Mixing New Babies, Cats and Dogs

Times can become stressful when you bring a new baby into the home with a dog. Dogs that are very close with their owners will become very stressed out. The dog may even show signs of aggression towards the baby and stop eating also. If you see any signs that the dog is anxious around the baby like the dog is hiding or his ears are laid back then you should keep the baby and the dog away from eachother. Dogs like to be in packs and they will see this baby as less dominant than they are which may lead to aggression. You will need to make sure that the dogs know that the baby is more dominant than they are.

Cats never travel in packs. They do not consider themselves dominant or see anything as less dominant than they are. They will simply ignore the baby and not pay attention to it. You wont see any type of aggression with the baby from the cat. Dogs on the other hand might show some type of aggression. If you see any type of aggression with your pets you may want to seek advice from your vet and see what he or she has to say. With time the dogs will become acustom to the baby and you won't have any problems. Cats are least likely to show signs of aggression and they will probably not stop eating like dogs will.

Your best bet is to keep the dogs and cats out of the babies room all together. The fur can cause some irritation with the baby. Cats also tend to jump into things and they like to sleep in cribs and tight places. The cat wouldn't realize that they are sleeping to close to the baby. This could cause a few problems so it would be best to keep the door closed at night or keep the baby in your room with the door closed. It's hard to do because you want the dog and cat to see the baby and interact but after time this can happen.

You will still want to spend a lot of time with the cat or dog. You don't want them to feel as if they have been abandoned. Make sure to take the dog for walks and play with the cat like you usually do. You can even push the baby in a stroller while walking the dog if you would like to. Many times when a baby is brought home parents feel as if there isn't enough time to care for the baby, the cat and the dog. This is not necessarily true. While the baby is taking naps you can still make the time to play with the dog or cat for a little while.