My Cat Scratched My Baby...I Need Advice

TigressPat

Seriously, reading these posts make me understand why there is a phrase "Crazy cat lady". Wow.

Defending the cat because most of them don't have kids.. Meow!

I'd hate to be raised knowing I came second to a cat in my parents' pecking order.

here's the thing...

Training your child not to bother your cat is not putting the cat above the child, it's teaching the child necessary survival and social skills to survive in the world at large.

Bridget0927

You failed both your son and your cat. It is your responsibility to make sure the cat always has access to a safe place. You should also be assuring that the cat's nails are properly clipped so they are not sharp enough to do any real damage. Declawing is absolutely not necessary if you are willing to take responsibility for proper care.

I'm sorry, but you misspelled "child" in your second sentence.

Um, no. The child always has a safe place. The cat doesn't. The cat is not the aggressor. Neither is the kid, but see it from the cat's perspective here. You're just sitting somewhere, chilling and this larger organism starts bugging you. You have nowhere to go to escape this organism. They won't leave you be. You're trapped. What do you do? The cat reacted like a normal cat does when they feel trapped. Neither is at fault, but to punish the cat by ripping its claws out, putting it outdoors or abandoning it altogether is wrong.

That would make perfect sense....In an insane world where house cats and human infants are equals.

And clearly the child does not always have a safe place as it was clawed by the cat.

"Well the cat felt annoyed, so it clawed the kid's face. It's the kid's fault."

I don't own any pets. I hope you never have children.

Agreed I think Sterilization needs to happen from some of these responses. Poor babies :-(

Really? So because I understand why the cat did what she did, I would make a bad mom? Wow.....and people think I and others who are able to decipher cat behavior are the bad ones? You're suggesting we shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Hahaha I live in a brick house thank you, but maybe thats the answer here, If she lived in a glass house the cat would be forever trying to attack birds and wild life and not pay attention to the poor baby who is clearly not old enough to know better

mani_r

Thanks!

Or (to the OP), you could just roll a joint of "cat nip" and your kitty could be in it's "happy place."
Vets can prescribe anti-anxiety medications for pets... smooth out it's mood and make it more tolerant of stressors.

julialou1979

I had two cats when my baby was born - and have had cats my entire life (rescued usually). One of our cats became really blase around the baby when she was about 4 months old, and we were like, cool, this works. The other cranky one, stayed the hell away from beeb. Worked for all. Then, a couple of months later when the girl was crawling, friendly kitty got pissy. He would flop down where ever the baby was (like, inches from her) and then when she would start grabbing he'd hiss. We'd separate them, but it kept going. Then he snapped at her, and needless to say, we got the word out to our friends that he needed a new home. He found one, and was happy, but passed away a few weeks later. He was super old, and we figured it was just getting to that time. Totally bummed out the friend who took him though. It was really sad.

Strangely, our aggressive female cat never got close to the baby. She passed away a few months ago as well (they were both 15 years +). But it is so tough to guess. I never would have guessed that my laid back tabby would snap at the baby, but my aggressive cow cat would just keep a safe distance.

Although we both love cats, my husband and I have decided to not get another one until the kidlets are old enough to learn how to interact with them properly. I believe in teaching kids how to interact properly with animals. But babies and toddlers don't learn that stuff! The only kitties my kid sees now are in homes with kids where the cats have learned the dangers of toddlers.

A six year old cat may be possible to rehome. I really hope you find something that works the best for all of you.This is super hard because we love our furry babies, but we are charged with protecting the human babies! Whatever you do, take good care of yourself. I had people act like jerks because we re-homed the tabby, but I still think it was the right choice, and I'm glad that he was happy his last few weeks.

VelociMama

I keep my cats nails filed down and trimmed so they don't scratch and keep them out of the baby's room entirely. This seems to work well. Declawing would be a last resort before giving it away. If you do declaw, make sure you find a good vet who has experience doing the surgery.

sukatx

Have you talked to your vet? I had to do that for our little dog. She is a Lhasa Apso and that breed notoriously does not get along with children. I'd had the dog for about 5 years when my daughter was born. When the baby was starting to pull herself up on things, she got into the dog's face while the dog was sleeping and...chomp. Near the eye, just like where you said that cat scratched your son. I hoped it was a one-time-thing, but it happened twice more. Luckily, that little dog's jaws just weren't strong enough to break the skin.

At our next vet appointment, I asked for a recommendation to a good animal trainer in the area. He said, verbatim, "You can't have a dog in the house that bites your baby." So I found a Lhasa Apso rescue organization that I think is the only place she could go where she'd be loved more than she was in our home.

In the end, it really was the best choice for the dog, too. Once the baby was born, I could see changes in her demeanor. She didn't like to be out around the family anymore and would spend most of her time in her crate (by choice). A house with a baby was not the place for that dog.

So, think about if your cat's demeanor has changed since the little one came along. It might be best, as much as it would break your heart, to find a home for him where he is more comfortable.

MyM0wM0w

Declawing is the equivalent of cutting your fingers off at the first knuckle. It's illegal in MOST civilized countries except ours. It's a horrible and cruel procedure. Many cats (not all, but many) develop behavioral problems like biting (since their first line of defense has been taken away), inappropriate elimination (they don't like the feel of cat litter on their toe stumps), and may develop crippling pain as they age.

To turn her outside when she has no outside skills is pretty mean. An older cat that doesn't know how to take care of herself is at the mercy of every other animal (and cruel person) that she meets with no instincts to protect herself.

Your child should be nearing the age where he learns that the cat is "no no" to go near. Until then can't you keep them separated with baby gates and doors?

I understand your child is your first priority but really... **** happens. When he starts to walk and falls down the stairs are you going to move to a one story house so he doesn't break his neck and become paralyzed? When he starts to play Tball and gets whack with a bat and loses a couple of teeth are you going to never let him play sports again? It's doubtful that your child would have LOST its eye. Granted, there would have probably been a scar (which can be pretty much removed in this day and age), but wouldn't have been a life threatening issue.

SteveJWatson

I reccomend you bubblewrap all your children. If possible keep them in large plastic bubbles whenever you can to keep the germs and dangerous things away.

Dont let them near animals or take them in the car or allow them to play outside. They could get HURT or even worse, ILL.

Kmanouchehri90

Wow, some of these replies are pretty harsh, and clearly from non-moms. When your child gets hurt, you overreact. You freak out. And temporarily, you despise the thing that caused your child's pain, even if that thing isn't to blame.

Tuffjourney

Thanks!

Or (to the OP), you could just roll a joint of "cat nip" and your kitty could be in it's "happy place."
Vets can prescribe anti-anxiety medications for pets... smooth out it's mood and make it more tolerant of stressors.

lol.. Just got a cat about 6 months ago for the first time.Always have had dogs. I have never laughed so much as when I gave my new (Stray) kittie catnip. She has never left us since. I think she likes our home, or maybe the catnip. Either way I am keeping stock in catnip.

Marliesdick

You cannot give away a cat you had for so long. Perhaps she feels neglected or the baby touched her and she misunderstood. Keep the door closed at night. The child will grow and learn to act more carefully and the cat will get used to the child.
We have a cat and a little grandson, they have been together from his first days on and by-and-by he learned to be careful and she learned to trust him.
This was an accident, maybe a dangerous one, but do keep calm. No emotional decision because you are frightened. And do not harm the cat, you have no right to do that. You knew before, did you not? The responsibility is only on your side.

faster_than_flash

He said, verbatim, "You can't have a dog in the house that bites your baby."

Smart

ThatSoundsHard

I thnk installing a cat door in the hidy room is a great idea.

I'm also a parent and I gotta say, you *may* be over reacting to a cat scratch on your toddler a tiny bit. These things are bound to happen with the two living together.

Do your best to teach your kid to leave kitty be, I know a few people who swear by the nail caps and yeah, another kitty will help both your kid (a distraction!) and your kitty (a companion).


I think the real solution here is to lighten up and accept that your child IS going to get hurt through the run of a day just being a toddler. Also supervise them better and tech your toddler how to properly interact with animals.

Yeah, and cat door. The cat door is the best idea of life.

MrsBobaFett

TigressPat

I reccomend you bubblewrap all your children. If possible keep them in large plastic bubbles whenever you can to keep the germs and dangerous things away.

Dont let them near animals or take them in the car or allow them to play outside. They could get HURT or even worse, ILL.

sunsnstatheart

Seriously, reading these posts make me understand why there is a phrase "Crazy cat lady". Wow.

Defending the cat because most of them don't have kids.. Meow!

I'd hate to be raised knowing I came second to a cat in my parents' pecking order.

here's the thing...

Training your child not to bother your cat is not putting the cat above the child, it's teaching the child necessary survival and social skills to survive in the world at large.

What?! Please don't ever have children. Putting a toddler in a house with a cat that scratches if touched is a recipe for a scratched toddler. Toddlers take quite a long time to learn not to touch or do dangerous things, and they rarely learn "the first time." Besides, you can just as easily teach children to survive in this world without an aggressive cat. Ditch the cat, OP.

tamerkins2

I'd also like to reiterate the only real person (or creature) at fault here is the OP.

- The cat is not at fault. It is an animal. It was cornered and scared. It could not escape and was defending herself.

- The baby is not at fault. A 14-month-old is not capable of knowing how to treat an animal without the guidance of its parents.

- The OP is clearly at fault. She allowed her toddler to corner her cat. She allowed her toddler to be unsupervised with an animal that is known to be cranky and not like kids. She has not taught her child how to treat the animal and to leave it alone.

You can't blame an animal for acting like an animal, or a baby for acting like a baby. What you can blame is a parent who was negligent in caring for both her child and her cat.

It was an accident. Take it as a learning experience to teach your kid how to treat the cat.

What if OP just had to pee??!? Or there was an emergency with another child?! She cannot watch her kid and "precious" cat every second of every day. It isn't practical at all. She should be able to step away and deal with something else for a minute and trust her cat will not scracth her baby! Like I said before, I have a 6 month old puppy and he already knows, because we trained him, he is below the kids in the pecking order. My dog knows no matter what the kids do, he better NEVER snip at them. I refuse to blame the mom or the baby here. The cat needs to be dealt with and learn not to scratch the baby. If he does, he is out of the family. IT IS A FREAKING CAT!!!!

monicalosesweight

Contact your doctor. My niece whose five was scratched by their cat when she tried to hug it. She got used to our dog that loves hugs and unfortunately learned the hard way. The doctor gave antibiotics and my niece had to be treated. Cat scratches can lead to infections and fevers - hence Cat Scratch Fever.

Our cat was declawed and while some people say it's not good - she lived a great life and we had no issues. If it's the only way to keep her, it may be an option. You can try the caps first to see how they work. In the meantime, do not let your little one roam around freely without your watching her as she doesn't understand the danger. They sell huge play pens now that work beautifully for this so you could get one of those to put her in when you're having to do something like work in the kitchen. She'll get used to it.

Do NOT get a kitten. This does not guarantee that the new cat will suddenly become friendly to your child. If anything, they pounce on all sorts of things...may see your child as a play toy. If you have to give her up, find a no kill shelter and wait till your child gets older before you get any sort of pet.

Monica

TigressPat

hmm... not worth it

Rose_bee

Clip your cats claws regularly, or try those soft-cap things that you stick on (& then replace when the claws grow out).

If that doesn't work, then I'd suggest taking the cat to a shelter for re-homing. With a STRONG warning about needing a house without small children.

Good luck!