So you’re a young couple, and your first “child” was a pet (dog, cat, bird – take your pick), and now you find you are expecting a real child. Maybe you’ve heard horror stories (“The cat’ll smother the baby – you gotta get rid of her!”), or maybe you don’t have any concerns at all (you should). Well, having seen hundreds of couples just like this, I can tell you that there are some things to be aware of.

Life will change. Maybe not much for some, but usually quite a bit for most. And Fido or Fluffy will be part of that change. You should try to spend as much time with your pet as you did before your little bundle arrived, but that can be difficult when you’re changing diapers and making formula, all while battling sleep deprivation! For most people, you simply won’t be able to devote as much time to your pet as you did before becoming a parent. And your pet may become jealous.

Now don’t get me wrong. Many cats and dogs become amazingly bonded to babies, following them around and protecting them, even alerting parents when a child may be in danger, but I’ve seen other cases where pets do become upset with the sudden lack of attention.

Try to prevent that from the beginning by putting a baby blanket in your bed (to get your scent on it), then use that blanket to bring home your baby. Once you’ve settled in, then let the animal have a good sniff of the blanket. This helps to tell him the baby is “one of the family”.

If you’ve tried this, and you’ve also tried to give as much attention to your pet as you can, and yet Rover or Simba are still acting aggressive with your little one, then follow these tips:

-Neuter your male cat or dog – unneutered dogs are the most frequent causes of bites, and unneutered cats that are jealous tend to “mark” their territory (walls, rugs, clothes!)

-Supervise any interaction between an animal and an infant.

-Heed warnings! If your cat or dog has ever growled or snarled at a person, seek help from a veterinarian or a professional trainer. This could be a sign of things to come.

-Don’t allow your child to harass, chase, yell at, or grab/crawl onto your pet. This could be trouble waiting to happen – like a bite wound or a claw to the face.

Well, I hope I didn’t scare any of you expectant parents out there! This is just some important advice to prevent any future accidents. I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy, and a safe and joyous trip down the path of parenthood.

Till next time, Dr. Steve

p.s. please remember to have your pet cleared of all internal and external parasites before exposing them to you beautiful baby!

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