For many of us we had practice at being parents for numerous years before we became Mums. I had my first taste of 3am feeds when I was 19 and hand reared a baby kitten. Hearing the cries in the middle of the night and staggering to the microwave to heat up a bottle gave me a glimpse of what was to come in the future. I always had pets and would talk about my boys to people at work who most likely thought I was talking about human children, not fur children.
These days our pets are our babies and they get very used to being the centre of your world. So when Mum disappears for a few days and then comes home with a crying bundle that seems to get top priority, it can be a bit of a shock to our fur babies. Helping them prepare for this change and then managing the first few weeks at home can make everyone a little less anxious. Here are some tips on how to make the transition as smooth as possible:
Before Baby Arrives
- The biggest change for everyone will be a change in routine and our pets thrive on routine. So start making changes to what happens at what time before the baby arrives. If they always get fed at the same time, vary the time a little bit and with dogs, get them used to going for a walk with the pram. If you spend every waking moment with your pet, reduce the amount of time you spend with them gradually, so its not such a shock.
- Your quiet house is about to become a much noisier one. Prepare your pet by playing them a crying baby track at regular intervals during pregnancy. At first my cats ears would go back and he would search for the source of the noise, but towards the end, he would completely ignore it, having got used to the sound.
- Take the time during pregnancy to establish rules about where is now off limits, such as the nursery or the couch. Keep the door nursery door closed or put up a safety gate and then if the pet tries to follow you into the room, instruct them to leave. If you are comfortable for your pet to come into the nursery, show them where they can and can't go in the room and practice this well before your due date.
- Before you come home from hospital, have your partner or friend take items of clothing or rugs that have the babies smell on them home and let your pet smell these items. This will help them get used to the new scent before their sibling arrives home. Allow them to explore and sniff baby furniture and toys and get used to the new things well ahead of time.
- If you have a pet that can get anxious when change happens, invest in some anti-anxiety products. I bought the Feliway plug in diffuser and had it switched on a week before the baby arrived. They are synthetic pheromones which have a calming effect on your cat. The dog version is called Adaptil and comes in a spray form or a collar.
When Baby Arrives
- Let somebody else carry the baby into the house, so you can have your hands free to greet your pets and give them cuddles. Once the excitement of seeing you is over, introduce them to the baby by allowing them to sniff feet and then hands. Allow a small amount of time for this, then gradually increase the interaction time.
- If you have a dog that tends to jump up or lick when excited, have someone hold them on a lead to begin with and then use treats to encourage them to be calmer.
- Another trick for helping a pet accept this new addition is to rub the babies socks or booties on the pets fur and then place them on the baby. That way your little human will smell familiar to your fur baby.
- Never leave your pets alone unsupervised with the baby. A sudden movement or loud noise could cause them to do something erratic. Watch your cats to ensure they don't snuggle up to the baby and attack little tiny kicking feet.
- Try as much as possible to talk to your pet while feeding the baby and provide pats and treats so they see this as a positive experience.
- Once bubba becomes mobile there is more familiarisation work and training to be done. Perhaps that can be another blog post down the track.
