Q: When you're expecting your first child, it seems everyone has advice, from your co-workers to all your relatives. When we were trying to get pregnant, we listened to people tell us that we had to get rid of our old cat. Instead, my boyfriend handled the litter box, so that was fine.
But now, some people tell us that cats are attracted to the smell of milk on a baby and may smother an infant by accident. Another old wives' tale, I'm sure, but what do you think? And what's the best way to handle the introductions?
-- T.I., via e-mail
A: Common sense dictates that no animal be left unattended with an infant or young child -- for the safety of both. Although it's extremely unlikely your cat would hurt your baby in any way, you don't want to take any chances of an accident occurring.
Some parents have gone so far as to install a screen door on the nursery to keep pets out, a simple and relatively inexpensive solution. You could also confine your cat to one part of the house when no one can directly supervise your pet.
As for your cat herself, she should be fine with the new arrival. Cats thrive on familiarity and routine, so getting the household settled down as soon as you can will help your cat to settle down, too.
Despite all the household upheaval a new baby brings, try to put aside a little time for your cat every day, for petting, grooming and interactive play, and be aware of changes in your cat's behavior.
Sometimes stress can lead to litter-box avoidance. If that's the case with your cat, have your veterinarian check her out to make sure there's no health problem, and then set her up in a small bedroom -- with a litter box, food and water, and toys -- to retrain her and let her chill out for a few days.
Having a pet will benefit your baby. In addition to the unconditional love and listening a pet offers, recent studies suggest that children who grow up with animals may be less susceptible to developing allergies.
Finally, work with your veterinarian to make sure your cat is in the best of health and is current on all preventive-care measures. Veterinarians are well-versed in how pet health problems can mean human health problems and are your best bet at advising on how best to keep your pet from presenting any risk to your child.
As always, the best advice is to get rid of the risk and keep the pet. Your veterinarian can help.
Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.
