The appearance of a child is a real revolution in a pet's life. Start preparing him for this event already when you are pregnant, so that our cat or dog would not treat the baby as an intruder and competitor of favors. It is worth it, because the animal has a positive effect on the he alth and development of the child.

Contrary to appearances, this is not an imaginary topic. An animal that has already settled in your apartment and feels like part of the family may feel threatened when someone more important suddenly appears in the house and apparently more pampered than him. Discardeddogorcatit will not be easy to forget about yourself - it may start to demolish the apartment, mark its territory with urine, and in extreme cases even attack child . Fortunately, such behavior of the pet can be avoided and it is not necessary to look for a new caretaker for the pet. And it's not even worth doing - according to the research of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, children who grow up in the company of pets are less likely to suffer from allergies. Besides, they are usually calmer, and they start walking and talking faster than other children.

What is it like to live with a dog?

Child and animals: new rules

However, in order for the relationship between the child and the pet to be successful, it is best to start getting your pet used to a new family member at the beginning of pregnancy, because the more time to learn, the better the prognosis. You must introduce new rules before the child even appears in the world so that the animal does not associate restrictions with a new family member.

Important

  • dog and cat should be dewormed regularly
  • the pet's bed has to be shaken daily, and washed every two weeks
  • after playing with your pet, thoroughly wash your hands and your child's hands, if they also participated in the game
  • vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture frequently
  • brush your pet's fur regently, not only during the moulting period
  • thoroughly wipe the dog's paws after a walk, and if necessary, rinse off the dirt with warm water
  • when your baby is crawling, make sure it does not eat food from the dog's or cat's bowl and does not have access to the cat's litter box

    • Baby and pets: don't let your cat or dog in the bedroom

    Aboveall the dogs or cats should no longer sleep in your bedroom, nor should they be allowed in the children's room. Your pet will definitely riot, but if you are consistent, it will come to terms with the new situation after a while. Note: if the pet has been opening the door on its own so far, it will be necessary to replace the handles with round knobs. If your quadruped is a unique pet and most willingly lies on one of you's laps, this also needs to be changed - soon, this place will be taken by a child. So buy your pet toys and try to teach it to play on its own. When the dog or cat is extremely resistant and still jumps on its laps, put a large doll on them and under no circumstances let the animal jump on it or tear the doll with its teeth.

    The child and the animals: a difficult beginning of a relationship

    Before you return home with your newborn, let your pet smell the clothes used by the baby to get used to its smell. Organize the return in such a way that the quadruped is outside the house (e.g. on a walk) and returns to him when the toddler is at home. Then let the animal examine it carefully and smell it.

    How do you get your pet used to your baby?

    A dog or a cat should now be treated as if it were the big brother of a newly born baby. Do not forget about the daily amount of caresses, do not change the hours of walks and meals of the pet. Do not isolate him from the baby - let him watch you look after your baby. But don't leave him alone with the consolation. Even if he has been a model of gentleness so far, it is not known how he will react in a new situation.

    You must do it

    Do you have a cat?

    Ideally, before becoming pregnant or just after receiving a positive pregnancy test - do an IgG and IgM anti-toxoplasmosis test. It is a parasitic disease transmitted by cats, dangerous for a toddler developing in the womb (it resembles a cold in adults). Once passed, it gives permanent immunity. However, if a pregnant woman develops the disease and the infection passes to the fetus, the disease can cause serious birth defects. That is why tests are necessary to show whether the expectant mother has already suffered from toxoplasmosis or not. In the latter case, the cat needs to be examined, because it may not be a parasite carrier at all. It may also turn out that the expectant mother is sick with toxoplasmosis - then specialized treatment is necessary.

    Child and animals: instinct - an important thing

    Pets instinctively look after the youngest member of the herd, so there is a good chance that this will be the case in your case. It happens that the doghe absolutely wants to lick the toddler, and the cat jumps into the stroller to, for example, warm him with the heat of his own body. However, it is better not to allow your pet to behave like this: too much tenderness may end up scratching the baby's face inadvertently. There is also the other side of the coin: some animals try to eliminate the weakest individuals from the herd, and a child is such a weak one, in the eyes of a dog. Therefore, he can, for example, jump on a cart to flip it over together with the baby. If your dog starts to act like this, you must make it clear to him that you don't accept it. However, do not be a pet, because he will associate your behavior with the child and may compensate the toddler for it. Note: When an animal insistently demands your attention and rebels at the sight of a child, it is better to double the caution. If his behavior seems to be of concern to you, contact your veterinarian or canine psychologist for advice on how to proceed with him.

    monthly "M jak mama"

    Category:

    Pregnancy