When a young couple prepares to have a baby, as a rule, they don’t even think about how the pet will react to a new family member. Fortunately, it most often dispenses with excesses, but there are also situations when a cat or cat reacts to the appearance of a baby in a completely unexpected way. As a rule, this is due to jealousy, but one cannot exclude the possibility that such dramatic changes can cause stress in a cat. To avoid negative consequences, you need to properly prepare for the appearance of the child in the house.
Possible risks
First of all, you should take care of the safety of the baby, because even domestic cats can harm a fragile body. Animals often cause the following diseases:
- allergy;
- lichen;
- felinosis;
- helminthiasis;
- toxoplasmosis.
The last disease is the most dangerous, because a woman can “pick up” it from a cat during pregnancy. The consequences of the disease are very sad: from pathological abnormalities of the fetus to miscarriage. Therefore recommended examine the animal at the veterinarian before the conception of the child.
If the pet turns out to be sick, then it should be treated, and then, in order to prevent the disease, it is necessary to carefully monitor its hygiene, as rarely as possible to let it out, not to feed it with raw meat, and also regularly and carefully clean its tray.
As for other ailments, getting rid of them is not difficult, you just need to give the cat the necessary medications in time, get vaccinated, monitor her hygiene and visit the veterinarian for an examination.
For the prevention of fleas, it is recommended to purchase a special collar, regularly bathe the pet and treat its skin with antiparasitic agents.
Some experts argue that A pet can behave unpredictably during hormone surges, so many advise it to be neutered or sterilized. But if you would like the cat to have offspring in the future, then during adaptation and getting used to the newborn you can regulate her condition with the help of special preparations. In other words, it is necessary to regularly give the animal hormonal medications that prevent the onset of estrus.
Cat and home preparation
Before a newborn child appears in the apartment, it is necessary to properly prepare the cat. If before that there were no children and the pet received all the attention and affection of the owners, then you should gradually reduce the time spent together and accustom it to independence. So that she does not feel deprived and does not feel offense, it is recommended to buy her new toys and do not forget to indulge in her favorite treats. In addition, you can get a second cat.
So that the appearance of a child in the house does not come as a surprise to the animal and does not cause negative reactions, a number of recommendations should be followed.
- Invite friends with young children to visit. Contacting them, the pet will gradually get used to the kids, sharp sounds and increased attention from them. Of course, you need to make sure that the kids do not offend the cat, otherwise in the future it can react negatively to all the crumbs.
- Pre-equip a room or corner for a newborn. Let the animal sniff new objects and get used to their smell. It is important to ensure that the cat does not lie on children's things and does not jump into the crib. Such attempts must be immediately stopped, but without aggression and screaming.
- A cat can be jealous of a child if not enough attention is paid to it, so you do not need to push it away when it asks for affection. In addition, you should ask the same guests who will come to visit you and the baby.
- Acquaintance of a pet with a newborn should take place in a relaxed atmosphere. Let him sniff the baby and the things brought: diapers, bottles, nipples, powder, and more. It is advisable to feed the animal and the baby before meeting, so that both of them are calm and relaxed. Otherwise, crying and sudden movements of the child can scare the cat and cause aggression.
- At first you can’t leave the animal and the newborn alone - you must definitely look after them. At the same time, one should not prevent the cat from showing interest in the child. She can rub against him, lie down next to him and even lick. Such gestures should be regarded as a concern - they are encouraged to encourage. But it should be remembered that it is better not to allow the pet to lick the face of the newborn, as this may be unsafe.
As a child grows up, you need to teach him how to handle it correctly.
Playfully, a baby can inadvertently hurt a pet, throw a toy or make a loud, sharp sound. At such moments, you need to be near and show the animal that he should not be afraid. Over time, the pet will get used to it and will not react sharply to unexpected or unpleasant sounds.
It is believed that in families where there are pets, more sensitive and merciful children grow up. From the first days of life, they learn to love and care for those who are smaller and weaker. When planning a replenishment in the family, you should not think that the cat can harm the baby, and even more so do not need to get rid of it. It is enough to properly and timely prepare the animal for the appearance of a new family member, and all problems will disappear by themselves.
