Prepare your cat in advance
As soon as you’ve finished getting the baby’s room ready, let your cat explore the terrain. Encourage her to rub against the sides of the bed, the changing table and the walls. After marking this new room and its furniture with her scent, your cat will come to see it as familiar. You could also spray the furniture with a special product that contains calming pheromones (available at Chico).
However, do not to let your cat develop the habit of climbing into the baby’s bed to nap. Cats should never sleep in the same bed as a newborn. They can impede the baby’s breathing by lying down on them and could transmit diseases via licking or clawing.
A good trick for keeping your cat out of your baby’s bed is to cover it with a large sheet of aluminum foil or another uncomfortable material. After a couple of weeks, your cat won’t even entertain the thought of climbing up there.
Plan your return from the hospital
Once the baby is born, but before you return home from the hospital or birth centre, someone should take a blanket carrying the scents of the baby and mother and rub it on the walls and furniture of your home, focusing on places that your cat likes to mark as her territory. Ideally, give your cat at least a full day to get used to this new scent.
Upon returning home, give your cat her favourite treat right away and pet her affectionately. Then let her approach the baby without rushing or pressuring her.
If you follow this advice and keep calm, everything should go smoothly!
For great advice and quality food, toys and litter boxes for your cat, come visit us as Chico, your neighbourhood pet shop.