Vacation and Cats

Hi A.,

Typically, if cats are friendly and like children, they will come up to them and hang around them and want to play. If they are not used to children or don't like guests, the will usually hide or avoid the new people. If the cats want to be left alone or are hissing, make sure your son leaves them alone. It seems to me that most children are fascinated by animals and want to touch them and chase them. Keep a close eye on your son and don't allow him to chase after or corner the cats. If a cat feels cornered, they may strike or bite to get away.

Ask your mother-in-law to trim the cats' nails before you arrive and if they go outside at all, they should be dewormed. Also watch that your son doesn't play in the litter boxes (a favorite game of my daughter). Make sure the cats are not in the room where your son will sleep and close the door before he goes to bed. I doubt the cats would do anything to him, but it will ease your worries.

It will probably be a good experience for your son. I recently opened a cat veterinary clinic and my 3 year old daughter loves helping feed and take care of the cats. She knows instinctively which cats to avoid it seems. Cats usually are good at making their feelings known.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation,

J. Karnia, DVM
Scottsdale Cat Clinic

Hi A.: I can tell you this that might make you feel a little better about it. My husband and I are both alergic to cats and we learned that early exposure to cats by our children will help them avoid allergies in later life. Also, I would ask my Mother-in-law about the cats personalities and if you should keep your son away from any of them...good luck!

Cats are fine! I've had cats since day one with my daughter and they've never bothered her. When she was a few months old, my one cat used to curl up next to her and sleep. and the previous person is right, if they are friendly, they'll come around, if they're not they'll hide. people have such misconcepcions about cats. most likely with you not being "part of the pack" they'll keep their distance unless they're super friendly. it's the same as the dogs, you teach the child respect and to be gentle and not corner the animal. :o)

p.s. you can't even imagine how many people told me i couldn't have my cats around my baby. she's fine and they love her!

I am a new mom with triplets, and I have had a zoo for about 5 years. I have 2 big dogs and 3 cats. I was not worried about the dogs at all, but the cats were a concern for me. My cats have all stayed away. Even when they did come close, they sniffed and went away. In fact the best way to keep the cats out of the nursery is to let the babies cry. Shrieks and screams do not make a kitty stay close. As long as someone is close and can watch them for the first day or so, I would think that cats would be fine for you. Try contacting a local vet to see what they say.

Hello!
We have two cats that our two year old has been around since the beginning. We never had a problem. One of the cats will disappear when our daughter approaches because he is wary of the sudden movements and noise. The other cat just loves her and lets her do anything to him like picking him up or pulling on his tail and ears (which we of course discourage). As a previous post said, find out about the personalities of the cats so you can gauge what to expect and then enjoy watching your son experience something new.
If you keep the door to the baby's room closed, all should be just fine so you can relax and not transfer your nervousness about the cats to him.

Hope you have a fun and enjoyable visit!
D.

A., i am not sure what horror stories you have heard about cats but i have three wonderfull cats and two boys. My youngest is 6months and he has done wonderful with my son. Cats are so different than dogs. They don't mess with anybody they don't want too. So i wouldn't worry. The cats will probabyl run away from your baby. They don't usually like new people specially in their house. You should be fine good luck.