Babies and pets require some preparation in order for the combination to work well.
A
large number of pets are taken to the shelters when they're family
members find out that they are expecting a child. It is very sad for
the pet and for the family to relinquish a favored family member because
a new arrival is expected. In most cases it is not necessary to give
your pet away just because you are expecting a baby.
With a little effort and patience the transition can be made and all members of the family can remain intact.
One
of the first things you, as your pet's care giver has to remember is,
your pet has been "your baby" for a good while and has enjoyed all of
your attention. The new baby is certainly going to diminish the amount
of time you have to give your cat or dog.
So what do you do?
Start
the "weaning" process as soon as you are aware that there is going to
be a new arrival. Cats and dogs thrive on routine. Routine is what
makes their world go round and it is up to you to gradually change the
routine to accommodate the new routine you will have with the baby.
Your pet needs and thrives on your attention, but it does not need it
24/7. Gradually reduce the amount of time you spend pampering your
pet. I am not saying stop giving your cat or dog, pets, pats and time;
I am saying "tone" it down a little.
A great way to give your pet
attention without having to stop what you are doing is to talk to your
cat or dog. Our pets love the sound of our voices and if you repeat
your pet's name and just talk about what you are doing, you pet will
feel it is getting the attention it wants.
Sounds silly, doesn't it?
Just
think about it for a minute, you can talk to your pet while changing
the baby, feeding the baby, bathing the baby, rocking the baby and just
plain holding the baby. You can do all those things and not have to
stop to pet or pat, and your pet will feel satisfied. It won't hurt to
toss your dog a treat or two during the whole process and that will add
more pleasure to the experience.
The secret here is to plan ahead.
Cats and dogs rely on their sense of smell and their hearing. So,
during that 9-month waiting period, you are going to give their noses
and ears some new smells and sounds to hear.
Babies smell and look
different then grownups, they don't smell like dogs or cats, they smell
like babies. The plan here is you are going to invest in some baby
oil and baby powder, which you will from time to time rub on your hands
and let your pet smell them. It wouldn't hurt to rub some on towel and
put the towel within reach of your dog or cat's nose. Do not,
however, allow your dog to drag it around. That's a "no, no." All
you want to do it make your pet aware of the smell.
Having a baby
means "new" furniture. Whether you are buying new or getting furniture
from family or friends, start bringing it in. Allow your pet to smell
it and get used to its presence. All the while this is happening talk
to your pet about the "baby."
There are tapes available of baby
sounds, crying, gooing and all the other sounds, babies make, buy or
borrow one, so your "kids" get used to the sounds babies make.
If
your pet is a dog, a good idea is to buy or borrow a fairly life sized
doll. Dress it in some baby clothes, carry it around the house, talk
to it and your dog, go through all the motions you would be going
through if it were your new baby.
I would start doing this as your
time is getting nearer as it will get your pet used to the new routine.
If you don't feel silly, try taking your "baby" out in the carriage or
stroller and having your dog walk with you.
What we are trying to
avoid here is jealousy. Some dogs are possessive and will get jealous.
If you while you are awaiting the arrival of your baby, take the time
and have the patience to go through all these motions, your dog will be
used to having the baby around, and it will not be so threatening to
him/her.
Here are a few more things to consider if your pet is a dog:
Make certain that you provide some "one on one" time for just you and
your pet. Remember this was the baby for a good while before the "real
baby" came along.
Dogs and cats are creatures of routine. If
you are gong to change the place where they eat, sleep or have their
toys, DO IT ahead of time. Do not wait until a few days before you are
to give birth.
If your dog has not been obedience trained, now
is the time to go to obedience school. You will be so glad you did.
You need your dog to obey your commands.
Expose your dog to as
many babies and/or toddlers as you can. Always keep a leash on your dog
when it encounters the little ones. This way you have control inside
the house or outside the house. Be certain to give your dog praise and
treats when he/she behaves well around a child.
Do not lose your
patience with your dog if he/she doesn't seem too happy around
children. Keep calm, do not yell or scream at your dog. By keeping
calm, giving treats and praise, you can try again and eventually, your
dog will realize babies are okay. Babies do not look like "big humans"
and your dog may be frightened of them.
Let the dog be in your
baby's room with you, give it a special place to sit or lie down (this
is where obedience school fits in) and expect him/her to stay there.
If at all possible before you bring the baby home, have someone bring a
blanket, hat, towel or anything else that has the baby's scent on it
for the dog to smell.
When you are coming home with the baby
have someone else carry the little one in and you give your dog your
full attention. It is important that you greet your dog just as you
normally would if you left the house and came home.
Let your dog
smell the baby, if he/she barks and starts to carry on have someone
take the dog and put it either in its crate or in another room to calm
down. Above all do not let anyone yell, hit or scream at the dog. BE
CALM and give the dog another try in a little while.
This is a new
member of the pack; the baby is an extremely new concept for the dog to
acknowledge. The baby looks like nothing your dog has seen in the
household before. Keep in mind your dog is a dog and not a person that
understands English or babies.
Get a large amount of treats to
have on hand, as it is necessary to make a big fuss every time your dog
behaves appropriately toward the baby. Keep a leash on the dog in the
house; let him/her drag it around. The leash gives you control.
Do
not exclude your dog from the family and the baby. Do not put an
"inside' dog outside or in another room just because you have the baby.
It is important for the dog and baby to form a bond and a bond will
never form if you treat the dog as a second class citizen and banish it
away.
NEVER and I mean NEVER leave the dog and your baby alone
together. No matter how good the dog is with the baby. You will never
know what motion or sound the baby makes that might excite the dog and
it may attack.
Any dog attack on a child that you read about in
the paper will have these words, "the child was on a swing or playing
"alone" in the yard with the dog," we just don't know what happened.
Believe it or not, it was not the dog's fault; it was the parents or the
caregivers.
You will never know what provokes the attack, but
most likely the child did something innocently that upset the dog. You
are the adult and the one with the intelligence use it.
The
preparation for the baby when you have a cat is very similar to that of a
dog. If your cat is an "indoors only" kitty it will take some time and
patience, indoor/outdoor cats other than being curious have a life of
their own.
This doesn't mean you should suddenly put kitty outside because of the baby, especially if the cat is "declawed."
Cats
live in a smell and hearing world just like dogs, only I think smell is
more important to cats. So it is up to you to do the baby powder and
baby oil routine on your hands? Play the sounds from the baby tape;
only for cats start out softly and increase volume a little at a time.
Bring in the furniture and allow kitty to climb and smell it.
If
possible bring in friends with babies and small children, more than
likely kitty will run and hide, but give it a try. Make certain kitty
has a place to escape to. Prepare a sanctuary for kitty before hand so
the cat has had time to get used to it.
Put all the "old wives"
tales of cats sucking out a baby's breath or laying on a baby to smother
it out of your mind. I have lived a long time and never have I heard
of a cat that did either of those things.
Yes, a cat will get into the
crib, but usually only after the baby has left it and the spot is
"warm." Cats love warm spaces. Let kitty smell the baby things.
Keep
a diaper pail tightly covered as female cats have an inborn instinct to
clean up after their kittens and kitty may try to help you by helping
to clean the diapers.
One helpful hint in helping keep kitty calm
is spraying the baby gate; door and doorjamb to the baby's room with
Feliway, a wonderful product that will help keep kitty calm. In fact I
would spray the furniture and the stroller just as an added measure.
Feliway can be purchased at pet stores and on the Internet.
If you
are concerned about toxoplasmosis, which is a rare disease in the
United States. HEAR THIS it can be avoided. True it can be found in
the feces of cats. The cats can get it from infected raw meat, wild
birds, mice or contaminated soil. If YOU were to get it, you would have
to eat the cat's feces or put your fingers in your mouth after cleaning
the litter box. You could also get it from eating and handling raw
meat.
So what do your do?
Wear rubber or latex gloves when:
gardening or cleaning the litter box. Avoid handling raw meat or eating
uncooked meat. Wash all cutting boards and counters that may have come
into contact with raw meat. Feed your cat a good commercial cat food
and stop worrying.
If you practice cleanliness and feed kitty well, so that it will not go out hunting, all should be well.
If
you have not had your cat or dog neutered or spayed this is the time to
do it. Animals that have been neutered or spayed make better pets,
will not have raging hormones and will behave better.
The truth is, if you are calm, take necessary precautions, and treat your pets, as members of the family all should be well.
This
may all sound like a great deal of work, when one quick trip to the
animal shelter would settle the matter, but is that what you really want
to do?
All these things can be done within the 9 month time
frame, slowly and with good results if you take your time, be patient
and use common sense.
Good luck and enjoy your baby and your pet!
