Purrs and Parenthood: Caring for Cats and a New Baby

Studies found that 14% of cats returned to shelters are surrendered due to their owners undergoing major life events, such as divorce, marriage, or pregnancy. Pregnant cat owners may worry about the potential health risks associated with having a cat during pregnancy, as well as how the cat will adjust to a new baby in the household. However, the health risks are minimal, and there are simple steps you can take to ensure a smooth transition with a new baby.

To learn more about how cat owners can prepare for life with both a cat and a baby, we spoke with Stephanie, a long-time cat owner who has cared for her cat during two pregnancies over the course of several years.

In your experience, how did your cat react to the new baby being in the house?

Cats might be a little bit curious about the baby at first but typically aren’t very interested in them as they do not meet any of the cat’s needs [such as feeding, petting, or grooming].

What advice do you have for pregnant women who are worried about getting sick from their cat?

A lot of people do find a way to make pets and babies work. It’s important to have someone other than the pregnant woman handle cat litter, including scooping the litter box. And it’s good to wash your hands after petting the cat.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection that can be transmitted from cats to pregnant women, potentially affecting the unborn baby. However, according to the Humane Society of the United States, the likelihood of contracting toxoplasmosis from a cat is rather low. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that “people are more likely to get the infection from eating raw meat or gardening.” The risk from cats is mainly limited to outdoor cats that hunt rodents or those fed raw meat. Despite the low risk, it's still advisable for pregnant women to take precautions, such as keeping cats indoors and having another adult handle the litter box.

Are there any precautions you should take after the baby is born?

Women will want to make sure the cat does not have access to where the baby sleeps. You do not want a pet to sleep in a bed with a baby because that increases the chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). All I did was simply close the door.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS] is the unexplained death of a baby. It often happens during sleep. The risk of SIDS rises if a baby sleeps in the same bed with parents, siblings or pets.”

How can you make sure your cat has their own space to themselves without the toddler bothering them?

We used a baby gate to make sure our toddler stayed out of the bathroom that the litter box was in. Our cat Chico was able to jump onto the baby gate and then jump down to access his litter box.

I also found that getting a tall cat tree for him was very helpful when the baby was older. It gives the cat a place to hide and helps him feel safe from all of the chaos going on on the floor.

Armarkat offers a wide variety of cat trees for every need. Go to armarkat.com to pick out the cat tree that’s purrfect for you!

Sources:

Pregnancy and toxoplasmosis, The Humane Society of the United States https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/pregnancy-and-toxoplasmosis

Study by Mundschau, V., & Suchak, M. (2023). When and why cats are returned to shelters. Animals, 13(2), 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020243

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20352800