My dad%26#039;s 6 month old, normally very friendly Bengal cat, has now scratched my 2 month old baby twice and bit his foot once... drawing a little bit of blood! I was so mad at the cat, I don%26#039;t even leave my son alone anywhere near the cat because I don%26#039;t trust him, but the cat is quick and comes out of nowhere... he bit his foot while I was holding the baby and trying to %26#039;shoe%26#039; the cat away. And the 2 scratches occurred while my son slept!
It started with the cat being fascinated with anything that belonged to the baby. He would crawl into my son%26#039;s diaper bag and pull out a blanket or clothing and drag it around... but now its gone to far.
So far I have just been grabbing the cat and putting him on the floor each time he shows interest in anything that belongs to my son. I don%26#039;t live with my dad/his cat so it%26#039;s not a constant worry, but we visit often. Getting rid of the cat is not an option.. I%26#039;m just trying to understand and then hopefully modify the cats behavior to my son!
The cat is after my baby! What do i do?
Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell, and though it sounds gross to us, many cats are fascinated by bodily scents and will investigate soiled items. Your baby and the products you use to care for him (baby milk, soaps, talc etc.) will all be unfamiliar to the cat. Some cats can find the smells and the crying or screaming of a baby quite challenging too.
Without knowing more, it%26#039;s impossible to say for sure why the cat is behaving this way, but at a guess, I%26#039;d say he either feels threatened by the baby or he%26#039;s very curious and being unintentionally rough in his attempts to interact with the baby.
How did the cat behave just prior to the attacks. Was he hissing or growling, ears flattened? If so, then he may see the baby as some kind of %26quot;intruder%26quot; whom he has to repel from his territory. I don%26#039;t know how often the cat has met the baby, but if he doesn%26#039;t smell familiar to the cat, this will make him feel uneasy in the baby%26#039;s presence. The jerky movements of a small child can catch a cat unawares and though it only means to fend off an %26quot;attack%26quot;, cats%26#039; sharp claws and babies%26#039; fragile skin do not mix. The obvious short-term solution is to keep the cat in a separate room when you visit with the baby. However the cat needs to learn to accept your son at some stage, so it might as well be while he%26#039;s still a kitten and less set in his ways. Try leaving an unwashed item of clothing, bedding or soft toy belonging to the baby at your dad%26#039;s home. This will allow the cat chance to get used to his scent and the baby won%26#039;t seem so much of a stranger when you visit. If the cat isn%26#039;t neutered, then having that done would make him less territorial. Use a plug-in Feliway diffuser when you visit, as these emit pheromones that cats find soothing and may help him relax. Bach Flower Remedies can also be helpful in treating behavioural problems. The web article below explains which ones to use and how to administer them.
http://www.critterchat.net/bach.htm
You said that he%26#039;s normally a friendly cat, and if his body language isn%26#039;t aggressive when the baby is around, then he%26#039;s probably just very curious. Young cats don%26#039;t always have very good claw manners and simply don%26#039;t realise how much a bite or scratch hurts. Is all the attention, particularly your dad%26#039;s focused on the baby? The cat may be feeling neglected and trying to join in to see what all the fuss is about. If you%26#039;ve been discouraging him from smelling the baby%26#039;s items, you should let him, so that he can get to know the baby that way first. Your dad should give the cat extra attention and when he can sit near you without reaching for the baby, reward him with a food treat and lots of praise. Make all the associations with the baby, good ones. If he does get too close to the baby for your liking, tell him %26quot;no%26quot; in a firm voice or hiss at him. This will reawaken memories of mother cat%26#039;s discipline and make him back off. Try not to resort to shouting or any form of punishment as you don%26#039;t want the cat to resent the baby or associate any negative things with him. Keeping the cat%26#039;s claws trimmed will limit their potential for any further accidental damage.
Hope you find a happy solution for everyone. Good luck.
Reply:It sounds like you%26#039;re dad will have to put the cat in a closed off room or in a cage while you are visiting. If your dad won%26#039;t do that, then it would probably be best for you to not take your baby over there. Maybe your dad could come to your house to visit with you and the baby. Then he wouldn%26#039;t have to worry about the details of where to put the cat while you%26#039;re there.
Also, you should always make sure the cat isn%26#039;t around the baby while he%26#039;s sleeping. I don%26#039;t think it happens often, but there have been cases where babies have been suffocated due to a cat laying on the baby%26#039;s head. One of my cats would lay on my son%26#039;s head while he was in his crib sleeping, so I eventually just had to get rid of them. Usually the cat is trying to snuggle up with you and sleep right next to you. Some cats prefer to sleep on a person%26#039;s head and/or chest. Another cat I had liked to lay on my forehead while I was sleeping, or right up against the side of my head. Just be careful about the sleeping environment.
Reply:are you kidding if it were me i would be killing me a cat
but could you lock the cat in a room with a litter box and food until it is safe for the cat to come out meaning the baby is not around
Reply:The baby comes first. You must get rid of the cat. Of course it%26#039;s an option.
Reply:OK:
(1) Don%26#039;t leave kitty alone with the baby. This is a given, since you are already aware that kitty has it out for your son.
(2) Don%26#039;t hold grudges against kitty. He is in HIS territory and you and your son are %26quot;interlopers.%26quot; That means, you are in HIS territory and he feels (for WHATEVER reason!) that you are invading his space. Maybe he%26#039;s jealous of your 2-month old son getting all the attention. Maybe you smell like milk and that %26quot;gets his attention%26quot; (as gross as that might sound.) You need to remember that you are in HIS house and he doesn%26#039;t see it that you are there as visitors who have more rights than he does.
(3) That being said, SEPARATE KITTY AND BABY. EVERYTIME they get together. No IFS, ANDS, or BUTS. Don%26#039;t worry! Baby will have his revenge when he is old enough to chase Kitty and start pulling his hair and tail. Kitty will get his and then some. Your dad needs to realize that Kitty needs to be locked up safe and sound away from Baby. No, as much as you would like them to interact, nothing takes the place of Baby Safety First. Put the cat in another room. You can always get another cat...another Baby is an entirely different subject.
(4) This is being written by a Crazy Cat Lady. PLEASE, for the sake of both your son AND the cat, keep them apart. They%26#039;ll get over it. So will your Dad, if he has a brain in his head. AND!
(5) If your Dad DOES NOT have a brain in his head and values the cat over your son...DON%26#039;T GO THERE.
Sorry this has to be spelled out so frankly but that%26#039;s the way it is. Your baby%26#039;s health should be your primary concern for the NEXT 18 YEARS. Serious. NOTHING is more important to you than your child. Best of luck Mom.
Reply:When you go to visit your father, the cat should be locked in a separate room away from the baby. Problem solved.
Reply:In response to Wendy...she didn%26#039;t say she left the baby alone.
Please read everything before making responses.
Sounds like he is very interested in the baby. The cat is young..and it sees this new little %26quot;plaything.%26quot;
I would continue to supervise interaciton with the cat so he can get used to the baby. Just be sure the baby has as much clothes on as possible...have your dad trim the cats claws as well. Cat scratches and bites can easily get infected so try to prevent any more. If the cat is always put away when the baby is over he might not ever get used to it.
Yet, when the baby is sleeping you might want to put the cat elsewhere....good luck to you.
Reply:Every Bengal I%26#039;ve dealt with in a clinic setting is usually aggressive and hard to handle, sounds like this one is no different. Have you talked to your father about the cat? I%26#039;m alarmed that he would know about the cat%26#039;s behavior and allow it to continue. Since the cat is sneaky and %26quot;scratches and runs%26quot; I would lock the cat in a room for your child%26#039;s safety every single time, or call your father ahead of time and have him lock the cat up. I think the cat is trying to establish dominance over your baby, and may continue.
Reply:You have to decide which to get rid of, the cat or the baby. I know it%26#039;s a tough decision, but sometimes life requires us to make tough decisions. Good luck.
I just read that the Bengal is a wild/domestic hybrid. Watch out!
Reply:I%26#039;m sorry to say, but there is probably no way the cat is going to leave your son alone until he%26#039;s sniffed every single part of him. Not at the age your son is anyway.
Wait until your son is at least able to walk before trying to get them together.
For now try to put the cat in a room when you go to visit.
Accidents only happen once, and the cat could become very curious and bite off your son%26#039;s little toe or something. Or he could scratch his eye or somewhere else and leave a scar. Sounds exaggerated, but there have been dogs who have killed young children. Please don%26#039;t take any chances and keep the cat in a room when you come over there!
Reply:You are successfully training your cat to hate your baby.
The cat is attracted to the smell of milk on your child. That%26#039;s not the cat%26#039;s fault.
Reply:CRIB NETS
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...
http://perfectlysafe.stores.yahoo.net/96...
http://www.amazon.com/Tots-In-Mind-Inc-C...
http://www.amazon.com/Tots-Mind-Cozy-Cri...
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d... The first review of this one talks about how well it holds up to THREE cats!
Reply:I wish everyone would read the question. There%26#039;s no option of getting rid of the cat because ITS NOT HER CAT.
I%26#039;m afraid I don%26#039;t have a lot of experience in cat training, dogs are my specialty. I don%26#039;t think you really have many options except to put the cat in a room while you%26#039;re visiting, just until your baby AND the cat get older. He%26#039;s still in his kitten faze right now, he%26#039;s not intentionally hurting anyone. I hope you get it worked out.
Reply:It sounds like the cat is jealous of the baby!!! Yes, this can happen with ANY animals! Especially if the cat use to get doted on until the baby came around.
Sorry, this behavior %26quot;may%26quot; not change - I would consult your vet or several of them.
Also, your local SPCA has animal behaviorist that may be able to help.
Good luck!!
Reply:I have 2 Bengals they are 6 years old and i would also like to add neither of my 2 are aggressive in anyway they are like 2 big teddy bears. It sounds to me that the cat is a bit confused and not sure what the baby is they are very territorial animals and do not appreciate change of any kind. when my Husband decorates or is doing something in the garden they do not like it but they are never pushed away and they they get used to it.
obviously you have to keep him away from the baby because they can do a lot of damage. Did you use to spoil the cat before the baby came along? it could be jealous. i dont think there is an option here i personally if my daughter came visiting with my grandson and the cats went for him i would make sure that they were out and absolutley no contact with the baby. If that wasnt possible for what ever reason then i would invest in a cage only £40 and they would have to go in there until my daughter left. it wouldnt do them any harm and it would show them that they do not dominate i do!! Suggest that to your Dad that way as well the cat can get used to the baby by watching but will be unable to attack it will soon realise. also as your baby grows the cat will lose interest anyway. Good luck and to anyone out there that think Bengals are dangerous i have 2 to prove they are more loving than normal cats.
Reply:do NOT purchase a Dingo
Reply:get rid of the cat! find it a good home, or @ least let it stay somewhere until the infant is older. Many cases of SIDS have later been found to have had a cat suffocate an infant. An old wives tail states that cats try and steal baby%26#039;s souls. Fact or fiction?
Reply:Bengals are quite aggressive cats so this is behaviour is probably totally normal. Just keep the baby in a room with a door that shuts tightly when you%26#039;re visiting the dad. Or keep the cat in another room in the home while you%26#039;re visiting. Cats don%26#039;t %26quot;come out of nowhere%26quot;. Just make sure it%26#039;s not in the room and shut the door.
Reply:well leave the baby with a baby sitter and if your dad want to see your baby then tell him that you have to lock the cat in a room. cause your baby is in danger around the cat and you could try to train to be friendler as long as the cat doesnt hurt the baby or w/e your choice
Reply:Ask him to put it away when the baby is around ..
Seriously .. WHY would you leave your baby alone anyway? Nice.
Reply:You mean you can%26#039;t lock up the cat in a room everytime you come over?
treatment
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