Cat Owner's Manual › Chapter 2: Bringing Your Cat Home › Cats Interacting With Babies ›

Checklist for Cats Interacting With Babies

• Before the baby's arrival, apply baby lotion and/or powder on your skin to accustom the cat to the smell. Once the nursery is set up, allow the feline to explore it. (See Fig. A.)
• If the cat is unfamiliar with babies, invite a friend who has young ones to visit so the feline can experience them. Closely supervise all encounters.
• Before the baby arrives, take the cat to its veterinarian. Make sure the cat is free of disease and parasites and that all vaccinations are current.
• When the baby comes home, introduce it to the cat in the safest and most nonthreatening way possible. Hold the infant and let the feline, on its own terms, approach and investigate. Allow the cat to observe as much of the baby's everyday care as it wishes ((Fig. B).
• If possible, provide your cat with the same amount of attention (or perhaps a bit more) than it received prior to the baby's arrival.
• Do not leave an infant and a cat alone together unsupervised.

EXPERT TIP: Contrary to the old wives' tale, cats cannot "steal the breath" of infants. However, you should not allow a feline to sleep in a baby's bassinet—as they will often attempt, given cats' preferences for soft, warm, elevated resting spots.

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« Intro: Cats Interacting With Babies | Table of Contents | Intro: Cats Interacting With Children »

Chapter 2: Bringing Your Cat Home

Intro: Bringing Your Cat Home Preparing the Home for a Cat Intro: Preparing the Home for a Cat Curiosity and the Cat Recommended Cat Accessories Recommended Cat Accessories, Part I Recommended Cat Accessories, Part II How to Hold a Cat Cat Collars and Tags Initial Introduction to Cats or Kittens Intro: Initial Introduction to Cats or Kittens Initial Introduction for Kittens Initial Introduction for Adult Cats Cats Interacting With Babies Intro: Cats Interacting With Babies Checklist for Cats Interacting With Babies Cats Interacting With Children Intro: Cats Interacting With Children Kittens and Children Adult Cats and Children Cats Interacting With Other Cats Intro: Cats Interacting With Other Cats Rules of Engagement With Cats Feline Bonding Cats Interacting With Dogs Intro: Cats Interacting With Dogs Rules of Engagement With Dogs Cats Interacting With Other Pets Selecting a Name for Your Cat

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The Cat Owner's Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!