Expectant Mom Finds Cat Has 'Claimed' Her Baby Things and It's Too Cute
An expectant mom fully in nesting mode got quite the surprise after she hung up a dangling mobile above the baby’s crib. Clearly, she has more than one baby in this house, as this touching video shows.
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The fluffy tabby in this video is living the feline equivalent of the good life, splayed out on her back in the crib meant for the coming baby, staring lazily up at a spinning mobile. “Behind every new mom is a cat enjoying all the baby stuff,” reads the caption on this video.
Related: Baby Sees a Cat for the First Time and Her Funny Noises Are Pure Gold
And why not? That baby is used to ruling the roost. Why wouldn’t the cat believe that all the cozy new sleeping spots, all the lovely dangling toys, are all for her own personal enjoyment?
“Sorry mom,” says one viewer. “You’re going to have to get a new crib. This one is hers, now.”
But there’s also a lot of misinformation in the comments section of this post, as people claim that it’s dangerous to have a cat in the house while you are pregnant, or that cats should never be allowed near babies.
It isn’t true.
Are Babies Safe With Pets in the House?
There are plenty of old wive’s tales claiming that cats will harm newborn children. Shelters will tell you they often get pet surrenders from people who are expecting, as if—now that they have a human child—their fur babies don’t matter anymore. When I was pregnant with my first baby, my own mother-in-law forwarded me articles about vicious dog attacks on small children (I told her to cut it out, and my dog was the beloved companion of both my kids for the rest of her all-too-short life.)
In truth, properly trained pets are perfectly safe around babies, and there is no reason to get rid of your furry friend just because you are expecting. Though there are precautions a pregnant person should take with cats in the house (such as getting someone else to clean the litter box, to avoid infections with toxoplasmosis), there’s no reason that a pet can’t live happily alongside mothers and their babies.
In fact, studies have shown that growing up around pets is not only good for your child’s emotional development, but is also good for their health and can even help prevent them from developing allergies.
It’s Their Baby, Too
Many animals will instinctively understand that human babies are part of the family group, and will even look upon them the way they look at their own young. But since raising up puppies and kitten sometimes requires “correction” in the shape of bared teeth or even sharp nips, it’s important to train animals that they should never put their mouths on human babies. Give your pet plenty of supervised opportunities to observe and even sniff your baby. They will be naturally curious about the new being on their turf, and allowing them calm, regular access will allow them to integrate the new arrival into their understanding of the family makeup.
Do not leave new babies alone with your animals until you are certain that they can be trusted, and, as your baby gets bigger, make sure that they, too, understand how to treat their furry companions with gentleness and respect.
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