Even those women who love cats are more worried about their baby. But the animal can live in an apartment where there is a small child, and behave beautifully, without showing jealousy and even protecting the baby from others.
Many women, having learned about their situation, try to put the pet in safe hands. It is not necessary. Studies have been conducted on the effect of pets on babies, the results of which have shown that pets help children develop communication skills, teach them to empathize and care for loved ones. But for babies, they are dangerous. In order for the child and the cat to be in order, you need to properly organize their communication, taking into account all the nuances.
No aggression
Cats from 1 to 5 years old are more loyal to children. They are no longer so active and susceptible, and at the same time, they are not yet irritable from old age. Be sure to take into account the character of the pet before bringing the child into the house.
It is necessary to observe the cat, how it reacts when hearing loud sounds. You need to pat her ears and tail, look directly into her eyes and move her paws in turn. The animal must behave calmly. If this angered him or pissed him off, it is still better to give the cat to friends in order to protect the baby.
Usually cats perceive children as their own and do not get angry at the child's pranks. Well, if the animal is smooth-haired, there is an opinion that fluffy breeds can cause allergies in the baby, or, conversely, strengthen the immune system, since the child's body begins to produce antibodies to the coat.
How to avoid infections during pregnancy?
There is a high probability of contracting something from a person, and not from an animal. After all, communication takes place with a huge number of people, and there is usually only one cat at home. Some expectant mothers, having heard about toxoplasmosis, rush to get rid of the pet by any means, without delving into the essence of the problem.
According to statistics, approximately 1% of pregnant women become infected with this infection and only in every fifth disease passes to the fetus. In order not to get into these statistics, it is enough to simply go through the research and determine whether their body is able to withstand the disease.
Cats transmit the infection only through feces. Women just need to be careful and protect themselves from working in the garden, and clean the animal's toilet only with gloves and every day. Better to assign this responsibility to someone else.
It is necessary to pay attention to the diet of the animal so that it does not eat cheese, meat, rodents. The cat must be vaccinated. It will not hurt to give medicine for worms and treat it for fleas.
Upon returning from the maternity hospital
The appearance of a baby in the house is stressful for any animal. This is due to the fact that life is changing, smells and sounds unfamiliar to the cat appear. There are elementary ways to reduce this stress to a minimum:
• Periodically apply baby cream or lotion to the skin so that the animal has a chance to get used to the smell.
• Prevent your cat from sleeping on your lap, but instead train it to rest quietly at your feet.
• Do not allow the animal to enter the nursery before arriving from the hospital.
• If the child will sleep with the parents, the bed must be purchased in advance so that the cat gets used to the new furniture.
• When the baby starts to crawl, it is better to move the cat bowls away and feed the pet on time.
At first, the animal may behave inappropriately. To prevent this from happening, you need to give the cat the opportunity to sniff the baby, but not lick it. It is necessary to pet the pet upon returning from the hospital. You should not constantly drive the animal away from you, because this will increase his jealousy. Better to let the cat watch your actions, and when the baby grows up, she will get along fine with him.
