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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

465.0. "cats and new baby..." by CLOSUS::HOE () Tue Feb 03 1987 19:36

    We are expecting our baby in mid-September. We have a 10 year old
    female cat who had the centre of attention since she was my sister's
    cat. We got her two years ago when Peter's allergies got worst and
    my sister had to ship her to us. 
    
    We need advise how to introduce the baby to her and how to deal
    with all the possible diseases that cats are supposed to be
    contributing to a pregnant lady.
    
    We have heard to putting dolls in the baby cribs getting a new kitten
    so she will be busy paying attention to the kitten.
    
    /cal hoe
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465.1Do you mean Toxoplasmosis?PUZZLE::CORDESJATue Feb 03 1987 22:5818
    I think that the disease that you are refering to is called
    Toxoplasmosis.  There are ways to protect yourself from this.
    What I have heard (others might know more), is that you can get
    it by eating raw meat that might be infected, or from your cat.
    Your cat would get it from eating wildlife that is infected with
    it.  It would be present in the feces of an infected cat so therefore
    litterbox duty should be well thought out.
    
    In the best possible situation, pregnant women could get their husbands
    to clean the box for them (I vote for that!!!:-).  From what I hear
    about Toxo, feces should be scooped out of the litterbox every day.
    Toxo is at its most contagious after the droppings have been around
    for two days.  
    
    If you have to do the box yourself, wear rubber gloves and disinfect
    the box as often as possible.  Ask your vet for more information
    about Toxo.  
    Jo
465.2thanks but I do...ZENSNI::HOEWed Feb 04 1987 00:049
    Re:465.1
    
    I Do that now!! Being a liberated person that Judy is, she always
    had me do the cat box. We have a poop scoop to flip the stuff down
    the toilet.
    
    Thanks for your reply.
    
    /cal
465.3be careful how you handle the baby's introductionVAXWRK::SKALTSISDebWed Feb 04 1987 00:2917
    According to my mother, the introduction was the most important
    thing. Immediately upon bringing me home, she introduced me to the
    cat, and invited the cat to follow us into my room. She let kitty
    sniff, etc., then put me down, picked up the cat and refered to
    me in terms of being "Fluffy"'s property. In fact, from what I
    understand, whenever she spoke of me to Fluffy, she always refered
    to me as "your baby". It seems to work; the cat wasn't depressed,
    and whenever there was company to "see the baby", Fluffy would lead
    the crowd into my room and purr loudly. I'm also told that when I got
    a little older, when I'd drop my rattle out of my crib or playpen,
    Fluffy would pick it up in her mouth and attempt to return it to
    me.
    
    I don't remember much of Fluffy since she passed away when I was
    about 18 months old. She was thot to be about 12 years old.
    
    Deb                                                       
465.4XANADU::RAVANTo light a candle's to cast a shadow...Wed Feb 04 1987 12:375
    For additional comments on this topic, you might find note 176 in
    AIMHI::PARENTING to be of interest - same question, with a number
    of cat-and-baby stories in response...
    
    -b
465.5Timely articleBLITZN::BITTROLFFDebbie BittrolffWed Feb 04 1987 13:384
    The March issue of Cat Fancy has an article concerning this
    very topic.  My issue just arrived yesterday so they should
    be out on the newsstands soon.
    
465.6VIDEO::WHEELERWed Feb 04 1987 16:1324
	I had a baby in October, this was one of my concerns also,
	your OB-GYN can do a blood test to see if you have been
	exposed to this...   My 2 cats are indoor only, and she, my
	doctor, said I shouldn't worry about them catching it at
	all  ( I tested negative)..

	My 2 cats totally ignored the baby when I brought him home, 
	I had set the crib up about a month before and the cats
	learned to stay out of the crib (they are allowed free
	run (and I do mean free run) of the rest of the apartment...
	
	Now one of them will sit next to us on the couch when I
	am holding the baby and occasionally stick out his paw
	to touch the baby (its cute!).. My other cat still pretty
	much ignores the kid....   

	They (the cats) always let me know when the baby is
	screaming - They will look in the direction of his
	crib, then at me, then at the crib, then at me, etc,etc
	Its like their saying Hey, do something to make that
	kid shut up, will yah!

	/robin