is it ok to get a cat?

Heather - posted on 07/06/2009

All I can say is that judge me how you like. I had 2 cats and after my daughter was born they turned into absolute nightmares, clawing my furniture, spraying the house ect. the worst was the male cat who would meow constantly throught the night waking me up anywhere from 5-15 times a night. In the end it got to a point where i couldnt take it anymore and dont think i didnt try, i bought them all sorts of toys, i payed over $100 for a needle that was supposed to calm their anxiety or some such crap. anyway nothing worked with them so I had them re homed which i still feel terrible about however as i said i was 8 months pregnant with my 2nd child and up during the night for a bloody cat.



There is no reason why you couldnt get a cat but i would think about 2 things. first is are the kids allergic? second is just to really think about it long and hard. if your getting a kitten it shouldnt be too bad as it will be used to kids from a young age. mine were 4 years old when the kids came along and didnt take it too well.



Good luck.

Rachael - posted on 07/05/2009

We've had three cats since before our son was born. They didn't know what to think of him at first and kept their distance. Now, they're starting to have some interest in him, but never anything bad. We've never seen one of them in his crib or any such thing. They really seem to care less one way or another! The litter box is behind a gate, so he can't get to it and no problems.

Abbey - posted on 07/05/2009

We have a cat with our son. They are great together, but make sure you go someplace where the cats are out and comfortable before you adopt one. That will give you a good idea of it's demeanor. She does sometimes nip at him, but she has been trained since a kitten that teeth can touch skin but not bite. And she gets knocked back when she does. But overall, they love each other. The cat lets my son pull on her fur and takes it. But cats are unpredictable.....and then follow the other instructions, like Michelle was talking about....not that our cat has had any vaccines or deworming. But she is an indoor cat.

Michelle - posted on 07/03/2009

My number one word of warning is ALWAYS wash your hands after cleaning the litter box. There are many things excreted in their feces that can be harmful. So keep the litter box out of reach of the child(ren) until they are old enough to understand to stay out of it. Make sure the cat, or kitten, is checked for leukemia and stays current on all dewormings and vaccinations. Watch also for allergic reactions when introducing the new family member. Some exposure to cats before picking one out could prove helpful.

Kylie - posted on 07/03/2009

I have a cat and two children our cat was our first baby we got him 4 years before the kids came along..hes a very good cat he never jumps up on the benches and he goes outside to "go to the toilet" it took him a while to get used to having a baby in the house but they him and he loves them now. I think cats are great they clean up after themselves, keep themselves clean and are easy to feed and worm. Just don't allow them to jump up on benches from the start and if they use a little box keep it out of reach of children and never change the litter box if you are pregnant. Cats with the ragdoll breed in them are supposed to be great with kids too...

Kimberly - posted on 07/03/2009

i have 5 cats 4 are foster kittens and my daughter does just fine. i think if your family history doesn't have alot of allergies to cats your son should be fine. ask your sons dr. if you are worried. it is a good question to ask. most dr are glad to give their opinion on stuff like that.

Susan - posted on 07/02/2009

We have two cats who are almost 3 years old now and our son LOVES them!! He will call out to them when they walk past him and laugh and smile all the time at them.

I would recommend that if you do get a cat, start with a kitten and play with it kind of rough. That was what the vet told us when we got our two. She said to play with their paws, tails, rub their ears and open their mouth all the time so they get used to being malled really.

Our son willl pull at their hair and get puffs in his hand, but one of our cats just loves it and rolls over to get rubbed more but the other will run away.

Not sure what we will do with their food and water when he is old enough to walk around and get at it, but I guess we have to start thinking soon on that one :)

Jessica - posted on 07/02/2009

my son is 7 1/2 months aswell and we have had a cat since he was a month old! i think providing you keep the litter tray and feeding area in a room that your son won't get to it should be fine! and you have to make sure that the cat is shut out of the room that the baby is sleeping in and don't let the cat get comfortable sleeping on baby's play things! you will have to regularly check for worms and its best to get an older cat that has experiance of being around children! You will also have your hands full with making sure your son doesn't provoke the cat into attacking it! my son has ended up with a few scratches to the head tho he doesn't seem to feel it lol!