Prepare Your Pet During Pregnancy

So many couples decide to get pets before they decide to have children.  Once you have a pet, it becomes your baby.  You spoil them, love them, and give them all the attention in the world, because of course, you can; but, when you want to take your relationship to the next level and start a family...then what?  Having a baby is not only an adjustment for you and your partner, but your pets too.  I have a cat and a dog, who both during my entire pregnancy, laid on either side of my belly snuggling with me and the baby.  They were such loves during the whole pregnancy, but for some their pets can cause a problem.  There are some things you need to know about handling your pets during pregnancy and to help them adjust to the change of becoming an older sibling.

Having a cat can be difficult through pregnancy because cats carry a parasite in their feces called, toxoplasmosis.  Toxoplasmosis can be very harmful to your and your baby during pregnancy.  Normally, it will cause symptoms of the flu, but due to your immune system becoming weak during pregnancy it has a greater effect on you and your baby.  If you have a cat, chances are you have already been exposed to toxoplasmosis and are immune to it.  There are some things to do to lower your exposure to toxoplasmosis:

• Have someone else clean your cat’s litter box
• Wash your hands often
• Carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you
• Avoid doing yard work or gardening (toxoplasmosis can also be picked up from soil

There are also some ways during your pregnancy to prepare your cat for your new baby’s arrival.

• Start limiting any extra attention
• Keep the door closed to the baby’s room at all times to help your cat get used to the room being off limits
• If you are not keeping kitty out, put foil in the baby’s crib and on the glider to keep the cat off
• If you don’t already have one, get your cat on a very consistent feeding schedule
• Youtube baby cries and start playing the sound around your cat to get him used to the sound of a baby crying
• Whenever your cat does the right thing, reward him! A nice neck rub and a treat will go a long way
• Put areas around the house that are designated to your cat, maybe near a window, put a post for him to have as his own space
• Invest in a nail clipper or nail grinder and get on a schedule to clip your cat’s nails to lessen any possible scratching to the baby

Adjusting your dog may be a more difficult feat.  Dogs are far more clingy than cats.  You will be doing a lot of the same things you do to prepare your cat, along with some others.

• Start to alter your pup’s routine for the baby’s arrival
• Use a baby doll and start to train your dog how to handle the doll so having a baby will not be a foreign sight for your dog
• Start teaching any new skills or demands you may want your dog to know for when the baby is here
• Start limiting any extra attention
• Keep the door closed to the baby’s room at all times to help your dog get used to the room being off limits
• If you are not keeping the dog out, put foil in the baby’s crib and on the glider to keep the dog off
• If you don’t already have one, get your dog on a very consistent feeding schedule
• Youtube baby cries and start playing the sound around your dog to get him used to the sound of a baby crying
• Whenever your cat does the right thing, reward him! A nice neck rub and a treat will go a long way
• Put areas around the house that are designated to your dog

A rue of thumb to remember is to never leave your baby alone with your pets.