With the arrival of newborns in the family, life changes. But not only ours, but also that of our pets who will have to get used to sharing their space and our time with the new creature.
In the case of cats, given that, by nature, they are animals very sensitive to changes and that they get stressed easily, it is better to get your act together as soon as possible. Therefore, here are three tips to promote good coexistence between kittens and newborn babies.
Begin the adaptation of our cat before the arrival of the baby
Yes, it all begins before the baby arrives, therefore, experts recommend following certain guidelines such as gradually repositioning your things such as the litter box, the feeder, the drinker and the bed for our cat so that it gets used to it. Also, if we can include some “safe haven” for him in our home (like a box) he will feel much more comfortable.
In the same way, his thing is to show him the little one’s new things: the crib, his stuffed animals, the basic wardrobe with his clothes, baby creams and perfumes… so that he becomes familiar with all of it and not It can be very traumatic to meet him when the newborn has arrived.
some recommend even put recordings of tears so that he gets used to the cries that will soon come home.
And, most importantly, introduce new routines, above all, ones that adapt to the baby’s schedule so that he does not lose our attention and affection or notice a certain disdain on our part because we are taking care of the baby. Therefore, although our attention varies, that you feel that we dedicate quality time to you.
After the birth and before going home
When we are in the hospital and in order for the cat to begin to get acquainted with the baby, they recommend wear a shawl, diaper, or towel impregnated with the scent of the newborn so that the cat begins to assume that particular smell.
The moment of the introductions of the baby and the cat
Then it would be time to bring the baby home and the first moments are important since the cat will want to meet him and, as they tell us, he will approach between doubtful and fearful, having to be cautious but act very temperately, caressing the cat and speaking very softly.
In most of the time, the cat will simply snoop around, smell… and surely go away. The most important thing is that we pay close attention, prevent them from being alone, that the cat does not enter the baby’s room alone and that if it gets scared, little by little we try to get it closer (with caution) and assume it as something normal. .
Tips to improve the coexistence between the baby and the cat
In addition to continuous supervision, we will have to cut our cat’s nails more often and, above all, take into account the character of the cat because if it does not handle the changes well, it is best that the contact with the baby is given little by little, creating the climate so that the cat feels more curiosity than fear and little by little it approaches the baby.
Lastly, there seems to be very few diseases that are transmitted from cats to humans, so we do not have to see the pussycat as a possible source of infection for babies. Even as we have been able to know, recent studies have shown that babies who live with pets (such as dogs and cats) have less coughing and sneezing during the first year of life.
So everything is an advantage if we do it properly and surely they will have a peaceful and happy coexistence all their lives.
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