Cats and babies

Our cats were our babies before we had Isaac, like it is for so many other couples and singletons with their own furbabies. I've wanted cats since I was a child but wasn't allowed to have one (my Mum doesn't like cats!). On Valentine's Day, about a month after we moved into our own place, my husband said yes we could get a cat and it didn't take long for her to become my lap cat. She's definitely still my girl; only eating when I put her food down for her, waiting for my lap to sit on, and can be a little protective of me. We got our second cat just after we got married (putting our broodiness on hold for a while with a gorgeous little kitten); she's feisty and playful and still so small now that she's fully grown, but there's a cuddle bug inside our little cat too.

When I was pregnant, both cats seemed to know something was going on, cuddling up to me more often and purring against bump, which I found just adorable of course! Later in my pregnancy (when Isaac's movements could be felt from the outside) when my eldest cat sat on my bump Isaac would kick her and she would glare at me in disapproval. I think she already knew this baby was going to come between her and Mama!




Before we brought Isaac home, we were able to bring home a couple of bits of clothes he had worn for the cats to smell, which they were certainly interested in. While Isaac was newborn we didn't leave the cats alone with him, having been warned of all the stories in which cats sit inside the warm moses basket and suffocate the baby. The cats didn't actually try this (despite the picture above where she gave him a good sniff and investigated him thoroughly).

The cats have also shown interest in Isaac's baby toys; chasing any toy that will roll around the living room, batting at the toys that hang from his baby gym, and chasing reflections and lights. 

Now that Isaac can crawl, it's a whole different picture! Each cat takes a different approach, with one much wiser than the other. My elder cat (who we recently calculated is actually 9 years old!) has the good sense to stay out of Isaac's reach, while my younger cat will sit in front of him until he crawls towards her, then slowly back herself into a corner. When she does get stuck in the corner I tend to intervene as I feel like these would be the times when she could scratch him to defend herself. Scratching has only happened once or twice in the near-year Isaac has been around and isn't something I've really been worried about; Isaac isn't going to catch anything from the cats like he potentially could a dog, and this is the way cats naturally defend themselves when they feel threatened, but clearly are using it sparingly. Of course, this is only my experience with my cats and doesn't necessarily apply to all cats, but friends who have mixed cats and babies have given me similar stories.

I truly believe bringing up Isaac around cats is good for him. He is gradually learning that if he wants to stroke the cats (which he does seem to), then he has to be gentle. In the absence of siblings, he has companionship and other consciousnesses to learn to understand and consider. Having pets will teach him about love and loss, help him to be caring and also bring him comfort. 


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