Here's the deal: I want a kitten. There are a few concerns with this idea,and they are coming mainly from Hubby...he is concerned that the baby will start to crawl and will 1) Play in the litter box 2)Bother or try to eat the kitten's tail and the kitten will scratch her 3) the kitten will try to sleep with the baby and leave hair in the crib.
I grew up with cats, and I would love to have one in the house. I miss the purring and lounging, plus I think she would benefit from having a pet around. I also do have the concern of it scratching her though. I tried to do some research and as far as I can tell the internet is pretty divided on this one. One half is convinced a kitten will turn your baby into a Harvard grad, the other half is convinced that it will smother your baby in it's sleep while clawing it to death.
So, I am asking you...real mommas with real kittens who I trust. I trust you...not the kittens, obviously. Does it work out well? Do you have to watch them both like a hawk? Have your kittens ever scratched your babies? Did you corral the litter box? I want a kitten...not a cat. I have nothing against a cat, but I think a kitten would be better because it would grow with her and tolerate her a little more. So...if you have any help or opinions on this matter PLEASE, PLEASE let me hear it!!
As a strict NO PETS IN THE HOUSE!!! mama since my oldest son's pet hermit crab village was struck with the plague and all eleventybillion died, I am probably not the one you want to chime in on this little marital debate. I do love me some kitty snuggle time though. However, my mother scared me to death and I mean to DEATH with the "babies breath smells like milk and cats are drawn to milk, so that cat will lay on that baby's face and smother it in its sleep", threat. So my two precious kitties were banned to the outside when my son came along. :( Kittens are pretty playful too so maybe an older (read as calmer) cat would be the ticket for this particular stage?? Or maybe a sweet mannered goldfish to start out? ;) Good luck with the debate. I'm pulling for you because we must stand united against the hairier sex!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support!! I giggled at the "hairier sex" part like a kindergartener lol We're still debating, and it seems like nobody can give us a definite answer from experience lol oh well....
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ReplyDeleteWell, I have three kids and seven cats, and I feel as though I can speak from experience. I LOVE CATS. And babies. And baby cats are like the BEST THING IN THE HISTORY OF EVER. But babies and kittens do not really mix well. Toddlers that you can start teaching boundaries to are a little different, but you still have to watch everyone like a HAWK. Yes, kittens (and full grown cats) will scratch babies, and even toddlers, and even older children if the cat feels scared or trapped or threatened. It's how they get away from the scary/pain/trap. They strike like ninjas and flee like greased lightening.
ReplyDeleteBabies are also not known for their patient, gentle, loving, sharing, courteous behavior either. They want what they want and they want it NOW. Food, toys, Mommy, playing in the toilet, running in the parking lot, whatever-it-is, they keep you on your toes just trying to keep the wee monsters ALIVE. And fluffy kittens who are toy-sized and soft and adorable are the perfect target for babyish impulses. Which leads to scratching and crying, and sometimes, sadly, broken kittens. :*(
Yes, munchkin child will get into the litter box. There are fixes for that, like a litter box in a closet with the door wedged partially open so kitty can come and go but baby does not. Or one of those furniture boxes you put the ACTUAL litter box in for kitty to access through a door, designed to also keep doggies from kitty roca snacking.
It will eventually happen that you WILL discover your beautimous child one day happily munching on something DISGUSTING and possibly dangerous or infectious one day. Mine had a semi-petrified half a slug in her wee fist one day, we never did find the other half. Yes, EW!!!
So personally, I would wait. At least until you feel confident you can teach your baby girl to "be gentle" with a furbaby. Because furbabies are fragile, and have sharp bits, and kitten toys are almost NEVER safe for kids under three and present a serious choking hazard. I've never had a cat be anything other than protective or disdainfully ignoring of actual children running around, and I had a momma kitty when my girl was a toddler who was a wonderful alarm for whenever my baby cried, she was more worked up about making it STOP CRYING, and FIX IT!!! than I was, but I still shut her bedroom door when she went down for a nap. Not because of the milk thing, but because kitties like to snuggle with anything warm, and babies are warm. And I pulled all the stuffed toys out of her crib when I put her in it, so why would I leave a potentially lethal snuggler in the room?
There's my 2 cents. For what it's worth. :D
I cracked up laughing and almost gagged shuddering while reading this lol. Seriously thank you though for the info. There's just SO many pros and cons to both sides.
DeleteI'm so glad you were able to save this, my goofy computer "borked" when I went to hit "Publish" and I had nothing saved, and after the nutty long week I've had I didn't have the energy to be funny and supportive all over again... the LAST bit I was going to add is that Good Mommies are pretty well equipped to figure out what going to work for their munchkins, and you're a Good Mommy, so I'm sure whatever you decide will be something you can make work! :D Hugs!
DeleteOMG I hate when mine does that, I have a mini heart attack every time I think I lost something. Thank you for the compliment it means more than you could know.
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