How to Introduce Your New Baby to Your Cat

When you bring your new baby home, your cat may not be favorably impressed'but there's a lot you can do to help the two of them become good friends.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Baby Blankets
• Baby Monitors
• Bassinets
• Cribs
• Cat Combs/brushes
• Cat Nail Clippers
• Catnip
• Prescription Flea-control Medications

1. If you need to change house rules, change them before the baby arrives. Otherwise, your cat may associate the baby's arrival with his sudden banishment from the foot of your bed.

2. Set up a crib or bassinet for your baby ahead of time and train your cat not to sleep in it. Cats and infants should not sleep together, because it poses a risk of suffocation or allergic reaction for the baby.

3. Have your cat thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian before your baby comes home. This will give you time to deal with parasites or other problems that could pose a family health risk.

4. Before bringing your baby home from the hospital, send home a blanket or gown that the baby has been wrapped in. This will get your cat used to the baby's scent.

5. Let Dad or someone else carry the baby inside at the first homecoming, so that Mom is free to greet the cat with open arms.

6. When introducing your baby to your cat, don't hold or restrain the cat; let him approach and explore the baby at his own pace.

7. Spend time with the cat while your baby is sleeping. Cuddle him, brush him and play with him as much as possible to reassure him that you still love him.

Tips & Warnings

• As your baby grows and becomes mobile, teach her as early as possible how to pet your cat gently, and make sure she doesn't grab at your cat's tail or ears. This will help your child and your pet to become friends rather than adversaries.

• Be sure to keep your cat's nails trimmed (see related eHow 'Trim Your Cat's Nails'). Don't declaw him, though'especially if he spends any time outdoors. Just train him to be gentle around your baby.

• If your baby will be sleeping in a nursery, consider making it a cat-free zone. Your cat probably won't hurt your baby deliberately, but it is dangerous to leave them together unsupervised.