Conference misery::feline_v1

    Well, I think I grew up fine in the presence of several kitties
    from day one on...I never got sick from them and don't recall them
    ever scratching me until I reached a more playful age.  Unless your
    kitties are known frequent mousers, I wouldn't worry about it (but
    of course I don't have kids of my own...)
    
    Maureen

    Don't listen to 'em...
    
    (Unless of course your baby reacts!)
    
    Congrats to you and your husband! (Is his name Bob by any chance?)
    
    Edd

    
    
    
         Ka-pooey on them!!!!!  (eh sometimes I revert back to my little
    girl state well.... most of the time :^)   Sounds to me they grew
    up with parents or mothers I should say that had been told by their
    mothers that a cat will steal a baby's breath away.  I think this
    ole wives tale started way back when cat's were looked upon as the
    devil's animal...  I'm no expert but I seem to remember that source
    for some reason.  Anyway old wives tales don't die they just get
    passed on from generation etc.....
    
          There is a movie called "Cat's Eye" which is on every once
    an awhile or in your local video store.  It's a trilogy of 3 short
    stories from Stephen King that are all linked by this certain cat.
    Well anyways the whole last story deals with the above belief and
    makes quite a mockery out of it!!!!  I won't go into detail in case
    anyone wants to see it  I certainly don't want to spoil it...!!!
    I think you should tell these well-meaning people to get this movie.
    It's quite outlandish but the moral is there!!!!!!!!!!
    I myself wouldn't worry....
    
    
    Congrats!!!!
    
                                                                  kim

    Congratulation to you and your husband on the expected birth
    of your first child.
    
    I'm sure everyone in this notes file will respond to your note.
    You already know about the litter box, and that's the big
    danger right now. (Of course most of us "old folks" changed
    litter boxes time after time with no ill effects.)
    
    Close your ears to all suggestions to get rid of your fur faces,
    and I know you will find that your new arrival and them will get
    along just fine.
    
    Barbara

    Right - the story about the cat harming the baby is an old wives tale.
    
    There are millions of households with both babies and cats and
    everything is just fine. It's when the baby gets old enough to pull 
    tails and poke eyes that the cat might scratch in self-defense.
    
    And about changing kitty litter - if you are really concerned about
    catching a disease - wear rubber gloves.
                                                          
    Your relatives may be concerned about your being over-worked
    by caring for cats AND a new baby, or they might be looking at
    how to cut expenses and are not admitting to you what's really on 
    their minds. Who knows. You have to do what YOU feel is best. 
    
    Congratulations on the anticipated birth. That's wonderful.  

    Congrats Erin - listen to the noters!  I was raised with cats
    my kid was raised with cats - it's the best possible way to
    be raised!  Think of how deprived a child would be with no
    pets (cats).  I feel very very sorry for children who can't
    have cats for one reason or another (usually medical) - why
    limit a child firstly, before it's born, secondly, for no
    good reason, except on ideas of folks just trying to help,
    which I would assume they are doing.  Follow your own instinct.
    Your child will grow to share your love of your cats with you -
    what fun to share the love of animals with a child!  Don't deny
    yourself that experience.
    
    E.T._who_will_never_be_catless_ever_no_matter_what_or_who_!!!!!!
    

    I wouldn't give up my boys for all the friends and relatives in
    the world!!  NO WAY!!  As a reformed pediatric nurse, I can assure
    you that there is NOTHING to any of that stuff about cats and babies.
    You will find, however, that the only thing worse than cat-breath
    is baby-spit.  And don't worry about wolves coming in thru the window,
    stealing the baby and raising it in the wild (who ever thought these
    things up???).
    
    Oh, we have time for a quick kitty/baby story, don't we??  A friend
    of mine brought her 2 month old daughter to my house and Honey,
    of course, just had to check her out.  He had never seen a baby
    before and, upon close investigation, he found that she smelled
    of something he knew best belonged in the litter box.  As the baby
    was lying on her blanket, Honey did his best to cover her up...it
    was quite a sight!  He was most disturbed!!
    
    Don't listen to any of that 19th century crap!!  Relax, enjoy your
    pregnancy, and CONGRATULATIONS!!!

    Mary

    Mary, that's cute!  I can just see him trying to cover up the baby!
    Smart Cat!

Erin,
     Congratulations from another Eryn who is 3 1/2 months pregnant! I also
grew up with cats and have no qualms about having them around now or when the
baby is born. The only fear I have is that my husband was very allergic to
everything when he was a baby, and he might pass that on. I am hoping that
breastfeeding and having cats in the house so that he/she is used to them will
help! (On the other hand he/she may take after me and not be allergic to
anything!). 

Having cats around it is easier teach the child to take care of and love
animals instead of torment them as so many children do.

Eryn

    KEEP THEM!!!!!
    
    We have no children but a neighbor had a baby when they had two
    cats.  No problem!  Now the child is about 4 years old and they
    have 6 cats.  No problem!  The little girl is growing up with a
    love of animals that she might not have experienced without them.
    The latest edition of CATFANCY claims that children who have pets
    before the age of 6 develop a stronger respect and love for all
    animals than children that don't, so it should be wonderful all
    the way around.
    
    Besides, I know I couldn't give mine up for anything!  Good luck
    with everything!
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

    When my daughter was about six months pregnant, she got two cats,
    an adult female, and a male kitten.  Other than not changing litter
    (her husband did it), there were no restrictions.  Not only were
    there no problems after the baby was born, Missy set herself up
    as "guard kitty" at night.  She DID sleep in the crib with him,
    but down at the far end, and god help anything that came near him
    in the dark - even his mother! who had to turn a light on before
    going near her son.  My grandson is now three, and Missy avoids
    him during the day (no fool her!), but at night she is waiting when
    he goes to bed, puts up with his cuddling (mauling really), and
    still guards him all night!
    
    I've never heard of similar behavior, but I think it is touching!
    
    Linda

    Our dog did that with my baby - that silly dog wouldn't even 
    let me near the crib!  He sat beside the baby no matter where
    she was - he would be under the crib if she was in it, on the
    bed if she was on it, etc!  He was a real pain, but boy did
    he love that baby! Pepin the dog and Susan the baby were quite
    the team for a long time!

Cats seem to have an instinctive realization of how fragile little people
are and are generally very gentle around them....I do have a funny cat
and baby story, however.  Our siamese, Tabitha, is a sock freak and steals
them whenever she can, runs to a corner with the contraband and then
blissfully chews the toe, making a very satisfying noise that seems to
be the purpose of the whole exercise...when my friend came to stay with
her new born for a few weeks to get on her feet, Tabby was a very responsible
hostess UNTIL she spied the baby's booties.  AH HA! she thought, socks!!!
Perfect little socks!!  We watched her VERY CAREFULLY reach out and nip
the toe of the baby's bootie, making every effort to not touch the baby in
the process, and then, very gently start to tug on the bootie....slowly
removing the bootie while the baby slept on, undisturbed.  We were just
rolling in the aisles, laughing.  If you could have seen the delicate
way Tabs managed to steal that bootie WITHOUT disturbing a sleeping
newborn, you would have no worry about any cat hurting your child.
Needless to say, we had to take away the bootie after Tabs managed to
steal it, but I gave her a sock filled with catnip to make up for the
loss.

    Thank you all for your wonderful stories and making me feel so
    reassured that keeping my kitties is ok.  Deep down I knew that
    what I was doing was right; I just couldn't imagine giving them
    away because other people felt they might harm the baby!
    Its sad, but a lot of these people don't like cats and can't understand
    how I can adore them as much as I do.  
    
    Edd - yes, Bob is the dad-to-be (a very nervous and anxious one too!!)
    Do you work in MR1 by any chance?
          
    Eryn - Congratulations to you also!! (btw, I like the way you spell
    our name, different, I've never seen it spelt that way before).
                                        
    Again, thanks for all the words of wisdom and you can rest assured
    that these furfaces won't be going anywhere!!  I have a feeling
    that they are going to just love having a baby around; especially
    Bustopher who just loves to snuggle with anyone (even Reggie, our
    dog!)
    
    Erin
                              

    Erin,
    
    I've been out all last week, and am just now reading this.  I couldn't
    resist adding a note.
    
    I grew up with a cat, and have one now.  From the time I was 5,
    that cat was my constant companion.  She lived until I was a sophomore
    in college!  I now have a wonderful kitty who has owned me for the
    last 10 years.  I can't imagine life without cats.
    
    Evidently my "first kitty" wasn't really the first--I recently found
    a baby picture of me (about 6 months old)--me on the floor face
    up, with Kitty on the floor, as close to my side as she could get!!
    Mom tells me that was my "Guardian Cat"!
    
    So keep 'em;  people who are telling you that probably don't have
    cats anyway.
    
    And congratulations on your out-and-coming baby!
    
    Jane

    Erin,
    
    I, too, am still catching up in this file and couldn't resist adding
    my two cents.
    
    My cousin, who is more like my sister has a two year old daughter,
    Zafia Nicole (Nikki).  She also has a 10 year old, 22 lb. cat named
    CAT (that's another story).  Her husband attended to the "box" duties
    throughout the pregnancy and nursing.  Needless to say when she
    brought Nikki home, Cat wasn't very interested at all, that is until
    Nikki started crying.
    
    You should have seen this kittie with the B-I-G eyes looking at
    this little squeeking bundle.  He then decided it was up to him to
    be her Guardian Cat. After Nikki outgrew the basinet, Cat took to
    sleeping in it.  He lets Nikki pet him, yank his fur, pull his tail,
    even lie down on him like a pillow.  And this is from a non-lap
    cat!  It's really changed him and she just adores him.
    
    When they came to visit me for a week, my two who have never seen
    little people, headed for the hills.  Esco decided it was okay to
    check Nikki out while she was taking a nap.  Esco sniffed her from
    head to toe then looked at us as if to say "well *it's* not as bad
    as I thought.  Brandy on the other hand preferred to watch Nikki
    while out of reach (i.e. stretched out on the back of the cat's
    chair).  By the end of the week it became a game to stay just out
    of reach.  Esco was sleeping at the foot of the bed whenever Nikki
    was asleep and Brandy followed her around and even let her pick
    him up.
    
    I think the only thing you'll have to keep your eyes peeled for
    is when your baby is a toddler and "discovers" the *BOX*.  Other
    than that pets and kids go together like a holey sock and an old
    shoe.
    
    BTW, C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S!!!!!!  The very best to you and
    your growing family.  Keep us posted.
                   
    Roslyn, Esco and Brandy