How are you getting your Pet(s) prepared for baby?

krisnjay

Mommy to Logan
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I have a dog and two cats that are very friendly but get weird with big changes. I just want to see if anyone else is doing anything to prep the pets
 
I heard that having your OH bring something home that smells like the baby for the animals to sniff before the baby comes home is a great way to get them used to the baby.
 
Play a video of a crying baby once or twice a day, or get a crying doll. Also I was told when baby comes home, have somebody else hold the baby while you greet your dogs the same as you always would.
 
I heard that having your OH bring something home that smells like the baby for the animals to sniff before the baby comes home is a great way to get them used to the baby.

This is a good tip. I'm a veterinary nurse and this is what we advise people to do when they are having a baby. I'll be doing it with my cat, though he's so laid back about everything I don't think he'll even notice anything has changed!
 
Im pretty worried 4 my dog hes only 10months and when we had my nephew round (3months now) he was cryinh and my dog hated it - was quite scared poor man xx
 
have you heard of feliway for cats (google it!) it can help de stress them, worked for our girl on firework night etc.

we will have to shut ours out the bedroom when baby comes so I think we will do this about 8-6 weeks before so they dont think they are turfed out because of the baby

xxx
 
I have a dog and two cats too. We already have two kids so they're used to them and they're used to friends with babies popping round. The dog and one cat are fine, the other cat keeps out of the way!
 
I have one dog and we got a crying doll to help train him to get used to the noises it also makes breathing and sucking noises on a dummy! It is going very well also he was so intruiged at first and barked a little but soon relaxed and ignored it, going to continue until lo arrives. He is very intelligent so I know he knows it's not real but it more getting him used to me carrying something that makes noises as he can get very jumpy and nervous when there strange noises.

I watch Dog Whisperer which is where I saw the above idea, he also recommended that when you bring baby home the dog is out on a walk then baby should be in the home when the dog returns. A blanket with the smell also before baby arrives too as someone else mentioned.
 
I am more worried about our cats than our dog. We take him everywhere with us and he has been around babies, toddlers and small children, although we'll see how he reacts to a baby in my arms crying.

I am having OH bring home a blanket with the baby smell on it and a few months ago we started closing the doors to our bedroom and the nursery (former spare room) so that the animals don't associate the change of sleeping arrangements/available "play-rooms" with the baby.

I like the idea of greeting the animals (our cats actually usually greet us when we come home) like normal when we come home. I think we might do that. :)
 
I shut my two cats out of our bedroom at about 20 weeks (mainly because they are naughty and were waking me up) took about 2 weeks of one of them scratching at the door all night but he soon get bored and realised he wasnt allowed back in but we still have to odd sleepless night with them so we have a feliway plug right outside our bedroom door and it's a god send!!!:happydance: Oh yeah and also I've been leaving the baby's bouncer chair out in the living room to see what they do - they both sniffed it and walked off which really surprised me since I expected to have to keep turfing them out of it.

I like the idea of OH bringing something home for them to smell and I'll probably greet them like normal when I come home from hospital as I will have missed them :blush:
 
I got 3 male cats and i play a baby crying sound, i've also closed the nursery door - the alphamale out of the three cats used to sit at the nursery door and cry! now his learnt that its out of boundaries.

When i play the baby crying sound, i walk out the room and come back a few seconds later, they dont really take any notice lol - they're sweet natured cats but im afraid they wont like it when they'll also be shut out the bedroom
 
ive three dogs and allready started with them, they are adjusting brilliantly aswell with the changes and the biggest one for us is them following me around everywhere i go, so a good while back we put one babygate on the bottom of the stairs so that they cant follow me up and down the buggers all the time and one inbetween the front room and kitchen so that we can seperate them from guests comming and going and from the baby when he gets here, along with this ive added an extra walk into the day and i dont mollicoddle em anymore, and yes we've stopped saying 'daddys here' or 'u want mummy to get yer tucker' and all the other nonesence us doggy owners say to our dogs like they understand us (yup,you know what i mean lol) . thankfully ive got 3 quick learners and bar the greyhound hopping over the gate a few times in the begginnig or him hideing his dog chew under the cot when i let them up the stairs every now and then i think ive cracked it!

great tip on chris bringing home a blanket for them to get babys scent from, wich we'll deffo do but i will have the dogs here in the house when we come home so that we can introduce baby that way (ive watched cesar milan and jan fennel do there stuff till its commeing out of my ears and i think this is the best way for our pack to meet baby... fun times ahead!!
 
Our dog we got from a kennels and he had been mistreated. He bit husband on the nose within the first few mnths when hubby was leaning over me in bed to give me hug the dog come between us. He has his moments but hasnt bit him again. we cnt take him vets or anything though as he goes mental and we had to stop having the groomer out. We know him now and we have had a baby gate on bedroom for ages and wilk also be putting one on kitchen for when baby is having tummy time etc. Hubby has also taken over feeding as i used to always do it. When babies cry or laugh on tv he barks like mad! Does anyone know where i can get a doll that cries to try get him used to it? Xx
 
I have 3 dogs and 3 cats. I think they will all be fine. I will be getting someone to bring a blanket home that smells of baby though.
At the end of the day they have all got to learn to live with each other and it will be as much of a case of baby getting used to animals as it is the other way round.
 
We wont be doing anything, Roxy joined our family when kyle was 4 months old, so our house is already dog/child proofed, and since i intend on having a home birth she kinda has to like it or lump it lol
 
Yes, i have two dogs, who used to sleep upstairs, but i bought them both a new bed and put them at the bottom of the stairs with a stairgate up, they're not allowed upstairs at all anymore, which they seem fine with if i'm honest.. i thought doing it now would make sure they don't dislike the baby or blame her for them being downstairs...i have a golden retriever, so she's brilliant anyways, not worried at all.. and then i have her puppy (whos nearly two) .. he's a bit crazy - but i'm sure we can calm him down :)
 
We've got a dog who is very attached to us. She's protective of us all and quite frankly i find her a pain in the butt most of the time as she follows us everywhere lol. We're just making sure she knows her place. She has her bed in the dining room, and she is sent there for time out. We will however be getting a stair gate to go between the sitting room and dining room so that she isn't totally excluded from family life, but so that it emphasises that her place is that side of the gate if the baby is on the floor.

She's very good around children, but has her silly half hour now and then and last thing i want is for the bulldozer of a dog running riot! xx
 

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