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Just as your new baby will turn your life upside down, it will do the same for your pet! Our pets thrive on their routine and previously may have thrived on being the centre of your attention. Now they may have to cope with their routine being disrupted.

All animals are individual and unpredictable. Generally, half will probably react to the arrival of a baby with a degree of anxiety, whilst the other half will be insatiably curious.

It is very important to supervise all meetings between your baby and your pet. An exuberant pet could cause injury even if they just want to say “hello”. These initial calm, controlled meetings will help set the tone for the rest of your pet’s relationship with your baby. Be aware that a cat may decide the comfiest place to sleep is ON this warm, soft, tiny human that smells of milk. You can purchase cat nets to prevent this.

Allow your pet to become comfortable with your baby and vice versa. If your pet finds they only get attention when the baby is asleep, then they may come to perceive the baby’s presence as ‘bad news’. The sooner they learn that they and your baby can happily co-exist the better. Make sure that your pet has been allowed to explore your baby’s nursery before their arrival and that they become used to some of the new smells (such as baby powder). Once your baby is born, try placing a blanket that smells of them in your pet’s bed. You can also anticipate some changes to normal routines in advance – pregnant women shouldn’t be changing cat litter anyway. If you know that you’ll have less time to give to your pet once the baby is born, try delegating pet care duties to your partner a few months in advance to allow your pet to adjust to any changes.

Will your pet have ever heard a baby crying before? You can help them get used to this strange new sound by purchasing an audio desensitisation CD to play to them so the sound becomes normal and expected. Also try inviting friends who already have babies round to the house. You may also find that your pet seems unhappy and stressed by the arrival of the baby. To help with this, you can buy either Feliway or Adaptil, which are products designed to release pheromones to calm and relax your pet. Another product called Zylkene, formulated from milk protein, can also help with this.

Pet stress shouldn’t be unexpected, but it can manifest in different ways – your pet may lose their appetite, spend more time sleeping rather than playing or pick up a nervous habit like scratching or urinating in the house. Unfortunately these symptoms may also be due to an underlying illness – make sure that they’re in tip-top shape and take them into your local vets for a health check.

Advice supplied by:-

Medivet
The Veterinary Partnership
www.medivet.co.uk