# cats and crawling children



## sl2005purple (Apr 28, 2013)

Hi  
We've been matched with a 1yr old who's crawling & I am interested in other cats owners experiences/advice re:safety,I wondered what you do with your little one when you nip to the kitchen/toilet/upstairs,do you ever leave them in the same room as your cat ?So far Iv'e heard people say they've left little ones in playpens/travel cots etc but I don't feel comfortable doing that especially as cats can jump in.My mum says I'm too safety conscious but some mums in the 70's could be very different to today (eg:no fireguards,safety catches etc) Any experiences/advice would be appreciated.thanks.


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

I'd make sure you close the cat in another room just to start to make sure that baby won't yank its tail etc. once they get used to each other you'll feel a lot more comfortable x


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## Lorella (Jan 10, 2013)

We keep our cat out of LO bedroom. We are wary of leaving them in a room together as he has gone for her a couple of times when I have had to be out the room. She's two Now though and understands when I tell her to keep out of his way....or sit the other end of the sofa.....or not to stroke him cos he's tired! When she was younger though I wouldn't of risked it xx


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

When our son was that age the cats stayed _well_ clear all on their own! I imagine yours will too. They get into bed with the kids now, but the first hint of a child getting screamy or grabby and they just up and off.

If not you could always separate but it's never been an issue for us.


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

Same as Wyxie, here.  For a long time, our cats were only visible after bedtime....


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## Ozzycat (Mar 18, 2013)

Our cat is normally super moody and unaffectionate, we pretty much thought he'd move out when our 8month old munchkin came home, but he's surprised us all... Our little lady is obsessed with him and chases him around the house, our cat actually plays along and only jumps out of reach when he's had enough.  Occasionally he even let's her get close enough so he can sniff her fingers.. it's so cute x
He's also a lot more affectionate with us and loves that I'm home more.
With the baby gates ur cats will always have somewhere to escape too if it gets too much.
We also always close the door when munchkin is asleep so he can't get into her room.
On our training they suggested we take one of our daughters baby grows she'd slept in and let the cat sleep with it for a few days so he got used to her smell b4 she came home.
Good luck with intros and the start of a new wonderful journey x


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

We have a 14month old who has been with us since december. I dont lock the cats away. If i nip in the kitchen the LO is in same room as cats. The cats are faster than K so when he gets too close they just shoot off. Nothing has ever happend and when he naps they like to curl up next to his feet on sofa .


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## sl2005purple (Apr 28, 2013)

Thanks for your replies everyone,I appreciate you taking the time to reply x Our cat wouldn't be allowed in LO's bedroom,I'm mainly thinking of if LO is playing in the living room where the cat is and I have to nip to the loo or do dinner,I wondered if people had a preferred method of keeping LO and cat safe while you have to do something.whether it's keeping LO with you,or in a good playpen,walker,highchair etc or some other miraculous method I haven't heard of  
Thanks again everyone x
Ps:Hi Wyxie hope you & your little ones are keeping well xx


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## MandyPandy (May 10, 2010)

Although I am not a mother to an adopted child, I can offer some advice. 

Mainly, I think it depends on the cat.

We have two cats and one of them, while wary of DD to start with, quickly became a loyal companion.  She can pull his tail and his fur, pick him up badly, lie on him and sometimes even sit on him (and yes, of course if I see any of this behaviour, I quickly intervene).  Having seen how they interact, I would completely trust him not to turn on her.  However, I would never leave her alone with our other cat.  He is absolutely loving, gentle and loyal but his patience threshold is much lower.  He is also a much stronger, active cat so I suspect he would cause a lot more damage if he was so inclined.  I do allow them to interact as I want DD to learn the proper way to approach and treat animals, but I am careful to watch the cat and look for any telltale signs of annoyance.

With regard to allowing them in her room, they go in and out all the time.  I read an article on interaction before DD came home and it said to allow it as by closing them out, they only become more curious and more determined to get in there but if they can get in and have a good sniff around, they become disinterested.  I've found that to be true.  They have, on a few occasions, jumped into DD's cot but never, ever while she is in there.  They really don't want to be stuck next to a pully, grabby toddler.

In terms of leaving the cat and DD in any other room alone together, yep, not a problem at all but make sure that the cat always has somewhere to escape to/get away from grabbing hands.  In my experience, the cats will run away and hide if they see DD coming at them, rather than strike out at her.  It is not in their nature to be vicious, so they really don't like doing it and will only strike out if cornered.  They can easily get away from her by jumping up and over the baby gates and know that she can't get to them then.  DD has been scratched once but it was very, very light.  She has also been bitten by the other cat (but it was just the material of her sleeve).  They were both just warning shots and caused no damage and were both because of tail pulling.  

I would honestly say to trust your instinct.  No-one will know your child and your cat/s as well as you.  There is no reason that they can't be the best of friends as long as interaction is handled properly.   Definitely make sure that your cat still gets love and affection (it sounds obvious but becomes a lot harder when someone else wants your undivided attention) to minimise any jealousy (I always have 'cuddle time' with the cats after DD has gone to bed and at other times when she is otherwise occupied) and try to supervise interactions rather than stopping them, as they will find a way to co-exist even if initial meetings don't go so well.

One other thought - it might also be worth investing in some plug in Feliway.  It helps to stop the cats getting anxious.


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

it's fine - i asked the vet about it and she said 'just make sure the cat has good escape routes'. Our house is full of safety gates there's four downstairs the cat can jump over three of them (it took her a little while to learn but she looks like a national winner now) and she can bypass the other one by jumping on a table then wriggling through the stair rails. There's no reason for the cat to be any risk to the toddler most of the danger is the other way around and the cat will learn to get out of the way sharpish. Our cat sits on the stairs and watches the baby from a place of safety. Most of their 'run-ins' have been when we have been with both of them and the cat has got too confident and baby leaps in to grab them... baby is 22 months and i haven't seen any sign of bother when watching them from a distance. The cat hasn't ever jumped into the playpen though has snuck in if i left the door open. She's a rascal for sitting in his buggy seat though! She's never jumped in the cot either which surprised me as i thought it would be a target. Just gate some areas so the cat has somewhere to run to. good luck.


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## sl2005purple (Apr 28, 2013)

Thanks for your replies ladies, it's good to hear other cat owners experiences.Many thanks for taking time to reply,having cats is like having children! Crafty,inquisitive,challenging (our rescue cat was a handful to start with)but well worth the effort & patience  x


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

We're OK thanks.  Managing!

I'm so glad to hear that you're finally getting your little one!  Been a long wait but I'm sure it'll be worth it.


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