Cat + Baby = not working

[Anonymous]

So we have a 7 month old DS and a 5 year old cat. The cat does not like the baby - she hisses at him all the time and has actually nipped him a couple of times. I love this cat, but I can't take a chance that she'll hurt the baby at some point. I absolutely don't want to just drop the cat off at a shelter, but don't really know what my options are at this point. Anyone have any bright ideas of how I can find a nice home for the cat? And please before you flame me, just know that I love this cat and giving her up breaks my heart. I just can't take a chance that she'll hurt DS at some point. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Put the cat in a bag and leave it in the middle of the road.

I hate cats.

[Anonymous]

Email your friends, post on Facebook, and if that doesn't work, give the cat to a shelter. Your cat bit your baby. How is this a difficult question to answer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put the cat in a bag and leave it in the middle of the road.

I hate cats.

This. I hate cats too unless it's mixed with fried rice.

[Anonymous]

OP, ignore the cat-haters. I'm a cat-mom and I understand where you're coming from. How much time/energy do you want to invest in trying to reconcile the cat to your baby? If you like your vet, give them a call - you could also call a shelter and talk to them - they may have suggestions too for ways to recondition the cat. I know the Animal Welfare League of Arlington offers a class specifically to help pet-parents get their furry babies ready for when the human baby joins the clan, so maybe someone there could help.

But if it can't be done for whatever reason, try to do the best you can by your cat - see if you can find a new home for her through friends or else find a good no-kill shelter, maybe one that fosters cats in homes before they're adopted. I just got a cat from the Feline Foundation of Greater Washington and they were fabulous (in case that helps). Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put the cat in a bag and leave it in the middle of the road.

I hate cats.

This. I hate cats too unless it's mixed with fried rice.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU, for making my night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHnuo17dsBQ

[Anonymous]

Ok. I laughed at the cat bag advice but felt dirty afterward.

[Anonymous]

Your kid, and your husband, should be way way way way way more important than your damned cat.

23:59 nailed it.

[Anonymous]

Understand completely, OP! You can't have an animal with a biting history around a baby. I'd try really hard to give the cat away to a friend or family member that you know and trust. If that doesn't work, maybe expand the search for a new home to other trusted networks, such as church, work, and neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put the cat in a bag and leave it in the middle of the road.

I hate cats.

I don't understand the vitriol some people have towards cats. Would you say the same thing if OP was trying to rehome a dog? If you don't like cats, don't get one. OP made a commitment to take care of the cat.

OP, try your vet. I adopted one of my cats from our vet. The cat had belonged to someone who was no longer able to care for him. Please do not put your cat up on Craig's list.

Is there some way you can keep the cat away from the baby? Try the suggestions of PP about talking to your vet or a shelter about the behavior. You did make a commitment to care for this cat, and he/she is probably attached to you and would miss you if you gave him away.

[Anonymous]

Make your cat an outdoor cat. We did that. Thought it was better then sending the cat to the shelter. She still gets food and water and petting but she's not near the baby. Cat loves to roam around outside and sleep in the sun. I think she's happier actually.

[cuzimawesome]

Wasn't there a thread a while back where an exhausted pregnant woman was thinking about re-homing a dog? And didn't everybody go nuts on her, saying she was selfish and an awful person? Not one person made a joke about killing the dog. I'm not a dog person, but I would never make a joke about killing a dog. So why would it be okay to joke about killing a cat? Seriously people. Get yr shit together.

[Anonymous]

We love cats and have two. Neither liked the baby when she was first born. Mostly they ignored her and sulked but we didn't push the issue by forcing interaction. In time (about a year), they all learned to accept eachother. We were careful to supervise interactions and still do, believing that animals can be inconsistent and moody, just like people. It's really not that hard to do. Now they are the best of friends and enrich my daughter's life in countless ways. She learns patience, compassion and nurturing from them, which I'd rather instill in her than some of the intolerant attitudes reflected on this board. I also believe that giving up on a member of your family (and yes, to a child, a pet is a member of the family) for a non-life threatening transgression sends a very harmful message to a child.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Feliway spray? It happy cat pheromone stuff and is supposed to help your cat find its happy place (relaxed, less stressed, comfortable). My cat was never aggressive with our babies but took out her irritation by pissing in our pillows. She was THISCLOSE to being sent to Cat Heaven by my husband, but that spray really helped turn around her behavior. Now, with baby #3, she just placidly sits there and lets the 7 month old "pet" her, which often includes some minor hair pulling; with baby #1 it would have been scaredy cat hiss, run away, pee on pillow. Time and continued kid exposure have mellowed her.

If you do choose to give your cat away: consider contacting senior centers or similar. Lonely older people make great cat companions. My high school cat went to live with a nice old lady when my highly allergic mom finally evicted him (kitten was given to me as a gift...I don't think my mom ever forgave that gift-giver).

Good luck with whatever route you go.

[Anonymous]

OP, baby comes first. Take the cat immediately to a shelter.