Baby Meets Cat For First Time

Cats need to be prepared for a new baby prior to the little bundle’s arrival. Cats are mostly creatures of habit and tend not to do well with change. Here are a few tips to help make the introduction a safe and loving exchange. May your baby be all smiles like the baby in the video below.

• Play baby sounds so they get use to it, especially crying noises.

• Let them explore and investigate the baby’s furniture at least a few weeks before arrival. Probably a good idea with or without a pet to set up the nursery in advance!

• After they’re done investigating the new space, decide whether or not the room will be off limits and train accordingly.

• Associate them with your potential new schedule and the smells that will accompany baby. Use positive reinforcement rewards so they know this change is good and they have nothing to fear.

• Don’t spoil them prior to baby’s arrival no matter how tempting. It’s inevitable that you won’t be able to pay them the same amount of attention when baby arrives. This will confuse your pet and result in jealousy and erratic behavior.

• Schedule one-on-one time with them so they don’t feel neglected and end up acting out. This includes playtime, feeding time, and cleaning up their litter.

• Create a safe space so that they can have privacy when friends, neighbors and family members start to trickle in to get a glimpse at the new bundle of joy.

• If they go near baby, don’t panic. They want to smell baby the way they do when they meet any new human. Baby is no different than an adult human to them. This gentle response deserves a reward.

• Get them acquainted with the way babies investigate. Babies tend to poke, pinch, tap, and grab their tail gently. Simultaneously help baby also learn to play mindfully, so that they don’t hurt your pet, as they grow stronger.

• Don’t forget to get them a nail trim so that they don’t accidentally scratch baby while trying to get to know them.

Baby Can’t Stop Smiling After Meeting Pet Cat