Helping all your babies get along

For dogs and cats, the arrival of a noisy new addition to the family, particularly if it is a first child, can be very stressful. Veterinary charity PDSA advises that the key to helping your pet acclimatise to the baby is to get them used to the idea and any changes this might bring as early as possible.

The best thing is to try to keep their routine as stable as possible, both during the pregnancy and after the birth. Also, make sure your pet’s flea and worming treatments are all up to date.

Before your baby is born, allow your cat or dog to check out the room where he or she will sleep.

The more familiar they are with new items the better.

Evaluate your pet’s feeding and walking routines and if these are likely to change after the baby arrives, start to gradually make changes before then.

A few weeks before your child is due to arrive, start carrying around a “pretend baby”. A doll in a baby blanket is ideal so your pet is used to the sight of this. Reward your pet for being calm and relaxed when you are carrying the doll.

This is also the time to start getting your pet used to the sounds of babies, such as crying and other typical noises.

Commercially available CDs can be really helpful forth is(www.sound therapy 4 pets. co.uk) and again you should reward your pet when they remain calm.

For dogs, you should ensure they are welltrained and understand commands so you can quickly stop them from going anywhere or doing something that could be harmful to the baby.

Once the baby is born and before you arrive home, have your partner or a friend take home something with the baby’s scent on for your pet to smell; a blanket is ideal.

When you first arrive home after the birth, have someone else hold the baby while you greet your pet alone.

Once your pet is calm, you can then allow your pet to come nearer while you hold the baby.

They should be allowed close enough to smell the baby but not close enough to scratch or bite.

An infant should never be left unattended with any pet. Keep your baby behind closed pet-free doors if you are not nearby, or install safety gates to keep pets out of certain areas.

With a few careful steps, your new baby and pet can get along handsomely.