URGENT: cats and newborn babies??

[aquilotta]

Some friends have a newborn baby and are concerned about looking after my (generally very gentle, timid) cat in case he decides to curl up and go to sleep on the baby's face in the moses basket.
Any parents out there with cats who've dealt with such a problem who can advise? Do things such as "cat nets" exist to shield the baby? Or what did you do!
All answers urgently and gratefully received!
Thanks folks.

[noxlumos]

Well you can buy cat nets but we've always had cats and just used our common sense and not left them alone with a baby. If your friends are uptight about it, best try and get someone else though tbh probably.

[danapie]

the hole cat sleeping on babys face because of the scent of milk is a very old and false wives tale. I have a 11/2 year old and 2 cats. Never did I have a problem. One cat would even sleep in the babys crib when the baby was not in it. Think about it this way. A cat, especially a timid cat, is not going to want to even be by a new crying baby. Your friends have nothing to worry about. Its just an old wives tail. If they are still worried, why not just shut the door to the room where the baby is so the cat cant get in there.

[cliffsweb]

no no no do not have cats anywhere near a young baby under a year old, even if it seems shy and timid, its just not worth the risk. i would ask someone else to look after your cat.

[xanderma]

Cat nets are a bit of a waste of money - we had one and our cat just sat on it!

However, we have 3 kids and many cats, and it's never been a problem. In fact, one of our cats hated people, but whenever we left our baby in the moses basket during the day, the cat would sit by the basket and come to us Lassie-style to tell us if the baby was crying (not that we couldn't hear that for ourselves, no volume control these newborns!!)

I wouldn't worry, as Nox says just use common sense. I certainly wouldn't bother farming the cat out elsewhere for a year.

[boobesque]

cats do pose a risk, its not an old wives tale at all, cats dont go for the milk its the warmth of the babies head that attracts them, the cat nets are useless, so just be extra vigilant, plus if you let the baby sleep in the basket when baby isnt in it, surely the cat hair left isnt good, i wouldnt put my baby in a crib with cat hair in it even after changing the sheet

[kick3m0n]

I had two midwives who visited post baby and they had a combined 46 years in midwifery. not one of them had ever heard of any example of cats doing anything untoward to babies and they very much dismissed teh idea as a nonsense. Our 2 cats were totally disinterested, and baby was too unpredictable and noisy for them to want to go too close.

[aquilotta]

Thanks so much guys!!! Have forwarded some of your replies to my friends :-)

[DavidUK]

It is NOT rubbish nor an old wives tale, although it might be rare. It happened to some friends of mine. Fortunately it was found in time so the baby was OK. They got rid of the cat by having it put down I am very sad to say.

[mariner2]

We have four cats and had a baby in November - we just recognised the danger and never left the door to the nursery open.

[fizzydrinks2]

Hiya - A friend of mine had a cat, and when she was pregnant they found the cat asleep on the pillow of the moses basket. This freeked them out enough to find the cat another home.