# Cats Stealing Babies' Breath

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [January 13, 2000, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485 "2000-01-13T16:04:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BigBadBert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@BigBadBert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBadBert)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485/1 "2000-01-13T16:04:00Z")

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I have heard another reason for the myth of cats stealing the breath from babies. Cats seem to enjoy the taste of milk. Since babies frequently have the scent of milk on their breath, cats will lie next to or on top of them and lick at the baby’s mouth.

Is this a fact, I don’t know, but coupled with the warm body theory, I think that it makes sense.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485/2 "2000-01-13T17:14:00Z")

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The column being discussed is [What’s the origin of the myth that cats can suck the breath out of babies? (17-Aug-1990)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_081.html)

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485/3 "2000-01-13T17:16:00Z")

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The main lesson I drew from that column is **beware of El-Broosha, the vampire cat.** Are there any confirmed sightings of that beast?

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**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485/4 "2000-01-13T17:38:00Z")

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Actually, the whole thing is based on a misconception.

Cats do love and try to steal Baby’s Breath, but they prefer the flower. They use it to create beautiful catnip arrangements for their kity homes.

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…but when you get blue, and you’ve lost all your dreams, there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans!

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**Author:** ![TinCanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@TinCanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TinCanMan)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2000, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485/5 "2000-01-29T02:52:00Z")

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Please read ‘Catch 22’ by the late Joseph Heller for more on this topic.

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Goldang it’s cold!

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**Author:** ![Jiffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@Jiffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jiffy)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2000, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-stealing-babies-breath/485/6 "2000-01-30T03:31:00Z")

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I do know that my cat seems to prefer sleeping as close to my ear as possible (or right between the shoulder blades (where I can’t reach him)).

I buy that the cat might be a smothering risk if it climbs into a crib and expires inside, but otherwise most of the cats I’ve known seem to avoid babies & kids like the plague. (If I was of a more twisted bent, I’d say something like “but the exception proves the rule”) 😉

–Jif