How to Introduce a Baby to a Cat or Dog

By: Stanley P.

How to introduce a baby to a cat or dog: At one point in many couples’ lives, a stork delivers them a baby. It can be a very exciting time to raise a newborn child, but it is also an extremely huge life-changing event. Taking care of a baby comes with many responsibilities and will change your daily life for the upcoming 18 years (until your child becomes an adult.) Your pet will also need time to get used to this change. Suddenly, without notice, there is another human in the house.  This can cause distress for your pet. Due to this, here are the changes you need to make to prepare your pet for a baby.

Before the Baby Arrives

Having a newborn child will change your daily life and the daily lives of your pet(s). You have to spend more time on your child now, and less time on your pets. Before introducing your pets to your baby, get them used to this lifestyle first. 

• Adjust your pet’s routine
  • Make their routine as consistent as possible
  • Gradually spend less time with your pet to get them used to it
  • Refrain from having your pet sleep in your bed and your bedroom
  • Accustom your pet to your schedule (feeding, walking, etc. times that fit you)
  • For cats, move the litter box to the most unrestricted part of your home, pregnant woman shouldn’t move it however to eliminate the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis

• Obedience training
  • Train your pet to be as obedient as possible
  • Basic commands, train with positive reinforcement
  • Ignore undesired behaviours
  • If your pet already knows basic commands, work on reviewing them
• Baby room
  • Install a screen door/door gate to the entrance of your baby room, have it so that your pet can see in but can’t go in
• Examine your pet’s behaviour
  • Does your pet have any aggressive behaviours?
  • Can your pet potentially endanger your baby?
• Visit the veterinarian
  • If your pet does have any potentially harmful behaviours, make sure to talk it out with your veterinarian
  • Make sure your pet is vaccinated and on parasite control so your baby cannot contract any illnesses
  • Consult with your vet about any questions you have about raising a baby with a dog or cat

The Baby has Arrived!

• Prepare baby-associated items
  • Let your pet smell lotion
  • Let them get used to a baby blanket
  • Play baby noises
• Greet and calm your pet
  • Have your pet as relaxed as possible
  • Keep your baby in another room before introducing them
• Introduce your baby
  • One person should watch, while the other holds the baby
  • Dogs need a leash for this step, and potentially a muzzle
  • Act happy and friendly toward your pet to reduce tension
• Observe your pet’s reaction
  • If any unwanted/unusual behaviour occurs, take your pet away let them do another task, give positive reinforcement as well to associate the baby with good things

After The Baby has Arrived

Good job! At this point, you have successfully introduced your baby to your pet. However, there are still a few steps and precautions you should take. 

• Never allow your pet and baby to be in the same room unsupervised
  • No matter how tame your pet may be, you should always expect the unexpected
• Positive Reinforcement
  • Whenever your pet behaves and/or has a positive interaction with your baby, make sure to reward them for good behaviour. This associates reward with good interactions with the baby for your pet.
• Spending time with your pet
  • You should interact with your pet when the baby is present as much as possible. Pets will understand that when the baby is present, good things will happen.
• Don’t force interaction
  • If your pet doesn’t want to interact with your baby, then don’t force it. 

Conclusion

Bringing a baby home is a very important moment in anyone’s life. Dogs and cats can build life-long friendships with babies. Introducing a baby to your pet must be done carefully, and with the right steps. Without any preparation, a baby can really stress out your pet. Your pet can then turn their stress into aggression and jealousy towards your baby. By taking all the right steps and with a patient and calm approach,  your pet can become your baby’s new best friend.

 

https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/training/introducing-a-dog-or-cat-to-baby

https://www.treehugger.com/how-introduce-cats-and-dogs-new-baby-4861792

https://pets.webmd.com/features/pets-and-new-baby#

https://healthland.time.com/2012/07/09/study-why-dogs-and-cats-make-babies-healthier/

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cats-and-babies

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