bringing home a kitten to a 10 month old baby...?

Question

We are thinking about getting a kitten and we have a 10 month old baby girl. What is the best way to get them to adjust to each other? Is it natural for a kitten to nip or bite a baby? We are getting one without a tail so the baby doesn't pull the kitten tail... Has anyone brought home a kitten to a house with a baby? How did it go? what were some of the problems? Can you keep a cat in a kennel like a puppy? help...

Answer 1

You'll have 2 babies to care for as a kitten is as much a baby as a human one and needs lots of love and attention. It's cruel to put a kitten in a kennel. Leaving the mother and litter mates is very traumatic and the kitten would be very lost and lonely shut away. Kittens do bite and scratch, but they grow out of it. You should never ever punish a kitten. You teach her to be good,the same way as you teach a child, by distraction.You need catnip toys and a good strong tall scratching post for the kitten to exercise and grow strong. When she goes to bite or scratch, you simply throw a toy.

You'll need to watch your little girl as she will want to cuddle the kitten and kittens are very fragile,some have been killed by little ones loving them too much. You need to teach her to gently stroke the kitten, but never leave them unsupervised until your little girl has grown up a bit and knows to respect animals and be gentle with them.

If you are in a country where its still legal to declaw cats, whatever you do don't let anyone advise you to do that, it's a very cruel operation and the kitten would turn to biting very hard and possibly have litter tray problems too. Declawing turns healthy kittens into disabled ones.

Having said all that, if you feel you can cope with 2 babies, I hope all goes well for you. The vet will advise you about vaccinations, neutering, worm and flea prevention.It's wonderful for children to grow up with cats around, your little girl will probably be a lifelong cat lover.

Answer 2

I had two cats when my first son was born. We have lost a couple (they died) over the years and have gotten new cats & kittens and still have two cats.

I have 4 children, ranging in age from 10 years to 19 months.

As long as you allow the kitten to have some space that is a "no-kids zone", you should be ok. A cat that feels trapped will bite and scratch in defense. I use plastic baby gates to contain my youngest, with a small hole cut in the plastic so that the cats can come and go. The hole is big enough for a cat, but *not* so big that a baby's head could go through.

Teach your daughter to know and respect the kitten's body language. Even at an early age, she can begin to understand that a kitty with it's ears back is not a happy kitty. A kitty that is not happy is best left alone. If the kitty wants down, or wants to walk away, then let it. A cat that knows it can walk away unhindered if it wants to is more likely to come back on it's own as well.

While you are teaching your daughter how to properly treat a cat, please remember that this kitten will be learning, too. The kitten will need to learn that claws hurt and biting is not ok. A spray bottle with water is a good way to help the kitten learn her people manners. Also, small kittens can get themselves into trouble - you will need to be extra careful to keep doors shut, and not let the kitten eat things that could hurt it.

You will best off letting your kitten acclimate to the new surroundings for a few days before springing the baby on it. Keep it in a room (like your bedroom, unless you are co-sleeping with Baby) with a potty box, food and water. A move is a big deal to a cat, so let it get settled in. This also gives you a chance to verify that the kitten is fully potty-box trained. Simply show him where the box is. Even if it doesn't go right away, it will be able to know what to look for. Make sure you keep the water and food as far from the potty box as you can. If they are too close, the kitten may find an alternate location to potty.

Good luck!



And, oh - no, cats don't get put in a kennel like a dog. The kennels are for transporting them safely, like to the vet. Some cats will use the kennel as a sleeping space, if it has a comfy blanket in it - but you don't shut the door on them.

Answer 3

Ohhhh. This is not a good idea. A kitten wants to play and a baby wants to play, and the baby is just too young to be taught how to properly play with a kitten. An older cat that has been raised around babies might be a good idea, or waiting until your child is older. Cats cannot live in a kennel (neither should a puppy) and deserve full run of the house. The baby will find other things to pull on the kitten, and the kitten will react like ANY kitten would and bite back to play. Declawing will NOT help, it will make the kitten more defensive/likely to bite. I would honestly wait, or adopt an adult that is used to children already.



No kitten is calm. As they age, they get more playful until they are about 2 years old. The kitten will be MISERABLE if you close it up in a pen. I know you think you are doing something nice by taking this kitten in, and something fun for your kid, but its not fair to the kitten to be raised like this. I don't believe its the right thing to do at this stage of your child's life. You are making too many "arrangements" to attempt to separate the 2 and keep the kitten away from the child, and its just not going to work.

Answer 4

no, you cannot keep a cat in a kennel, that would be very cruel. Kittens need to be able to get out and walk around, sleep in the sunny windows, watch the birds, etc. A kitten is NOT a good pet for a 10 month old. You will need a litter box, which are VERY interesting for children (and have dangerous bacteria). Many cats will nip or scratch at children (or adults for that matter). A more suitable pet for a 10-month old would be an aquarium of fish that she can look at and help feed or maybe a small caged animal like a hamster that you can hold with her and she can pet and feed and watch play on a wheel. As you know, 10 month olds are a LOT of work, having a kitten is just like having another baby! You have to teach it to use the litter box and to not get on your kitchen counters, etc.

Answer 5

Please don't use a kennel with your kitten...

Apart from that, yes, they should be fine, but it will be quite a lot of work for you, what with the 2 of them learning to be around each other, and learning life !

My cat was just a year old when I had my first baby, and he was still feisty enough when baby was 10 months. There have been a few scratches along the way, nothing very serious though, because I was vigilant, but I did have to be watching the 2 of them all the time. My cat gradually learned to be more patient and tolerant of my little girl, who herself learned to respect it, and understand "cat body language" to a certain extent.



Now he's 5, and I have another baby (16 months), and the cat is just sooooo patient. The odd scratch is not totally excluded, and that's fair enough, considering baby is sometimes too fast for me to stop him pulling an ear, or stepping on a tail... But I know the cat would never inflict a bad scratch to my child, he gives fair warning, and then grazes.



Not the same with me though, if I "overpet" or get on his nerves, he lets me know the normal cat way !!! and even his playtime is wayyyy more ... shall I say... painful at times ?

Answer 6

Don't do it. Babies and kittens do NOT belong together. Wait until the baby is older and get a young adult cat.



I really hope you are not thinking of getting the kitten as a "toy" for the baby? And no, you cant keep them in a kennel.



Do the cat world a favour and just concentrate on the baby for the time being.



Edit: Please dont have this kitten, it is such a bad idea, the timing is all wrong, if you really want a kitten, wait until the child is at least 4 years old. It sounds like you are getting the kitten for the wrong reasons.



Something that is worth bearing in mind, a kitten requires almost as much care and attention as your baby does at this point, think about it, will you really be able to stretch yourself? This really really REALLY is a BAD idea.

Answer 7

I suggest going to your local shelter and bringing your baby along with you, let your baby touch and play with the cats, but not too much as to agitate the animals. which ever one is the most calm and doesn't get agitated at all by your daughters play, is the one you should adopt. it doesn't even have to be a kitten it could also be an older cat, older cats at the shelter may have some experience with children, and will tolerate children better. with this method you may be saving a life, shelter cats will also come vaccinated as well as spayed/neutered, or will come with a voucher for a free or a low cost spay/neuter.



I have had luck with this technique in the past.

Answer 8

First of all it is illegal to dock the tails of animals (get rid of the tail)

But kittens do tend to have sharp claws, but as long as you keep an eye on the two of them, they should be fine.

Always congratulate your child when she is good to the kitten, and when she is bad or nasty to the kitten, take it away and tell the child it is bad.

Doing this from a very early age will teach them how to behave around animals.

As long as your child is not allergic, it should be fine, you can only tell what will happen once you get one!



Good luck!

Answer 9

You really should have no worries. baby kitties and babies are quite compatable.When my daughter was a baby we got a 6 month old long haired from the humane society. She did do one nip to the fore head, quite comicle actually, it was a one time only thing, they are both 14 years old and have a strong bond.My daughter is now concerned as to what will happen to her Jazzy cat when she goes off to college. Get your kitty and let the two grow together.

Answer 10

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Answer 12

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