# Cat In Bedroom With Future Newborn: How To Avoid This? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885 "2011-09-11T00:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/1 "2011-09-11T00:38:08Z")
My nephew and niece are about to have their first child, their only child heretofore having been their Maine Coon kitty who cannot go outside due to his having been adopted de-clawed. We’ve talked about confining Rascal to another part of the house, but they’d rather not have to do that and of course they can’t close the _baby_’s door, so how to keep the cat out of the baby’s bedroom? D and I came up with getting a doll, spraying it with something called “No!” and placing it in the crib to acclimate Rascal not to go into the room or into the crib, which is doing at present. Elevate the crib? Anyway, hoping I’d find additional answers here, among you more itelligent folk (and Maine Coon owners), I decided to post our dilemma. D and I also have a Maine Coon, and we’re sure that our gentle Bert wouldn’t harm an infant, but our nephew is known to “play” rather roughly with his, and although I have never met the cat, and admittedly not knowing that much about the breed (Bert is our first), we’d rather be safe than sorry. We’d really appreciate your assistance! Q and D PS: If it makes a difference, they live in a large double-wide. No basement. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/2 "2011-09-11T00:59:20Z")
Condom? Sorry, I couldn’t resist! ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/3 "2011-09-11T01:12:49Z")
I assume you say they can’t close the baby’s door so they’ll be able to hear if it needs help. But if they get a baby monitor, they’ll be able to close the door and still hear every breath and coo. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/4 "2011-09-11T01:14:15Z")
Most cribs are at least 4 feet tall rails included. I would doubt the cat would make the effort, unless it is easy to climb other things to get into the crib. Are you saying that at the moment the cat has the habit of jumping into the crib? Right from the floor? If so, just spray the shit out of him with a water bottle whenever you find him there. It’s not about there being a baby in the crib or not (the doll is irelevant) the cat just needs to know not to go there, ever. The crib must be the Sad Wet Place of No! But at a more basic level why can’t the door be closed, when the baby is sleeping or whatever? Because they couldn’t hear the baby if it woke up? That’s what baby monitors are for. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/5 "2011-09-11T01:16:46Z")
Agreed, baby monitor - plus kitty training with a squirt bottle before baby is even around to teach him that the bed is not for kitty. (Just in case the cat slips in during a night-time feeding.) ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/6 "2011-09-11T01:25:28Z")
A cat cage is a very good solution. Should have one of these anyway. First one I [googled](http://www.catnip.com.au/). ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/7 "2011-09-11T01:43:08Z")
Thinking back a bit I had a room in my old home I wanted to keep the cat out of. I finally solved the problem by getting a squirt gun and everytime he tried to go into the room I gave him a gentle squirt. Kept it up for about a week and finally he got the message and didn’t go near the room’s door. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/8 "2011-09-11T01:48:44Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > and of course they can’t close the _baby_’s door, so how to keep the cat out of the baby’s bedroom? Why do they want to? Because they believe old wives tales about cats smothering babies? ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/9 "2011-09-11T01:56:43Z")
Just keep the door closed. Our daughter has always slept with the door shut. We used a monitor until she was about 2.5, and now she just gets up and comes to us if there’s an issue. Our cats know they’re not allowed in there, and there’s never been a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/10 "2011-09-11T02:02:32Z")
Okay, my bad about the crib. It’s not a crib, it’s “a standard baby bed”, according to D. Closing the door on a newborn? Whether I believed in old wive’s tales or not, I , personally , being old fashioned, would not feel comfortable doing that, monitor or not, and that is their thinking as well. Yes, they’ll have the monitor too, but they want to keep the cat totally out of the room. Cat cage sounds good to me, get him used to it _now_, I guess. Squirt gun as well. Thanks for the help, y’all. I’ll pass it along. Q PS: Woohoo! Look at all them commas!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/11 "2011-09-11T02:14:59Z")
I would be reconsidering spraying any ‘cat off’ product on a infant’s bedding. Also even if the cat was not used to using the crib, once a infant is placed in the crib it should attract the curiosity of the cat. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/12 "2011-09-11T02:20:20Z")
A standard baby crib/convertible bed looks [like this](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS397US397&q=standard+baby+bed&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6901858754304023313&sa=X&ei=_hlsTqWnBqTh0QGwx-GWBg&ved=0CFQQ8wIwAw). [Or this](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ikea+crib&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS397US397&biw=964&bih=549&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=pFZimjtUbCmQsM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thedesignfile.net/thedesignfile/2009/08/new-or-relatively-new-mammut-crib-at-ikea.html&docid=1CQXs47Fum_2PM&w=320&h=497&ei=MxtsTuTqE8Xs0gHxu8nvBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=743&vpy=157&dur=31&hovh=280&hovw=180&tx=108&ty=235&page=2&tbnh=167&tbnw=113&start=8&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:8) The cat jumps in there from a standing start? Are you thinking of something else? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/13 "2011-09-11T02:26:03Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Why do they want to? Because they believe old wives tales about cats smothering babies? Because it’s generally not a good idea to let animals and babies/children be together unsupervised, I’d imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/14 "2011-09-11T02:30:04Z")
If the cat is declawed, then why do they need to keep it out of the baby’s room at all? It’s not going to hurt the baby. They could consider keeping the baby in their own room. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/15 "2011-09-11T02:32:51Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Because it’s generally not a good idea to let animals and babies/children be together unsupervised, I’d imagine. What is going to happen between a declawed house cat and a newborn baby? We never had a problem with our cats trying to hurt our babies. We’re not talking about a pit bull here. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/16 "2011-09-11T02:33:53Z")
Can you articulate why they feel uncomfortable leaving the door closed? It’s actually safer in a fire, and I can’t see a situation where it’s less safe. That said, we put a Scat Mat in the crib for a month or so before the baby was born, and we never had a cat in it after one zap each. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/17 "2011-09-11T02:34:55Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > What is going to happen between a declawed house cat and a newborn baby? Probably a bite, which declawed cats are more prone to anyway. Weren’t you in the other thread this week about the cat that bit the baby? ---
**Author:** ![Satyagrahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@Satyagrahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satyagrahi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/18 "2011-09-11T02:39:46Z")
I’ve raised kids with cats, fully-clawed cats at that, with all doors open and never had one single bit of trouble. I’d suggest your nephew do some research on the issue. The only issue is that now they all love cats. Is that so bad? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/19 "2011-09-11T02:40:55Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > A standard baby crib/convertible bed looks [like this](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS397US397&q=standard+baby+bed&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6901858754304023313&sa=X&ei=_hlsTqWnBqTh0QGwx-GWBg&ved=0CFQQ8wIwAw). [Or this](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ikea+crib&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS397US397&biw=964&bih=549&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=pFZimjtUbCmQsM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thedesignfile.net/thedesignfile/2009/08/new-or-relatively-new-mammut-crib-at-ikea.html&docid=1CQXs47Fum_2PM&w=320&h=497&ei=MxtsTuTqE8Xs0gHxu8nvBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=743&vpy=157&dur=31&hovh=280&hovw=180&tx=108&ty=235&page=2&tbnh=167&tbnw=113&start=8&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:8) > > The cat jumps in there from a standing start? Are you thinking of something else? I don’t know, **Hello Again**. I’ll do some more research and report in tomorrow. Can he jump that high? I don’t think so. My Bert can jump onto my bed, and I just measured it (28" high - with blocks underneath the legs for storage), but I doubt he’d jump 4 feet flat-footed. The No! spray would be sprayed onto the doll, not the bedding. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885/20 "2011-09-11T02:49:58Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > Probably a bite, which declawed cats are more prone to anyway. Weren’t you in the other thread this week about the cat that bit the baby? From what I remember, that was a toddler fucking with a cat and provoking it, not a cat just randomly leaping into a crib and mauling a newborn. That isn’t going to happen. I know you can’t talk to new parents, though. They think they’re supposed to be afraid of anything and everything. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-in-bedroom-with-future-newborn-how-to-avoid-this/595885.md?page=2)