Cats Sleeping In The Same Room With Your Baby – All You Need To Know

Cats sleeping in same room with your baby All you need to know

 

Cats are unpredictable, and cats sleeping in the same room with your baby without supervision can be risky and may cause health problems.

 

Below are a few challenges when you allow your cat to sleep in the same room as your baby.

 

1. Bites And Scratches

A cat may either scratch or bite your infant if she feels threatened or agitated at some point.

It is even more dangerous because the cat may transmit diseases to your child.

 

2. Risk Of Infection

You may acquire most infections from scratches, bites, or contact with the cat’s poop. Diseases like scratch fever can cause the lymph glands to swell.

As you know, infants will touch everything and anything during their learning stages. So they might touch the cat’s poop and then put their hands in their mouths, resulting in vomiting and diarrhea.

These symptoms are caused by parasites like salmonella, giardia, campylobacter, and cryptosporidium.

 

3. Middle Of The Night Inconveniences

Most of the time, cats will look for exits around the room to walk out of the house, especially in the middle of the night.

And if your cat is sleeping in the same room as your baby, it would wake them up.

 

4. Breathing Complications

A cat sleeping in the same room as your baby can cause breathing-related complications.

The cat might, at some point, lie on the baby’s face, affect its normal breathing, and cause suffocation.

 

5. Baby Might Ingest Cat Hair

People shed hair, and so do cats shed fur.

And when your baby might get ahold of them and eat enough cat fur to block their gastrointestinal tract, they might suffocate from a hairball and suffer complications like allergies.

However, research shows that infants who grow up with pets at home reduce the risk of developing allergies.

 

6. Trigger Asthma And Allergies

If your child is in the same room as your cat and is asthmatic or allergic to a cat, your child may face serious health hazards, especially at night when sleeping.

 

7. Cat May Get Jealous With Your Baby

If you’ve treated your cat like a baby, having a baby may get in your relationship.

It’s possible for your cat to feel jealous when it feels like it doesn’t have your attention anymore.

To keep your cat from feeling resentful of your baby, ensure that you remain patient with your cat as it adjusts to the changes at your home.

Also, allow your cat to keep its daily routine and favorite spots as you make more room for your new family member.

 

Still, there are different myths about cats sleeping in the same room as children.

 

Myths About Cats Sleeping in the Same Room With Your Baby

1. Sucking Air Out Of Lungs

This belief states that cats will suck the air out of their lungs when near babies. It is a superstitious tale that convinces many that cats are evil and kill babies as they sleep.

 

2. Harming Babies During Sleep

Cats may suffocate infants, but not on purpose. Most cats are playful and comfort seekers, so they might sit or lie on the baby’s face, suffocating them.

 

3. Cats Are Not Good Sleeping Buddies For Babies

Cats and babies will get along pretty well because they both tend to be playful and adventurous.

However, most cats will sometimes be jealous of babies, and this typically happens when the owner excludes the cat.

 

4. Cats Heal Sick Children As They Sleep

Japanese believed that keeping a cat around would cure a sick baby. But, unfortunately, this is just another myth:

  • Cats can worsen children’s sickness, especially if they are asthmatic or allergic.
  • Cats may infect children, as explained above.

On A Positive Note, Cats May Help Babies Sleep

Fortunately, cats sleeping in the same room as your baby might be a good idea. Here’s why:

  • Sleeping with Cats Is Calming – Most babies like attention, even during sleep. For example, it’s been proven that almost 90% of babies sleep better when touched or lie close to something they can touch.
  • Cats are furry and soft. So, when lying/sleeping next to the baby, the baby is likely to sleep more peacefully.
  • Create a bond – To avoid bites and scratches, let a kitten sleep close or around the baby to develop a stronger relationship as it ages.
  • Cats Help Babies Sleep Faster And Have Longer Sleep – When sleeping close to a cat, the baby will feel its comfort and most likely sleep longer or faster.
  • Many moms will place their babies next to cats to make them sleep longer and faster.

How To Introduce Your Cat To Sleep With Your Baby In The Same Room

For a cat to sleep on the same bed as your baby, it should be already comfortable around the baby when it is awake.

 

How To Make Sure That Your Baby Sleeps Well With The Baby

1. Preparation

Before putting the cat to sleep in the baby’s room, prepare in advance.

How Is This Done?

  • Bring the cat with you whenever you take the baby to sleep
  • Allow the cat to sit close to you and the baby to make it comfortable around the baby
  • Let the baby and the cat play together to increase their bond.

 

2. Allow the cat to familiarize itself with the room on its own

For the cat to sleep comfortably in the same room as the baby, it needs to be accustomed to the area.

Let the cat walk in and survey the room on its own to get comfortable.

 

3. Make sure the cat is used to the baby’s cry

A cat will be agitated by the baby’s cries if it is unused to them.

Tapping the baby lightly and presenting it to the cat as it cries is one solution.

 

4. Familiarize the cat with the baby smell

Cats are subtle to scents and sounds. Therefore, you need to introduce new scents to the cat in advance.

Making sure the cat is close by while changing the baby’s diapers is one way to familiarize the cat with new smells.

Also, wearing the baby’s powder or oil on your hand as you pet your cat helps the cat familiarize itself with different smells. Using the baby’s blanket on the cat is another way of making it accustomed to other scents.

 

5. Allow the cat to choose its sleeping position

During the first few days of sleeping together in the same room, allow the cat to choose its sleeping place to help it become comfortable with the nursery.

 

6. Reward the cat for good behavior

For the cat to know if it’s doing the correct thing or not, you can use treats and rewards and show your enthusiasm to them.

These six steps will make the cat follow your routine and reduce instances of late-night inconveniences that might keep the baby awake.

 

Tips On Cats Sleeping In The Same Room With Your Baby

  1. It is essential to monitor both the cat and the baby as they sleep in the same room.
  2. Cats should be kept clean at all times.
  3. Doctors advise NOT TO put your cat in the same crib as your infant.
  4. To avoid contact, it is advisable to use nets.
  5. Let your cat and baby bond naturally.
  6. Never exclude the cat.

 

With all this information in place, it is now a parent’s decision to allow or forbid a cat to sleep in the same room as the baby.

As a parent and cat owner, would you allow your cat to sleep in the same room as your baby?

 

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