For many people, pets are like their children. It’s easy to shower them with attention and love – after all, they’re so cute! But as any parent knows, once real offspring are involved, the attention you give your pet changes dramatically. To avoid stressing your pet and inspiring “brotherly” jealousy between your human baby and your fur baby, check out these tips.
Start preparing early
Preparations for the new addition to the family should start months in advance – as soon as you know the new baby is coming. Ignoring bad behavior or simply being unprepared can lead to major headaches once the baby arrives.
As you prepare, begin to acclimate your pet to the sights, sounds, and routines of family.
- Establish day and night routines for your pet that will stay the same once baby comes home.
- Correct any misbehavior immediately so you don’t try to train your pet while you are caring for a newborn.
- Desensitize your pets to baby things early on. Let the animals explore the baby’s objects once they are brought into the house. Start using your baby’s lotions, shampoos, creams or powders on yourself to help your pet get used to new smells.
After the baby arrives
To avoid unnecessary stress or fear for your pets, it is important to approach this step with caution. When introducing an animal to a new baby, it is essential to choose a quiet and familiar place.
If you are introducing a cat to a new baby, let the cat approach the baby on its own terms. Hold the baby in your arms and let your cat approach. Don’t force cat and baby to interact – if Kitty doesn’t want to meet baby today, that’s okay. This will allow your cat to reconnect with you and see the new family member.
When introducing a dog to a new baby, keep your dog on a leash and lead him into the room. During the introduction, speak in a calm, cheerful voice, which will show your dog that this is a fun, non-stressful event.
Throughout the exchange, read your animal’s body language. If you see your pet becoming stressed or anxious, stop the interaction and try again at another time. By repeating this sequence several times, the stress level will decrease for your animal.
After a successful introduction, it’s easy to feel confident that your pet can handle being alone with your baby. Unfortunately, even the sweetest pets can get overly excited or aggressive with a baby. It is strongly recommended never to leave animals alone with babies or when baby is sleeping. Since babies are unable to move away or turn their heads, this can become a serious problem if animals try to snuggle up to them.
How to identify the signs of stress
When animals have had limited exposure to children, it can be difficult to predict how they will react to the new baby. While many animals will quickly get used to the new addition, some may find the babies scary or unpleasant.
Anxiety can be more easily identified in pets as changes in behavior. The most commonly identified signs include:
- Decreased appetite
- Diarrhea, constipation or other digestive problems
- Aggression towards people or other animals
- Isolation
- Sleep increase
Additionally, cats may also exhibit:
- Excessive scratching
- Excessive grooming
- Excessive vocalization
- Urination outside the litter box
If you think your pet is stressed and your baby is the cause, create a safe zone for your pet and play or exercise with him regularly.
To establish a safety zone, designate an area of your home for your pet to escape to during times of high tension. Giving your pet a favorite treat or toy and visiting it often helps to successfully create a safe zone.
While it can be difficult to find the time and energy to play or exercise with a pet during this demanding stage of parenthood, ensuring your pet gets a short lead- one-on-one with you will help ease the stress. While you work this into your schedule, avoid setting a specific time for your one-on-one time. While this may make your schedule easier, it may cause your pet more anxiety if that playtime is skipped for some reason.
Remember, introducing your pets and babies doesn’t have to be a difficult or stressful process. With early preparation and following these simple tips, your baby and your pets will quickly become lifelong friends.