even though she's a bit "touched" lol

You may want to talk to the vet about what can be done before babies arrival. Plug ins sold in pet stores/calming sprays, play, getting used to the setup/what is off limits now vs then. Also discuss if it comes to that much stress if drugs would work to help keep calm if all else fails.

If rehoming has to happen keep in mind it may take months to find that great home.
 
I use to work for the vet- she is my friend so we are trying everything. I've got her on acepromazine right now for multiple reasons and it keeps her calm but I don't want her on it long term. I've seen the pheromone collars, I figured I try one of those next.
 

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