Kittens can quickly become a part of family. But when a baby is around, some old wives tales still exist. This doesn’t mean that they can’t both have a place in the home because of a new baby. You should be aware of a few things when it comes to kittens and babies.
Never leave a kitten unsupervised around the new baby. They can quickly cause trouble. Kittens aren’t always aware of where they are laying down to sleep. If they decide to lay on top of baby’s face, you have a huge problem. Their furry bodies can close off your baby’s nose and mouth causing your baby to suffocate. Babies aren’t strong enough to get them off. Even older cats should be kept out of baby’s room when you are not there to avoid this possibility no matter how nice they are playing with baby.
Kittens also have a tendency to play with mouths and claws. This means that they can scratch your baby because they haven’t really figured out how to play nicely yet. While most scratches would be minor, you have to watch out for swipes at eyes or other vulnerable areas.
Babies can also be equally rough with new kitties. They can grab tails and pull hair. It can quickly sour relationships between your baby and kitty. This usually does not end well.
One of the things that you have to be on top of is a possible allergic reaction to the kitten. If your baby starts showing signs of an allergic reaction, you need to bring this to the attention of the doctor. While it may hurt to give kitty up, you have to do what is best for your baby in such situations.
Make sure that your kitty is neutered while it is still young. This will save you problems of spraying or strange cats hanging around and an unexpected batch of kittens. The last thing you want is spraying in baby’s room.
Kitties and babies are both very cute, but they do need to be supervised when placed together.