One of the biggest concerns that many new parents have when it comes to pets in the home is how the animal will react to a new baby. Many of the old tales such as cats sucking the breath out of babies simply are not true. In fact, many cats and dogs readily accept a new child into the home and become fiercely loyal and protective over that baby or child.
When you bring your baby home from the hospital, you should introduce your pet to your new baby. Of course, these introductions require supervision. Allow your cat or dog time to sniff your child at his or her own pace. Make the introduction enjoyable for your cat or dog. In most cases, your cat or dog will not give your baby a second thought. Allow your pet time to adjust to the new situation on his or her own terms. When a baby comes to the house, it is an adjustment for everybody including your pets.
The other thing that you might want to consider doing when you bring a baby into the home is to make sure that your cat or dog is well groomed. This includes trimming your dog or cat nails. Your dog may want to put a paw on your baby. If his or hers nails are long and sharp, your dog may accidentally scratch your infant. While you can never eliminate pet hair from your home, if your dog or cat is clipped and brushed it will certainly help your home stay cleaner. Many new parents also worry about allergies. The fact is, many studies have shown that children who are exposed to pets from a very young age, actually have less pet allergies than children who are not exposed to pets. This fact is not often talked about but it is a big positive to having animals introduced to children at a young age
Another great idea is to make sure that your pets do not have access to your baby’s room during naptime or at night without supervision. While your pet probably means no harm to your child, pets are naturally curious. A cat may jump into your babies crib, or larger dogs could easily a knock bassinet or cradle over. You should always supervise your pet when it is around your new baby at all times. This is very important. Most of all, you should try to make sure that you are still spending quality time with your pet when possible. Don’t forget they need attention too. This especially true for dogs, which are used to playing in the backyard and going for walks.
As your child begins grow older, you need to begin teaching your child proper pet etiquette. If your dog or cat has learned to respect your child, then your child also needs to learn to respect your pet. Teach your child from a young age that they should never pull or yank a cat or dog’s tail or ears. Kids are curious and playful but must be taught the right way to behave around animals. Your child can easily learn proper pet etiquette even at a very young age. You will also want to teach your child to respect your pet’s space. This includes making sure that your child understands that he or she should never wake a sleeping pet. This could cause your pet to become startled and could result in biting or scratching.
In addition, you will want to make sure that your child understands to stay out of your pet’s food, water and litter box. Your child will be naturally curious, so it is always best to give your pet some private space away from your child.
There are many things you can do to make sure that children and pets get along peacefully. Your children and pets need to learn to respect each other from the very start. There is no reason to get rid of your cat or dog just because you have a child in the home.
I have had cats and dogs around my children from a young age and the experiences have been wonderful. I found that the kids and animals developed their own special bonds. None of my kids are allergic to cats or dogs. They love animals and I’m glad I had kids and animals getting along in my house. They were taught how to treat animals and the training paid off.
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