Friday, September 4, 2015

Cat & Baby

cat and baby

Hi there, I’m just chillin’ with my homie!

Now that Naila is almost two, we’ve kinda got the hang of balancing the cat and baby living situation. Last week I came across so many adverts for cats, namely, people letting go of their cats. The reason? Because their wife was pregnant. Naturally I was shocked! I started complaining to hubs about it.

Apparently people think that just because they’re about to have a baby, they have to get rid of their pet cat? Didn’t they think about it before they got the cat? It got me thinking about how many people simply abandon their cats for this reason. It’s inhumane.

There are plenty of ways to accommodate both baby and cat. I’m talking about normal living arrangements. This isn’t for the special cases---babies are allergic to cats and stuff. 

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Favorite sleeping position.

What did I do different when I got pregnant? I stopped cleaning Chanel’s litter box. The cleaning duty was taken over by hubs, shameless to say, until now! I think number one reason people got rid of their cats are because of toxoplasmosis virus.

That’s what people are most scared about. But if you clean the litter box yourselves, just make sure to wash your hands properly. Indoor cats rarely have the virus anyway. If you have an outdoor cat, then you better keep extra clean. Did you know that toxoplasmosis can be spread by eating uncooked meat too?

Some people just oversimplify the problem by blaming cats!

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Really what did I do wrong?

Second reason why people get rid of their cats is because of their fear of their baby getting asthma or allergic to the cat. Again, back to what I was saying earlier. Cats aren’t a 2-3 year commitment. They are life-long. My grandma’s cat lived for 17 years so it’s not supposed to be spur of the moment decision to have a cat. Getting rid of the cat for some reason such as a baby is coming is so selfish and very poorly thought out!

That said, when a baby arrives, do make extra effort to reduce the fur shedding by vacuuming everyday or by confining the cat to a space of its own, until you figure out living arrangements. Keep the litter box away from the baby, obviously.

Let your cat see the changes that are about to happen—the crib, the new bedding, stroller whatnot. When the baby arrives, let them smell the baby’s clothing. Introduce them gently to the baby because they actually feel alarmed by the new presence.

If you think that it’s hard work, well, remember that you want both in your life. Believe me, when they get along well, everything is bliss. You’ve got the cat at one corner, the baby in another corner.

When Naila grew into a toddler, Chanel unfortunately turned into her favorite thing to bully. How do I manage it? That’s another story to tell.

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Toink toink!

1 comment:

Hanis. said...

I have asthma and grew up at my grandparents' house which had. . a lot of cats. I think my parents just made sure no cats came into their room and I tak gomol one. Haha. I don't have a problem with cats, unless I am in the middle of an asthma episode (but by then I will be avoiding a lot of triggers such as air cond)

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