HELP! How to keep cats out of the crib

[evthing4reason]

We just got the nursery done this weekend and set up the crib (and the bassinet is in there for now) and on one of my many trips to pee last night one of  my cats was standing in the bassinet. We have an older house so the dooe needs to be kept open for heat to get in. What can we do to keep the cats out of the crib/bassinet?

[Irani]

How can this tripe about cats smothering babies really still be going around?!?

Doesn't anyone suppose that this notion would actually get news documentation just a little if it were EVER really happening!!??? Don't you think it would be Priority One with every o.b. and pediatrician to tell people having babies to get rid of cats because they are baby killers?!?!?

Cats have absolutely no interest in human breast milk or formula; if they were, they'd come to the source. When was the last time you heard about a lactating mother being awakened by their cat trying to nurse? That would be NEVER. Any stories about cats being drawn to the laundry that's been soaked by an unexpected milk let-down and trying to lick it? Not so much!  Offer your cat some formula and see what happens, I can guarantee they'll turn their nose up at it, and might even flinch like you're offering something wrong....which to me says something kind of sad about what formula really is and whether we should give it to babies, but that's another rant.

The fact is, while an unoccupied crib might look inviting to your cat, a brand new, erratically behaving, noisy, flailing, tiny, non-furry, grabby handed baby is actually pretty terrifying to most cats. My cat wanted absolutely nothing to do with my first daughter, and I expect it to go the same with my impending new arrival. And I did worry, not because I thought my cat might smother my baby, and not because of allergies, (which are largely genetic, btw; if you have cats and are fine, then probably so will your baby be fine, no matter how much cat fur is around,...) I was worried about playfullness, ( would the cat treat the small moving/twitching hands and feet like toys to pounce on and scare/scratch the baby?)  and alternately about the possibility of fur actually getting in the eyes or ears, causing the painful irritation that is typical of having a hair in the eye or ear. But these never became the least bit real; Suzi came home, and my cat practically became invisible.

So give your cat a chance. IF (s)he seems overly curious and not inclined to flee in fear from the baby when the meeting happens, then realize that you still have at least a week where neither of you are going to be asleep long enough for the cat to do anything insidious, and if you ever find the cat on top of the baby trying to lick it's face or steal it's breath, then I'd actually say get rid of that cat, because it's possessed by some baby-killing devil that will never be able to be exorcised because you won't find a priest who believes that cats have souls.

[Joyce49788]

i have heard that if you spray tea tree water (use a water bottle and put tea tree oil/extract in it) that cats will stay out of the area that the scent is...for some reason they HATE that smell...i will have to look into it, i have not seen our cat (mainly bf's cat) in the crib or on the blankets,ect... but that does not mean that he is not in there when i am not around. i dont even like the cat up on MY bed....but bf seems to treat the cat like a baby, carries the cat around on his shoulder,ect... i am kinda afraid that if bf is holding baby that he will let the cat close to her, and i DO NOT want the cat anywhere close to my baby. if worst comes to worst i will figure out a new home for cat.

[Griggsy]

What's the foil thing all about?

I'm allergic to cats, so I don't have to worry about it, but DH and I can get into some pretty heated arguments about cats, and babies breath. He says it's a myth, and I say that all myths have some truth to them- it all depends on the cat.

We talked about getting a cat a few months ago, but my allergies and most of all my patience wouldn't allow it.  

[bluegenie2003]

I'm so glad you were able to find something that worked without you having to get rid of your kitties!  I know I would be heartbroken if I ever had to get rid of either of my pets (I have two dogs right now, but I grew up with cats until about 5 years ago).  

[evthing4reason]

I put tin foil in them and it took 1 cat once to never get back in and the other one twice (i'm thinking it was more the scolding then anything). I am not worried anymore. With having the angel moniter, if a cat jumps in the crib the alarm will go off anyways

[kjbutcher]

I ended up letting the cats stay in there because I was scared that if I didnt tHEY WOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF RESENTMENT TOWARD MY son.  i put a sheet over the babies stuff so hair wouldnt get all over it. probably justmy imagination.  I dont know if anyone suggested this, but i read somewhere to put balloons in the crib till baby gets home to stop the cats now and deter later.

[g8r grl]

My cats were all over the changing table and basinet until I brought my son home. They wanted nothing to do with him or anything that smelled like him, so you might get lucky.

I bought a crib tent before he was born, but it didn't fit the sleigh crib that I had so I took it back. I'm glad that I did because they never went in the crib again anyways..

To this day (he's 2 1/2) they don't even lay on his toddler bed...

[blueeyedtabbycat]

We got our cat right after I got pregnant with baby# 3 and it was a big concern of mine. Luckly and unluckly we only live in a 2 bedroom apartment so the crib is in our room. The cat loved being in the crib before baby came and I thought it was so cute, but realized I had to put my foot down. So every night I would chase her out of it , sometime more than 4 times in one night, but eventaly she got the point, I was still very nervose after he came home but I am such a light sleeper that every sound woke me. She stays out of it now, unless she is trying to get in the window and than she jumps in and out again onto the window seal. I agree about not shuting the door, I know you are supposed to do that at night in the rooms you sleep in but I couldnt stand not being able to hear my children if they woke up in the middle of the night or something. If your other ideas dont work I would try a crib tent and as someone already mentioned on here a screen door, I found one on craigslist and was very tempted to buy it.  It looked like a great idea and you can buy one that matches your decor so that it doesnt look tacky:) Good luck!!

[AnitaRFrith]

My cats are not allowed in the nursery.  We keep the door closed and we have baby monitors.  

[onna24]

I've had the same problem with our cats. The only thing I've found that doesn't work is the baby gate in the door way. Two gates stacked one ontop of the other and close to 6ft tall and both cats can easily jump up and over. Try looking into SssCat, its motion sensored and only goes off when the cat starts to walk by it. It would work to keep the cats out of the room and leave the door open without them associating you coming up to them while they're in there. I wouldn't put a heater in the room either, been too many house fires happen cause of those being left on.

[evthing4reason]

well from other info i read today on-line is that either putting the alumininum foil or cans in the crib or cardboard with double sided tape on it and it will only take one or two times in and they won't go anymore.
Also i read about peoples cats getting in the cribs before the baby came and one the baby came they never went in again
If all else fails i wll probably do the screen door thing, i had thought about that before

[cure65roses]

Well I thought my hubby's screen door idea was pretty clever also.  LOL

Even if the cat does have claws, it may try to climb the screen (unlikely since it's inside the house) but regardless, it keeps the cat out.  Mission Accomplished

I love my two cats, and I know it would be hard to get rid of them,  due to
A.) personal attachments, and
B) Who would take a grown cat off your hands anyway?  Doubt you could even pay someone to take them.  hmmmmm

It's a very good question you have here!

[LauraB78]

I would try the crib tent if your cats are declawed, or the baby gate.. If neither work, I would get rid of the cat(s).. I am probably the worst person to reply to this thread though because I don't like cats anyway..

Good luck, I hope you find a solution that works for your family! WITHOUT getting rid of pets that you love.. I am just a dog person!

[heatherlynn22]

yeah it is a great little gadget. we got one for at my parents house. their cats arn't quiet as sweet as ours is. they're nice but kittens and attack anything that moves and climb. there have been times we'd see them sleeping ON TOP of the crib tent. lol

[JoyRenee]

Oh a crib tent is a wonderful idea, heatherlynn!

[GRose]

If your cats have claws I wouldn't go with any screened in enclosure.

[cure65roses]

My hubby had the bright idea to install a screen door or something to that effect.  It will look stupid probably, but not such a bad idea for keeping pets out.  Just a thought.

[heatherlynn22]

a crib tent. it's a little mesh tent type thing you put on the top of the crib...it helps keep cats and other pets out, keeps baby from falling out when they get older and keeps other kids from throwing toys into the crib that can hurt the baby. they sell them at babies r us for like $70 i think. we were going to get one but our cat doesn't really go into the cribs and when we do catch her in them she's laying on their feet sleeping so we arn't to worried that she'll do something. she's actually really good with them. they yank on her tail, kick her in the face and pull her fur and the worst she's done is swatted their feet. which they laugh and giggle when she does that.

[evthing4reason]

we will have a angel moniter in the bed which is apperenlty super sensitive it's my cousins and they said if a big truck rumbled by outside it would set it off so i think that cat jumping in the crib would set it off

[JoyRenee]

Actually, cats might want to get really close to baby's mouth because their breath smells like milk. So you run a risk of baby getting suffocated by your cats. I think locking the cats up is sufficient, or shutting the bedroom door with a space heater in the nursery. It's not cruel to shut them in another room if it means your baby is safe.

[GRose]

I have cats and the only way you are going to be able to keep the cat out is to keep the door closed or get a crib tent. The cats will go in the crib when the baby is there, they will want to check baby out.

[KMP613]

I have three cats and every time I come home one of them is sleeping in something of the baby's.  It's frustrating cause I'm constantly washing the baby's bedding.  I didn't want them in the nursery at all because they go out and I don't want hair in the crib.  Plus, when I'm sleeping I don't want to worry about them bothering the baby.  Luckily enough I live in a house and have a door separating the first and second floor.  I put a spring on it so no one forgets to close it.  Have you tried putting up a child gate in the baby's room high enough that the cats can't jump it?  That way the door stays open.  They make gates pretty high and if necessary, try to put something on top of it to deter them from trying to jump it.   Good luck.

[bluegenie2003]

I used to have a motion sensor that we kept in rooms where our cats weren't allowed to go. It was small, and flashed and sounded like an alarm clock.  If you got something like that, after a couple of weeks the cats would probably stay out even without it on. I know that all we had to do was have it sitting on the floor where they could see it and they wouldn't go near it even if it was off.  You could maybe turn it on every once in awhile to remind them once the baby's home as well....when the baby's awake of course!!

[evthing4reason]

I don't feel comfortable keeping the door shut (we do have electric heat in the bedrooms for when its really cold) nor will i lock my cats up
Has any tried aluminin foil in the cribs or double sided tape? Also i've heard that once the baby comes and because of the baby smell they will stay out?