Cats and children

[dinahsmum]

It's sad to see the rescue postings by Kelly Jo, with all those lovely Ragdolls needing new homes (but it's a good thing that rescue societies are there to pick up the pieces)
It seems that the arrival of children into the households has led to the cats difficulties and need to be rehomed.
I wondered why this is
Are Ragdolls, and possibly other purebreds, less capable of adapting to change than moggies?
Have they been over-fussed (substitute children) before the babies arrived and can't cope with being relegated?
Are the children not taught (made?) to respect the cats and give them space?
Something else?

It's a great pity, whatever the reasons

[random]

I'm not sure but I always had both cats AND dogs (it's the exact same with dogs isn't it, new baby - dog goes) before and after my son was born, he's never lived without at least one of each and to be honest I have never had a problem.

[yola]

I think a lot has to do about the current hysteria about cleanliness and hygene. It IS possible to maintain a clean home, have pets and children and not end up with endless tummy bugs.

Therre is also mis-education about toxoplasmosis; if you've emptied litter tray regularly or even stroked you cats it's likely you've already built up an imunity to it. Yes, it worth being careful during pregnancy but don't (for want of a better analogy) throw the baby out with the bathwater!!!

Also, my boys were taught from an early age to keep out of the litter, not eat the catfood :shock: and respect the cats. If one of the cats scratched a child - and because I know the cats it'll be 99.9% child-induced - then it's the child that is told that they shouldn't torment the cat! That message sinks in very quickly ;)

Yes, the cats can get stressed. All mine have adapted - albeit Balie's behaviour has become a little more extreme, but he is coping OK. I would never in a million years consider rehoming the cats.

[CathyW]

i say keep the animals and re-home the kids lol




joke honest LOL

[yola]

LOL BM . . . there's many a day where I say that to myself too . . . . ;)

[alexgirl73]

Good point DM, and one I noticed as well. When I was pregnant, we had a cat and a dog, no problems. I had to rehome the dog after Raechel was born because we had just moved house as well, and poor Bonnie could not handle the upset. She started to growl at raechel, hackles raised, and we just couldn't take the risk. However, I have no understanding of why anyone would rehome a cat with a baby/young child in the house. And imo, the younger a child is, the easier a cat can accept them and they grow up respecting animals.

[angieh]

Probably it's a combination of difficulties - I seem to remember another rehoming (from RCR's rescue centre I think) where a cat was being rehomed because of a baby coming. I presume that mothers to be are being given advice about cleanliness that may be a bit OTT or being advised by people who aren't keen on animals and children sharing the same home. Who can say for certain?

[calismum]

It just makes me sad that the once (I assume) loved and wanted pet takes the back seat and then is 'disposed' of because of a baby.

I grew up with animals all my life. Slept with the dogs and cats. At my uncles farm I was right in with any animal I was allowed near. (mother tells me there were days she used vim to get the dirt off my knees for school next day!

I think there is something in the thought that new/expectant mothers are given such a list of forbidden things and hygiene is so ott that something akin to panic sets in.

[Jasmine]

I find it so hard to believe that people get rid of their pets when they have children.

My first cat, a Siamese, was 4 when I had my first child and I would never thought of giving him up -never had any problems at all, my daughter loved him as she started growing and by 18months got great pleasure when I put him on her lap to sit.

Some people do not want to make the effort, everyhting is too much trouble for them.

I now have a 12 year old rescue cat I took from the CP in July - his previous owners had had him for 12 years and as they were moving out of the area decided they no longer wanted him. I found that quite unbelievable as he is a lovely affectionate cat and we are so pleased to have him and make his last years pleasant.

[Luke]

Im quite unsure, i was born into a house which had an ageing persian and a couple of moggies, and both grandparents and g-grandparents who lived close had a few mogs n the old style siamese. All of our cats just took life in their stride...that said i have noticed a few pedigree's seeming quite highly strung nowdays..

[dandysmom]

I think the above answers have summed it up pretty well. I grew up with cats and was taught to respect them from an early age. I bet there were times my Mom would have preferred rehoming me! (Another joke, BM!)

[Tina]

I can't imagine giving up a beloved pet just because there are children in the house. However, I know that this does happen frequently and have seen it happen myself among friends and neighbours, etc. There are at least 3 "scare tactic" reasons for this happening that I know of.

I was myself advised by MANY people to give up my cat when I was expecting my son......the reasons I was given and my solutions to the "problems" were;

1. Pregnant women having contact with cat litter cause serious health and deformity risks to their baby. SOLUTION: Let OH clean the box.

2. Hygiene/Sanitary reasons. SOLUTION: Keep litter boxes etc clean and sweep/hoover up fur frequently.

3. This was the biggest scare tactic used for new parents in Canada and the US around the time that my son was born and I know that, in Canada at least, it is still used. MANY new parents were told of the severe dangers of having a cat in the home when they had infants, the reason was that cats are natural "heat-seekers" and will find the warmest spot to sleep. Some years ago, there was a scare when several infants were suffocated by family cats that had "found the warmest spot" and curled up to sleep on their heads/faces. Very sad of course, but the SOLUTION is obvious; keep doors where sleeping babies are CLOSED.

I kept my cat when I had my son and had no problems at all, it's really about common sense. Unfortunately many people either lack that common sense or are easily "scared" into believing something awful will happen. Also, claims that having a cat in a house with a new baby can cause the child to have allergies or asthma are a myth......cigarettes can cause that....NOT cats!

[yola]

My points exactly Tina!!! Each one of these hysterical 'warnings' can be so easily countered I'm surprised people keep trotting out the same old rubbish. Probably somewhere there was a tragic incident of a baby being smothered by a cat, and cases of deformity due to toxoplasmosis but they must be really rarer than hen's teeth :shock:

1. If you've been emptying litter historically you will 99/100 times already be immune to the bugs within cat faeces. But yes, failing this rubber gloves and/or partner empyting litter is an easy solution!

2. What's wrong with a little fluff? And if you already apply good hygeine practice to cleaning litter trays then nothing really needs to change!

3. I spent a bloody fortune on cat nets for the pram and for the cot. Cats Protection got them all as they never came out of the wrappers; the cats were SO wary of the noisy thing that had just invaded their space that apart from a quick sniff they kept a respectful distance!!

[PoshPuss]

As a midwife I must give information to pregnant women about the risks of CMV & Toxoplasmosis, but NEVER in a million years would I advocate that the client does away with her pet. I have never heard another midwife I work with say that either. However, some new mums have said to us that they thought they'd better rehome/ even destroy
!! their pets because of the risks. The risk is so small, I have to reason with them there is no need to do anything so drastic. Some times however, I think a few women get rid of animals which have outlived their purpose in their lives when they become pregnant ( :shock: !!) .. I often wonder what sort of parent(s) they will then become.

[angieh]

I am reassured by your comments PP - glad to know that you and the midwives you know give good info with no scares about keeping your pets.

I do dread to think about what sort of parents those who do "get rid" of their pets become - I had hoped we had turned the tide of disposability.