Cat's behaviour with babies...had any problem?
spam"@softhome.net KILOWATT
cats or child-related newsgroups one day,but here
i am! I'm in the electronic field and i'm about to
to experiment an idea. I need the help and comments
from parents who also have a cat(s).
My friends who wait their new girl for December are
affraid that their cat may "play" with her while she's
gonna sleep ... LOL I'll show them my idea. A low power
laser beam surrounding the crib. If the laser beam is
"broken"...the interfacing circuit would activate the
transmitter of an ordinary wireless chime set...they
would keep the receiver in the master bedroom with
them at night. Then they will be able to keep the door
open to hear (don't know her name yet) if she's crying,
and also be able to keep the cat in the family. ;-)
I know that it may be a lot simpler to leave the door closed
at bedtime and have a wireless child room monitor, but
my system would also probably be usefull if the child
awakes and try to step out of the crib.
Before going deep into this project...i thought that i may
need parents opinions. The reason why i'm really posting
this is to know if such fears about cats that may harm
(or even kill!) the child are founded on reality or myths.
Years ago i've heard that cat(s) should absolutely leave
the place before the newborn is taken to home. People
i've spoken to (4 mothers) in person that had cats at home
with their child never experimented any problem, but
curiously they also like me heard such bad stories and have
been told by friends to get rid of the cat(s). The boundaries
between myths,reality, and common sense seem to overlap
as i've heard yet. Any comment about your personnal
experience would be welcomed a lot. TIA
--
Alain (alias:Kilowatt) Montreal Quebec
P.S: Excuse me for some errors or omissions,since
I'm a «pure» French Canadian :-)
If replying also by e-mail,remove"no spam"
(with the quotes) from my adress...thanks!
Come to visit me @: http://kilowatt.camarades.com
Gloria Hilton
Someone please correct me if I happen to
be wrong, but cats (+ kittens) are non
aggressive towards humans. Sometimes they
like to play!
-Gloria
*Michelle*
streak that will come out. Usually, if this happens, the most they will do
is try to get between the baby and it's parent. Nothing aggressive.
Sometimes, they will get standoff-ish (is that a word) and go "pout". The
most they should worry about is the cat nuzzling the baby to cuddle while
sleeping, or (if it is not declawed), doing that "milking affect" with it's
claws (like kittens do when nursing). If the child is very old, the cat will
probably be more scared of the child and steer clear.
Your beam may be more helpful if there is another child (trying to be
helpful <smirk>) at night, or if the child is old enough to try to climb out
of the crib. It may be able to warn in advance of a potential fall? But, if
the child is old enough to climb out of the crib, wouldn't it be active
enough to break the beam and set off the chime? Maybe I'm not exactly sure
how you mean to use it? (However, there are many over-protective parents out
there that would probably jump on the idea rather than get rid of the family
pet.)
<Point> I have heard that the most aggressive house cat is the Siamese.
I would figure that it would be protective more than anything.
Michelle
mom of twins
Nanci
Nanci
"KILOWATT" <KILOWATT"no spam"@SOFTHOME.NET> wrote in message
news:U36l9.11980$2T6.1...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Dusty
My cats (at the time my son was born, there are two of them) where about 4
or 5 years old. They'd never seen an infant before.
The dog got all sorts of snappy at our son, would growl and do other jealous
kind of things. My male cat (his name is Rufus)got very defensive and would
guard our son when we where out of the room and when he was sleeping. The
dog started to do this run around the house thing, would run into the master
bedroom, jump onto the bed and dive off it - over the cradle with our son in
it!! When this happened Rufus would lie in wait for the dog to come into
the bedroom and attack it!! He, Rufus, would then lay in the doorway and
snarl at the dog whenever it came anywhere near the door to the bedroom and
not let the stupid thing in!! When we slept at night, Rufus would lay at
the very edge of the bed, and "keep watch" over our son all night. I was
totally blown away by the way Rufus was around him. He was so protective -
and still is!
I'd be much more concerned with some stupid, brain-dead dog than I ever
would be about a feline.
KILOWATT <KILOWATT"no spam"@SOFTHOME.NET> wrote in message
news:U36l9.11980$2T6.1...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Stormin Mormon
knobs, pick locks, open refrigerators, and even open beer
bottles. They are also completely unaffected by alcohol. They
have a fondness for beer, those cats do. That, says a couple men
I know, explains what is going on in the house.
You can often check on things like this at a "hoax check" site
like www.snopes2.com
--
Read the Book of Mormon
A second testament of
Jesus Christ
"Nanci" <nanci.dayc...@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:xYhl9.623857$UU1.108792@sccrnsc03...
dunnea
cats that i treat like babies. I found the female cats to be more
interested in my kids and would even get distressed over the baby
crying and come meow at me as if to say "Take care of your kitten".
When my daughter was little, my cat Momma would somehow get into the
crib and sleep near, but never on her. We finally gave up trying to
keep the cat out of the crib. The boy cats steer clear and are less
tolerant of chasing or tailpulling but by the time the baby is big
enough for that he or she is big enough to learn right/wrong
cause/effect. Now my Siamese has become my son's cat all the way and
is never far from his side. Cat fur on toddler finger food is our
biggest problem and it took a while to teach my son that there is a
difference between the cat litter boxes and his sandbox!
greccogirl
Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
crap all over again.
These are only old wives tales and have no basis in truth. It IS
possible, however, for a baby to grab a cat and be scratched. I would
worry about that that danger, and keep the cat out of the baby's room.
If you have pets though sooner or later they will get scratched at least
once and the baby will learn, the same way with dogs.
I raised two babies with a cat we'd had 10 years and she loved them
dearly, even "guarding" their bedrooms when strange people came in. I
now raise persians and occasionally show them, and we've always been
animal lovers, so it was usually: Mom, Dad, babies, cats and one dog in
the bed. (at one time or another anyway).
So my answer is most of this is just wives' tales.
greccogirl
Dusty wrote:
> When my kids where born we had a cocker spaniel, a real brain-dead animal.
> My cats (at the time my son was born, there are two of them) where about 4
> or 5 years old. They'd never seen an infant before.
>
> The dog got all sorts of snappy at our son, would growl and do other jealous
> kind of things. My male cat (his name is Rufus)got very defensive and would
I had to laugh. My sister had a cocker too and she was pretty stupid.
Dusty
got your information.
But you don't have any and will never send it - because it doesn't exist.
As for opening doors and the 'fridge, sure they can, I've actually seen it
happen. But as for opening a beer bottle, even humans have trouble doing
that!
Stormin Mormon <cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:an4ik...@enews2.newsguy.com...
Dusty
greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3D965918...@mindspring.com...
> My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
> Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
> she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
> talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
> crap all over again.
>
> These are only old wives tales and have no basis in truth. It IS
> possible, however, for a baby to grab a cat and be scratched. I would
> worry about that that danger, and keep the cat out of the baby's room.
> If you have pets though sooner or later they will get scratched at least
> once and the baby will learn, the same way with dogs.
Yes, it's been my experiance that those that claim to 'hate' cats never had
them as pets, never lived with one. And if they did, they treated the cat
poorly and got what they deserved for it.
Myself, I've had cats around me since as far back as I can remember - and
loved every minute of it! IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
animals, they choose to be with us and we them. Cats have never been truely
domesticated, like dogs have and see us as their equils, their companions.
Dogs are just too dependant on humans, cats are not. I love an independant
mind and cats definately are very independant!
Martyr4Men
animals, they choose to be with us and we them."
They are not pets, they are pests like any other rodent or cockroach. They
spread harmful germs linked to psychosis in female humans and are a danger
to children.
The go yard to yard speading fleas.
I have a ditch in my yard that I bury these creatures in when they are
caught devistating my garden.
"Cats have never been truely domesticated, like dogs have and see us as
their equils, their companions.""
Equals? Ha Ha. At best, Cats are cheap entertainment.
Lyn
> cats or child-related newsgroups one day,but here
> i am! I'm in the electronic field and i'm about to
> to experiment an idea. I need the help and comments
> from parents who also have a cat(s).
>
> My friends who wait their new girl for December are
> affraid that their cat may "play" with her while she's
> gonna sleep ... LOL I'll show them my idea. A low power
> laser beam surrounding the crib. If the laser beam is
> "broken"...the interfacing circuit would activate the
> transmitter of an ordinary wireless chime set...they
> would keep the receiver in the master bedroom with
> them at night. Then they will be able to keep the door
> open to hear (don't know her name yet) if she's crying,
> and also be able to keep the cat in the family. ;-)
There's never any reason to discard the family cat when a baby comes
along. If you want to keep the cat out of the baby's room at night,
simply install a screen door on the baby's room - it keeps the cats
out and the baby within earshot, without any problems. Once the kid
is old enough to not have "problems" with the cat, then replace the
door with the old, conventional one.
No need for high-tech when low-tech does fine.
HTH,
-L.
Lyn
One more comment....
Cats *always* get a bum rap when it comes to a new baby in the
household. Hundreds of thousands of people with new babies live in
harmony with their cats. Cats are far more likely to try to sleep
with the baby for warmth/comfort/companionship, than they are to try
to harm the baby. Most baby/cat problems arise when the cat is
neglected after baby comes, so the cat resorts to telling the owner he
is unhappy in the only way he can - by urinating inappropriately.
Unfortunately, the owners see this as an unsolvable solution and
resorts to dumping the cat at a shelter (or worse - the "country") or
euthanizing it, when, in fact, a little love and patience, and
possibly medical guidance, will solve the problem.
Please people - do not make your cat pay with his life for your change
in lifestyle. Honor him for the friend and compaion he has been, by
trying to make the solution work for *all* involved.
-L.
Lyn
> When my kids where born we had a cocker spaniel, a real brain-dead animal.
> My cats (at the time my son was born, there are two of them) where about 4
> or 5 years old. They'd never seen an infant before.
>
> The dog got all sorts of snappy at our son, would growl and do other jealous
> kind of things. My male cat (his name is Rufus)got very defensive and would
> guard our son when we where out of the room and when he was sleeping. The
> dog started to do this run around the house thing, would run into the master
> bedroom, jump onto the bed and dive off it - over the cradle with our son in
> it!! When this happened Rufus would lie in wait for the dog to come into
> the bedroom and attack it!! He, Rufus, would then lay in the doorway and
> snarl at the dog whenever it came anywhere near the door to the bedroom and
> not let the stupid thing in!! When we slept at night, Rufus would lay at
> the very edge of the bed, and "keep watch" over our son all night. I was
> totally blown away by the way Rufus was around him. He was so protective -
> and still is!
>
> I'd be much more concerned with some stupid, brain-dead dog than I ever
> would be about a feline.
Well, with a cocker, at least. Cockers are NOT good child dogs. So
many people think they are, and they simply are not. They are
jealous, territorial, and quick to snap/nip. It is the rare cocker
that fits well into a family with small kids, especially if the cocker
was there first. The shelters are full of cockers for this very
reason.
-L.
Lyn
> Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
> she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
> talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
> crap all over again.
If your sister cannot handle cat hair in her baby's environment, she
needs to rehome the cat, especially if she resorts to "being awful to
her". What does she expect? - That the cat *won't* shed??? Geez!
-L.
Pam
>
> It's probably confusion with displaced-canine jealousy.
> Dogs being pack animals, are readily given to jealousy - most usually of
> owners' new love interests.
> But this has been observed with babies too.
> Cats of course are the very antithesis of pack animals and present zero
> threat to human babies.
You can never be too careful!
Pam
>
> How about just closing the door where the baby is?
>
> Nanci
That's the best solution! -Pam
Pam
>
> When my kids where born we had a cocker spaniel, a real brain-dead animal.
> My cats (at the time my son was born, there are two of them) where about 4
> or 5 years old. They'd never seen an infant before.
>
> The dog got all sorts of snappy at our son, would growl and do other jealous
> kind of things. My male cat (his name is Rufus)got very defensive and would
> guard our son when we where out of the room and when he was sleeping. The
> dog started to do this run around the house thing, would run into the master
> bedroom, jump onto the bed and dive off it - over the cradle with our son in
> it!! When this happened Rufus would lie in wait for the dog to come into
> the bedroom and attack it!! He, Rufus, would then lay in the doorway and
> snarl at the dog whenever it came anywhere near the door to the bedroom and
> not let the stupid thing in!! When we slept at night, Rufus would lay at
> the very edge of the bed, and "keep watch" over our son all night. I was
> totally blown away by the way Rufus was around him. He was so protective -
> and still is!
>
> I'd be much more concerned with some stupid, brain-dead dog than I ever
> would be about a feline.
True!
-Pam
Pam
>
> Won't help. There are some breeds of cats who can turn door
> knobs, pick locks, open refrigerators, and even open beer
> bottles. They are also completely unaffected by alcohol. They
> have a fondness for beer, those cats do. That, says a couple men
> I know, explains what is going on in the house.
>
You have a cat that opens doorknobs?
-Pam
Pam
>
> I have a two year old boy and an 18 year old girl. Always have had
> cats that i treat like babies. I found the female cats to be more
> interested in my kids and would even get distressed over the baby
> crying and come meow at me as if to say "Take care of your kitten".
> When my daughter was little, my cat Momma would somehow get into the
> crib and sleep near, but never on her. We finally gave up trying to
> keep the cat out of the crib. The boy cats steer clear and are less
> tolerant of chasing or tailpulling but by the time the baby is big
> enough for that he or she is big enough to learn right/wrong
> cause/effect. Now my Siamese has become my son's cat all the way and
> is never far from his side. Cat fur on toddler finger food is our
> biggest problem and it took a while to teach my son that there is a
> difference between the cat litter boxes and his sandbox!
Thank you for sharing!
-Pam
Pam
>
> My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
> Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
> she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
> talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
> crap all over again.
>
> These are only old wives tales and have no basis in truth. It IS
> possible, however, for a baby to grab a cat and be scratched. I would
> worry about that that danger, and keep the cat out of the baby's room.
> If you have pets though sooner or later they will get scratched at least
> once and the baby will learn, the same way with dogs.
>
> I raised two babies with a cat we'd had 10 years and she loved them
> dearly, even "guarding" their bedrooms when strange people came in. I
> now raise persians and occasionally show them, and we've always been
> animal lovers, so it was usually: Mom, Dad, babies, cats and one dog in
> the bed. (at one time or another anyway).
>
> So my answer is most of this is just wives' tales.
>
I have to agree!
-Pam
Pam
>
> Really, now. Cats aren't affected by alcohol? I'd love to see where you
> got your information.
> But you don't have any and will never send it - because it doesn't exist.
Yes - I was wondering about that!
-Pam
Pam
>
> greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:3D965918...@mindspring.com...
> > My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
> > Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
> > she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
> > talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
> > crap all over again.
> >
> > These are only old wives tales and have no basis in truth. It IS
> > possible, however, for a baby to grab a cat and be scratched. I would
> > worry about that that danger, and keep the cat out of the baby's room.
> > If you have pets though sooner or later they will get scratched at least
> > once and the baby will learn, the same way with dogs.
>
> Yes, it's been my experiance that those that claim to 'hate' cats never had
> them as pets, never lived with one. And if they did, they treated the cat
> poorly and got what they deserved for it.
>
> Myself, I've had cats around me since as far back as I can remember - and
> loved every minute of it! IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
> animals, they choose to be with us and we them. Cats have never been truely
> domesticated, like dogs have and see us as their equils, their companions.
> Dogs are just too dependant on humans, cats are not. I love an independant
> mind and cats definately are very independant!
"Very" independent!
-Pam
Pam
>
>
> One more comment....
>
> Cats *always* get a bum rap when it comes to a new baby in the
> household. Hundreds of thousands of people with new babies live in
> harmony with their cats. Cats are far more likely to try to sleep
> with the baby for warmth/comfort/companionship, than they are to try
> to harm the baby. Most baby/cat problems arise when the cat is
> neglected after baby comes, so the cat resorts to telling the owner he
> is unhappy in the only way he can - by urinating inappropriately.
> Unfortunately, the owners see this as an unsolvable solution and
> resorts to dumping the cat at a shelter (or worse - the "country") or
> euthanizing it, when, in fact, a little love and patience, and
> possibly medical guidance, will solve the problem.
>
> Please people - do not make your cat pay with his life for your change
> in lifestyle. Honor him for the friend and compaion he has been, by
> trying to make the solution work for *all* involved.
>
> -L.
You aaid that so well .... I am keeping this for future
use to share with others. Thanks so much.
-Pam
Pam
Can Chihuahuas be trusted with toddlers?
-Pam
Account
Account
"Martyr4Men" <fre...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1gvl9.1278$RV7.29...@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> "IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
> animals, they choose to be with us and we them."
>
> They are not pets, they are pests like any other rodent or cockroach. They
> spread harmful germs linked to psychosis in female humans and are a danger
> to children.
>
> The go yard to yard speading fleas.
>
> I have a ditch in my yard that I bury these creatures in when they are
> caught devistating my garden.
>
>
> "Cats have never been truely domesticated, like dogs have and see us as
> their equils, their companions.""
>
>
> Equals? Ha Ha. At best, Cats are cheap entertainment.
And you my friend, are clearly unwell.
Did you forget your med.s this morning ?
Account
"Lyn" <Pri...@user.kingsnake.com> wrote in message
news:4077c591.02092...@posting.google.com...
No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a baby's
health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
non-medicational therapy, these days.
I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
Without exposure to an adequate variety and quantity of natural pathogens,
the baby runs a serious risk of developing immune system disorders - most
typically, asthma but also a long list of others.
Parents these days, are being told to let their kids get dirty (particularly
outdoors) to provide the necessary pathogenic exposure for full immune
system development.
>
> -L.
Account
Absolutely, and if you want to prevent cats from opening closed doors by
handle-hanging, fit the handles upside-down.
>
> HTH,
>
> -L.
Account
Hear hear !
>
> -L.
Natalie
The cocker or your sister? :)
Natalie
Natalie
<accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>"Lyn" <Pri...@user.kingsnake.com> wrote in message
>news:4077c591.02092...@posting.google.com...
>> greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>news:<3D965918...@mindspring.com>...
>> > My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
>> > Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
>> > she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
>> > talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
>> > crap all over again.
>>
>> If your sister cannot handle cat hair in her baby's environment, she
>> needs to rehome the cat, especially if she resorts to "being awful to
>> her". What does she expect? - That the cat *won't* shed??? Geez!
>
>
>No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a baby's
>health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
>non-medicational therapy, these days.
>I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
I think the point is that the sister in question isn't even the mum,
she's the paternal grandmother. What an interfering, ignorant pain in
the backside...
Natalie
Account
"Natalie" <scr...@netcomuk.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3d973992....@news.btinternet.com...
You seem upset ....
dejablues
"Pam" <p...@nospam.com> wrote in message news:3D969D8F...@nospam.com...
Lesa
"Pam" <p...@nospam.com> wrote in message news:3D969C6D...@nospam.com...
We had a cat that turned doorknobs. He also ordered our 85 lb dog around,
opened the sliding glass door to get into the backyard (if it was already
partially opened), opened cupboard doors, had his favorite window sill to
sit in and would close that window if he didn't want it open. Cats are very
smart and very determined creatures.
Natalie
<accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> >No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a baby's
>> >health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
>> >non-medicational therapy, these days.
>> >I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
>>
>> I think the point is that the sister in question isn't even the mum,
>> she's the paternal grandmother. What an interfering, ignorant pain in
>> the backside...
>
>
>You seem upset ....
Nope, just would be if that was my mother-in-law; that's the sort of
behaviour that drives a wedge into families. The closest I have to
that is my boyfriend's mum, and she's great (for the record).
Sorry if I was over-communicating (again) :)
Natalie
Kristy Palmer
--
Some people have lives, others have cats.
"Pam" <p...@nospam.com> wrote in message news:3D969C6D...@nospam.com...
Lyn
> On Sun, 29 Sep 2002 08:01:21 +0000 (UTC), "Account"
> <accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Lyn" <Pri...@user.kingsnake.com> wrote in message
> >news:4077c591.02092...@posting.google.com...
> >> greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:<3D965918...@mindspring.com>...
> >> > My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
> >> > Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
> >> > she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
> >> > talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
> >> > crap all over again.
> >>
> >> If your sister cannot handle cat hair in her baby's environment, she
> >> needs to rehome the cat, especially if she resorts to "being awful to
> >> her". What does she expect? - That the cat *won't* shed??? Geez!
> >
> >
> >No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a baby's
> >health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
> >non-medicational therapy, these days.
> >I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
>
> I think the point is that the sister in question isn't even the mum,
> she's the paternal grandmother. What an interfering, ignorant pain in
> the backside...
I apologize - my mistake. I read "with her new daughter in law" as
"with her new daughter".
Either way, MIL needs to BUTT OUT. What ACCOUNT said is exactly true.
It has been shown in controlled studies that children in homes with
two or more pets have a decreased incidence of asthma, and allergies
well into late in life (in one study, the children were followed to
age 19).
Here's a report of one study:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/08/27/kid.pet.allergies/
-L.
Lyn
I would never trust any dog "with toddlers", at least alone. Many
dogs of *all* breeds can - and do - live in harmony with small
children. However, some breeds tend to have more tolerant
dispositions than others (cockers, in general, not being one of them).
I would never leave a toddler alone with my own two mutts, even
though they both love kids, and would never seemingly do anything to
hurt them.
That being said, I have not personally observed the "trend" for
kid-nippy chis, as I have with cockers. Someone who works in a
shelter environment in an area with a high population of chis is
probably better suited (than I am) to answer the question that I
*think* you are asking.
Would I trust a chi with my toddler? - No. But I wouldn't trust any
dog with my toddler - as much for the protection of the dog, as for
the child.
Also, one or two isolated snaps or growls (warning signs) do not mean
you have a kid-mauler on your hands. Dogs are very deliberate in
letting you know when certain boundries have been crossed. I think a
lot of parents get into trouble when they don't recognize that the
child's behavior with the dog (or their own) is what is causing the
"aggression" problem. If a dog has a sweet disposition otherwise, but
has had one or two instances of growling, etc., it is much more likely
that some boundry was crossed by the child. In either case, if such
instances occurred in my home, I would certainly seek behavior
counseling with the dog in order to learn how to let the child and dog
interact in a way that is not threatening to either. GOOD behavior
counselors (not all are) can be referred by your local Humane Society
or other animal welfare organization.
-L.
Martyr4Men
disease infested cats.
"Account" <accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:an6bho$gnm$1...@knossos.btinternet.com...
Account
> Cat owners are usually the ones on meds. That's because they live with
> disease infested cats.
The only disease-infested entity hereabouts is your brain.
Dusty
Natalie <scr...@netcomuk.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3d9738b1....@news.btinternet.com...
Dusty
again, there are some breeds that will lay down their lives protecting them
(labs and German Shepard spring to mind). But cats will often go out of
their way to avoid a confrontation with a child, provided they aren't
cornered.
I do remember an instance of when my son was about 3 years of age, he and
our other dog (a lab/shepard (no not german shepard) mix) that had Rufus
cornered under a chair. He growled at the dog, my son reached to grab the
cat, I warned son not to do it - wham! Rufus let my son's hand have it - 3
very slight, almost imperceptible lines running from the wrist to the
knuckles of his hand. The skin wasn't even broken, just 3 small lines, like
you'd get if you ran you're own finger nail over your skin.
It was a clear warning. Because, if Rufus had really wanted to, he could
very easily have filleted the back of his hand to the bone (Rufus is a
fairly big cat, with v-e-r-y big claws). It was the one and only time it
ever happened. My son never again corned the cat, and Rufus never gave it
another thought.
Now, if that had been a dog... I believe the story would have been very
different.
Lyn <Pri...@user.kingsnake.com> wrote in message
news:4077c591.02092...@posting.google.com...
Dusty
Martyr4Men <fre...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1gvl9.1278$RV7.29...@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> "IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
> animals, they choose to be with us and we them."
>
> They are not pets, they are pests like any other rodent or cockroach. They
> spread harmful germs linked to psychosis in female humans and are a danger
> to children.
Correction dude, felines kill rodents and bugs. Though there is a -slight-
danger to -pregnant- women that change the litter box. They are not (again,
MY opinion) a danger to children. To support this, there are numerous cases
where a home was broken into, the dog ran for cover and the CAT attacked the
burglar!!
> The go yard to yard speading fleas.
As do DOGS when not washed properly or timely.
> I have a ditch in my yard that I bury these creatures in when they are
> caught devistating my garden.
Do you grow mice in this garden?
> "Cats have never been truely domesticated, like dogs have and see us as
> their equils, their companions.""
>
>
> Equals? Ha Ha. At best, Cats are cheap entertainment.
Yup, that they are. They know when you're up and when you're down, when
you're living a good life or when the chips are down. And in every
instance, they know only one thing, that they love their human companion
completely and unconditionally - unlike a human female who will drop you
like a hot rock when the going gets tough.
Dusty
Bring it on dog lover - MEOW! :)
Martyr4Men <fre...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:lcLl9.461$Mr1.52...@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
Dusty
I couldn't have said it better myself! Bravo!! Or is it.. meow? :)
Dusty
CORRECTION: ..unlike -some- human females..
I apologize for lumping all women into that group. It was not my intention
to do that.
Jeanette
> I agree, not all dogs should or could be trusted with small children.
Then
> again, there are some breeds that will lay down their lives protecting
them
> (labs and German Shepard spring to mind). But cats will often go out of
> their way to avoid a confrontation with a child, provided they aren't
> cornered.
>
> I do remember an instance of when my son was about 3 years of age, he and
> our other dog (a lab/shepard (no not german shepard) mix) that had Rufus
> cornered under a chair. He growled at the dog, my son reached to grab the
> cat, I warned son not to do it - wham! Rufus let my son's hand have it -
3
> very slight, almost imperceptible lines running from the wrist to the
> knuckles of his hand. The skin wasn't even broken, just 3 small lines,
like
> you'd get if you ran you're own finger nail over your skin.
>
> It was a clear warning. Because, if Rufus had really wanted to, he could
> very easily have filleted the back of his hand to the bone (Rufus is a
> fairly big cat, with v-e-r-y big claws). It was the one and only time it
> ever happened. My son never again corned the cat, and Rufus never gave it
> another thought.
>
> Now, if that had been a dog... I believe the story would have been very
> different.
>
my dog when I was five. The dog had grown up with me, and was a puppy when I
was a baby. I was pulling on his ears and he nipped me and growled. He
didn't break the skin. I got the message, and didn't tease him again.
Jeanette
Cindi Prudhomme
dogs living in the house with children. Yes there are dogs that aren't as
good with kids (not as much patience or some that are suffering from "little
dog syndrome"), but I think a lot of the problem is rooted in how people
train their dogs. People bring dogs into their home and if the dog gets
along with them (in their current childless state), then that's just fine
and it's the end of the story. There is no attempt at properly socializing
the dog with children, adults, and possibly other animals, and little to no
thought of taking the dog to "school" for some training in general. Then
their circumstances change (eg: the addition of a child or another animal)
and the dog doesn't react to the situation in the way that they would like
for him/her to, and the dog winds up with the short end of the stick and
finds themselves given away or discarded because of their owners'
shortsightedness and thoughtlessness. Then again, that's typical of a lot
of people bringing many different types of animals into the house - little
or no prior research is done, and not enough of an attempt is made to
understand the psychology/mindset of the animal. Certainly not the dog's
(or other species) fault....
Cindi
Lyn
> I agree, not all dogs should or could be trusted with small children. Then
> again, there are some breeds that will lay down their lives protecting them
> (labs and German Shepard spring to mind).
IMO, even those dogs should not be left alone with toddlers. All it
takes is for the toddler to fall on the dog, or cross another boundry
(pulling genitals, for example) and the child is bitten or hurt.
We had a family dog that was for all intents and purposes, a Golden
Retriever. Being a hybrid, he didn't have any of the "bad" golden
traits like hyperactivity, etc. He was *wonderful* with all kids of
all ages. We were in the room one day where he was sleeping, and the
neighbor's two-year-old toddled up to "give him a hug" (the adults
weren't really apying attention). She tripped and fell on him, which
startled him, and he jumped up growling, which knocked his face into
hers, and split her lip open. It took a second for him to realize
what happened, and then he was very ashamed, but in all reality, it
wasn't his fault. Even accidents happen when adults are present - so
I hate to see what ight happen if the child were left alone with the
dog.
> But cats will often go out of
> their way to avoid a confrontation with a child, provided they aren't
> cornered.
>
> I do remember an instance of when my son was about 3 years of age, he and
> our other dog (a lab/shepard (no not german shepard) mix) that had Rufus
> cornered under a chair. He growled at the dog, my son reached to grab the
> cat, I warned son not to do it - wham! Rufus let my son's hand have it - 3
> very slight, almost imperceptible lines running from the wrist to the
> knuckles of his hand. The skin wasn't even broken, just 3 small lines, like
> you'd get if you ran you're own finger nail over your skin.
>
> It was a clear warning. Because, if Rufus had really wanted to, he could
> very easily have filleted the back of his hand to the bone (Rufus is a
> fairly big cat, with v-e-r-y big claws). It was the one and only time it
> ever happened. My son never again corned the cat, and Rufus never gave it
> another thought.
>
> Now, if that had been a dog... I believe the story would have been very
> different.
Probably depends on the dog...and the cat. If it had been my cat,
your child's hand would have been shredded. If it had been my dog,
she would have jumped over both of them and been out of there before
you even new what happened.
-L.
Natalie
>Oooooo! I think I hear a CAT fight coming on..... :)
Alas, I have no claws....to the manicurist I go :)
(I was, of course, only joking; I can't resist 'feeds' like that one).
Natalie
Natalie
wrote:
>Cat owners are usually the ones on meds. That's because they live with
>disease infested cats.
And yet you choose to associate with us because...?
Natalie
Lyn
> Martyr4Men <fre...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1gvl9.1278$RV7.29...@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> > "IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
> > animals, they choose to be with us and we them."
> >
> > They are not pets, they are pests like any other rodent or cockroach. They
> > spread harmful germs linked to psychosis in female humans and are a danger
> > to children.
>
> Correction dude, felines kill rodents and bugs. Though there is a -slight-
> danger to -pregnant- women that change the litter box.
From some but not all cats. Toxoplasmosis is completely avoidable.
>They are not (again,
> MY opinion) a danger to children. To support this, there are numerous cases
> where a home was broken into, the dog ran for cover and the CAT attacked the
> burglar!!
>
> > The go yard to yard speading fleas.
>
> As do DOGS when not washed properly or timely.
And squirrels, rats, raccoons, and other wild animals...
>
> > I have a ditch in my yard that I bury these creatures in when they are
> > caught devistating my garden.
>
> Do you grow mice in this garden?
>
> > "Cats have never been truely domesticated, like dogs have and see us as
> > their equils, their companions.""
> >
> >
> > Equals? Ha Ha. At best, Cats are cheap entertainment.
>
> Yup, that they are. They know when you're up and when you're down, when
> you're living a good life or when the chips are down. And in every
> instance, they know only one thing, that they love their human companion
> completely and unconditionally -
Absolutley
>unlike a human female who will drop you
> like a hot rock when the going gets tough.
Or like a human male who doesn't know how to keep his trous' zipped?
One sexist slur deserves another, you know...
-L.
Martin L. Crim
and even with my own dog, as well trained as he is, I wouldn't leave him
alone around kids........(infants and toddlers). The reason for this has
nothing to do with training, it has to do with instinct. As an elder member
of your "pack", with you being alpha, the dog will treat the child as one of
the pack, lower in stature than itself... The way dogs disipline puppies
when they get out of line is to grab them by the head......puppies
instinctively submitt, meaning, go limp. A child on the other hand, being
"disiplined" by the dog, which is grabbing by the head, doesn't submit,
rather crys, thrashes around, etc, where in the dog applies a little more
pressure. This has ended up with the childs head being crushed. This isn't
a fault with the dog, it was only doing what comes naturally, having no
intent on harming the child........but it happens, and a child being hurt,
or killed because the dog was left alone with the child, isn't a
consideration with me, as, my dog, is always within my imediate control.
People think that their dogs act like people, but actually, they are looking
at us like dogs......
Marty.
"Cindi Prudhomme" <div...@nospam.sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:Lp_l9.1569$zz2.4...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Lyn
I agree with what you are saying in principle, but the fact of the
matter is, NO dog is 100% reliable, no matter how much training, or
faith the owner has in the dog, or how well socialized it is in the
family structure.
Dogs should not be left alone with small children, period. The
shelters are full of lovely, well behaved dogs that were the victim of
some incident wherein a child was hurt, and the parents freaked out
and dumped the dog. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone
say "we never thought s/he would do that!", I'd have quite a few more
bucks to line my pockets.
-L.
Nanci
parent supervision. If it's nap time, close the door or if you can put your
animal outside for a while. I also wouldn't have an animal that wasn't good
with my children. Someone said they had a cat who opened doors. There are
caps you can put on your door knobs that I use that small children can't
open and I would assume the same for cats. I would not purchase the laser
gadget when I believe there are simpler and less expensive options.
Nanci
"Martin L. Crim" <OnePrim...@SexMagnet.com> wrote in message
news:i6pdna...@news.air-internet.com...
spam"@softhome.net KILOWATT
cats and kids...I had more than 70 replies from (mostly) parents
and it turned out has i was suspecting that the stories about
cats harming children in their bed where "old wive's tales" .
Maybe a good do-it-once project for over protective parents? ;-)
Again thanks very much to all who do a comment during those days.
--
Alain (alias:Kilowatt) Montreal Quebec
P.S: Excuse me for some errors or omissions,since
I'm a «pure» French Canadian :-)
If replying also by e-mail,remove"no spam"
(with the quotes) from my adress...thanks!
Come to visit me @: http://kilowatt.camarades.com
greccogirl
When my Mom came to visit she called me at work and said someone was
"ringing" the bell and running away. I told her "it's Sugar, Mom, open
the door and let her in".
She would jump on the porch rail and push the doorbell. Cracked my Mom up.
greccogirl
greccogirl
are simply too many things that can go wrong.
I knew someone who insisted on lying her baby on the floor for "just a
minute" instead of putting her in the playpen - they had a huge dog part
lab that was as sweet as a lamb.
Anyway, someone can in and the dog got so excited he jumped everywhere
and I had to rescue the baby - to keep her from having her face smashed
by this dog's feet.
Not the dog's fault - stupid mother.
greccogirl
cat will "smother" a baby being attracted by the "smell of milk". You'd
think in this day and age that stuff would be long gone.
I love ALL animals - dogs too - but prefer cats.
Dusty wrote:
> greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:3D965918...@mindspring.com...
>
>>My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
>>Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
>>she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
>>talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
>>crap all over again.
>>
>>These are only old wives tales and have no basis in truth. It IS
>>possible, however, for a baby to grab a cat and be scratched. I would
>>worry about that that danger, and keep the cat out of the baby's room.
>>If you have pets though sooner or later they will get scratched at least
>>once and the baby will learn, the same way with dogs.
>
>
> Yes, it's been my experiance that those that claim to 'hate' cats never had
> them as pets, never lived with one. And if they did, they treated the cat
> poorly and got what they deserved for it.
>
> Myself, I've had cats around me since as far back as I can remember - and
> loved every minute of it! IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
> animals, they choose to be with us and we them. Cats have never been truely
> domesticated, like dogs have and see us as their equils, their companions.
greccogirl
dumb left).
Martyr4Men wrote:
> "IMHO, cats are not pets, they are companion
> animals, they choose to be with us and we them."
>
greccogirl
"Martyr4Men" <fre...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:lcLl9.461$Mr1.52...@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
> Cat owners are usually the ones on meds. That's because they live with
> disease infested cats.
greccogirl
Lyn wrote:
> greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message news:<3D965918...@mindspring.com>...
>
>>My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
>>Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
>>she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
>>talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
>>crap all over again.
>
>
> If your sister cannot handle cat hair in her baby's environment, she
> needs to rehome the cat, especially if she resorts to "being awful to
> her". What does she expect? - That the cat *won't* shed??? Geez!
>
> -L.
greccogirl
welfare always coming first.
I think if daughter-in-law just shut the door it wouldn't matter.
Happy medium?
Natalie wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Sep 2002 08:01:21 +0000 (UTC), "Account"
> <accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>
>>"Lyn" <Pri...@user.kingsnake.com> wrote in message
>>news:4077c591.02092...@posting.google.com...
>>
>>No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a baby's
>>health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
>>non-medicational therapy, these days.
>>I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
>
>
> I think the point is that the sister in question isn't even the mum,
> she's the paternal grandmother. What an interfering, ignorant pain in
> the backside...
>
> Natalie
>
>
>
>>Without exposure to an adequate variety and quantity of natural pathogens,
>>the baby runs a serious risk of developing immune system disorders - most
>>typically, asthma but also a long list of others.
>>Parents these days, are being told to let their kids get dirty (particularly
>>outdoors) to provide the necessary pathogenic exposure for full immune
>>system development.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>-L.
>>
>>
>
greccogirl
the home, she just doesn't think the cat (or dog) belong in the bed with
a newborn infant.
Lyn wrote:
> scr...@netcomuk.co.uk (Natalie) wrote in message news:<3d973992....@news.btinternet.com>...
>
>>On Sun, 29 Sep 2002 08:01:21 +0000 (UTC), "Account"
>><accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"Lyn" <Pri...@user.kingsnake.com> wrote in message
>>>news:4077c591.02092...@posting.google.com...
>>>
>>>>greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>>>
>> news:<3D965918...@mindspring.com>...
>>
>>>>>My sister is going through this with her new daughter in law that has a
>>>>>Siamese cat. My sis is going overboard and being awful to her because
>>>>>she found some cat hair in the baby's craddle. When I try to REASONABLY
>>>>>talk to her about it she freaks, and starts that "cats smother babies"
>>>>>crap all over again.
>>>>
>>>>If your sister cannot handle cat hair in her baby's environment, she
>>>>needs to rehome the cat, especially if she resorts to "being awful to
>>>>her". What does she expect? - That the cat *won't* shed??? Geez!
>>>
>>>
>>>No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a baby's
>>>health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
>>>non-medicational therapy, these days.
>>>I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
>>
>>I think the point is that the sister in question isn't even the mum,
>>she's the paternal grandmother. What an interfering, ignorant pain in
>>the backside...
>
>
> I apologize - my mistake. I read "with her new daughter in law" as
> "with her new daughter".
>
> Either way, MIL needs to BUTT OUT. What ACCOUNT said is exactly true.
> It has been shown in controlled studies that children in homes with
> two or more pets have a decreased incidence of asthma, and allergies
> well into late in life (in one study, the children were followed to
> age 19).
>
> Here's a report of one study:
> http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/08/27/kid.pet.allergies/
>
>
> -L.
greccogirl
Karen
grecc...@mindspring.com wrote on 10/4/02 9:37 PM:
> We had a 1/2 persian that rang the doorbell when she wanted to come in.
> When my Mom came to visit she called me at work and said someone was
> "ringing" the bell and running away. I told her "it's Sugar, Mom, open
> the door and let her in".
>
> She would jump on the porch rail and push the doorbell. Cracked my Mom up.
LOL!!
Martyr4Men
unrelated group. Which entitles you to be slammed.
"Natalie" <scr...@netcomuk.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3d992140....@news.btinternet.com...
Dusty
animals, they choose to be with us and we them."
It was M4M that compared cats to roaches...
greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3D9E5314...@mindspring.com...
N
the house - but because of the fact that where we are renting we aren't
allowed any - but i wouldn't have them in the crib. encouraging them not to
play/hang around the baby's room/crib surely isn't that totally nasty to the
cat??
Nat
"greccogirl" <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3D9E543B...@mindspring.com...
N
ideas/opinions/thoughts put forward. having a friend who is pregnant (found
out there is a development defect, and is scared the cat might have caused
it) and wants the cat away from the crib is one thing, but having a
mother-in-law that is flapping that much over something that is *officially*
none of her business, is going to freak the mum/mum-to-be out more than what
the cat might do....
Nat
"Natalie" <scr...@netcomuk.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3d9777b7....@news.btinternet.com...
> On Sun, 29 Sep 2002 10:15:28 +0000 (UTC), "Account"
> <accoun...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> >> >No disrespect to the mother, but such degrees of obsession about a
baby's
> >> >health and safety are a mild form of OCB and are readily amenable to
> >> >non-medicational therapy, these days.
> >> >I saw a TV documentary about a very similar mum.
> >>
> >> I think the point is that the sister in question isn't even the mum,
> >> she's the paternal grandmother. What an interfering, ignorant pain in
> >> the backside...
> >
> >
> >You seem upset ....
>
> Nope, just would be if that was my mother-in-law; that's the sort of
> behaviour that drives a wedge into families. The closest I have to
> that is my boyfriend's mum, and she's great (for the record).
>
> Sorry if I was over-communicating (again) :)
>
> Natalie
Donkey Flybye
> it's nice to find a newsgroup where i agree with most of the
> ideas/opinions/thoughts put forward. having a friend who is pregnant
> (found out there is a development defect, and is scared the cat might
> have caused it)
My wife and I used to think that children are more important than animals,
but not anymore. Those kinds of beliefs led to heartbreak. I thought my
wife's parents cat was what made our little Skipp very sick one day. He
almost died of asthma. When we got home from the hospital I went over to my
inlaws house and smashed that poor cat's head with my workboots. I will
never forget the horrible pile of what looked like eggshells with whiskers
covered in Ragu Marinara sauce. It took my inlaws years to forgive me.
It turned out it was not the cat that made Skipp sick--that night he
coughed up a rather large piece of granite. He had been eating rocks! I
will always regret squashing that cat, and I can't stand to look at my
child any more.
Sincerely,
Brad
Account
"N" <N@O> wrote in message
news:3da63644$0$23171$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
> it's nice to find a newsgroup where i agree with most of the
> ideas/opinions/thoughts put forward. having a friend who is pregnant
(found
> out there is a development defect, and is scared the cat might have caused
> it)
.... heck, that would explain a few things - my mum kept a cat when pregnant
with me.
Account
"N" <N@O> wrote in message
> don't get me wrong, when my fiance and i have kids, i won't have animals
in
> the house - but because of the fact that where we are renting we aren't
> allowed any
We rent, and 'officially' don't have any pets ; -)
Account
"Donkey Flybye" <djdo...@cal.net> wrote in message
news:Xns92A44AB748EDw...@66.150.105.45...
OK, I'm taking the bait ..... are you for real (killing a cat) ?
Cats actually improve babies' health, by broadening the range of allogens to
which the developing immune system is exposed and attains resistance to.
You probably did the baby a disservice aswell as the poor cat.
Shouldn't you have done time for that, by the way ?
Gimp
Richard Steven Walz
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Steve
greccogirl
greccogirl
think children benefit greatly.
Dusty
greccogirl <grecc...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3DA92B3D...@mindspring.com...
Dusty
I have a boot of my own, allow me to test it on -your- head.
Donkey Flybye <djdo...@cal.net> wrote in message
news:Xns92A44AB748EDw...@66.150.105.45...
Stormin Mormon
visting, or not bringing the child into the same house with the
cat.
I hope they called the police and pressed charges. From your
description, you are not the kind of person I would want to have
in my house. For any reason.
--
Read the Book of Mormon
A second testament of
Jesus Christ
KSØF
This is got to be some joke, as I can't imagine anyone so stupid to do such
a thing. But, if this were true & I were one of your inlaws, you would
have
FELT some serious results of your actions. It would have been immediate,
and very certain.
Dusty <N...@home.org> wrote in message
news:O6rq9.31147$OB5.2...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Corinne McKay
years. So far (6 weeks) no problems here...Our daughter sleeps in a
small cradle next to our bed and the cats could easily get into it if
they wanted to, so before she was born I got a net to put over it to
keep them out. But so far they just look at her like "it is a
hairless cat, or what??" and they have NEVER been vicious in any way,
basically they steer clear of her and are mostly outside during the
day anyway. We heard horror stories of the cats freaking out and
refusing to use the litterbox, etc. but haven't had problems with that
either. That being said, common sense about kids and animals would
dictate:
-NEVER leave the baby unattended where the pet can get to it, in the
same way that you wouldn't leave a baby with a 2 year old sibling
unattended. A large cat weighs a lot more than a newborn, and the
newborn can't move away if the cat lays next to it.
-Try to give the cats attention when the baby is around. That way
they associate the baby with something good, rather than bad. I try
to do this by petting the cats while I'm bfing my daughter, and
everybody seems happy.
-Remember also that as the kid gets bigger, it's as much about
protecting the cats from the baby as the other way around. Our
friends' 6 month old is fascinated by their cats, but tries to do
stuff like bite their tails, in which case you can't blame the cat for
getting angry-better to supervise the interaction to start out with!!
Corinne
WENDY REED
IN CHEEK) SHOULD BE FLOGGED!
"Stormin Mormon" <cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:aoefj...@enews4.newsguy.com...
Starwalker34
Because it worked.
Micha
Hoyt McKagen
> most they should worry about is the cat nuzzling the baby to cuddle while
> sleeping, or (if it is not declawed), doing that "milking affect" with it's
> claws (like kittens do when nursing).
Interesting thread, may I add to it?
I have training in psychology and my family has always had cats. I'm a
parent too, and have observed their behavior with some of my own kids.
Cats, as Michelle noted, do the 'milking' thing sometimes, which is
something they did as kittens at their momma's breast. They splay their
paws and push on the breast in alternation. That no doubt is pleasurable
to the mother cat, and it expresses more milk. She may in turn lick the
kittens while they nurse. Cats retain a tendancy to pump like this
throughout life, and may sometimes be seem to do it to pillows and the
body of their favorite human, such as while sitting in your lap and being
petted or stroked. In this case the cat is actually reliving her
breastfeeding experience, and it's quite a compliment to you though those
claws can and do stick into yer leg!
Cats are curious creatures and will often investigate the nursury and
cradle of human infants. While in the cradle, they will almost inevitably
smell milk on the infant's lips, esp if the infant is breastfed. Then
something called 'stimulous generalization' takes over. The infant is
soft, warm and smells of milk. Chances are extremely good the cat will
then pump the infant and nuzzle or lick its face. This is not going to
harm the infant, though it probably is far from comforting, and often the
infant will vocalize and even struggle to turn away. Often at this point,
the parent comes in and sees the scene being played out. Usually, the
parent is alarmed, and usually the cat senses that and flees.
This is almost certainly the source of the old myth about cats sucking
out a baby's breath, as indeed it couldn't be more easily mistaken for
that. I suppose if it did continue for a long period of time, it might
make actual difference to the baby's breathing, though that seems very
unlikely to me. But certainly the cat is not intending any harm; as those
who also commented on this have noted, they are not jealous or agressive
as are dogs, who indeed have been known to eat babies and that with
depressing regularity. And the cat is with all certainty NOT sucking out
the baby's breath.
HOWEVER ... the infant's feelings I think should take precedance here. If
you have babies and esp breastfed babaies, don't let your cat have
unsupervised access to them. If nothing else, the above may cause the
infant to develop a cat phobia. And second to that, if you have any such
incidents, don't think ill of the cat. These sorts of early behaviors are
either hardwired or learned very deeply, and there is nothing you can do
to countertrain them. Finally, I would never permit a dog to even be in
the same house with a human infant.
Regards,
Hoyt McKagen
Belfab CNC - http://www.freeyellow.com/members/belfab/belfab.html
Best MC Repair - http://www.freeyellow.com/members/batwings/best.html
Camping/Caving - http://www.freeyellow.com/members/batwings/caving.html
If you tickle a serpent, it will cough up a dead rat
Hoyt McKagen
> spread harmful germs linked to psychosis in female humans and are a danger
> to children.
I'd like to hear some cites about these harmful germs.
For the record, the only well-identified association between animals and
humans in re mental illness is borna virus and schizophrenia. Borna virus
is carried by horses, and just over 40% of schizos have antibodies to it;
this is very very highly significant statistically. The effect is
supposed to be thru prenatal or very early infection.