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Today I conclude my examination of how to introduce a household’s pets to newborns. On Monday I looked at how expectant parents can prepare their pets for the infant’s arrival; today I’ll outline the steps you can take after the baby is born.
When it’s about time to bring the baby home from the hospital, first take something with the newborn’s scent on it, like a burping cloth, back to the house. This is most effective for dogs but can also help cats with the adjustment. Pets will then find the baby’s scent familiar once the infant itself arrives.
You can also practice teaching your dog boundaries around the baby with the scent. Allow the dog to approach the baby’s item, but not to actually sniff or lick it. Praise your dog and reward it with treats when your dog remains a respectful distance away. Thus the dog will learn that the baby is yet another dominant member of the household deserving of its respect.
In addition to the notes I made a few days ago about what family members can do to assure pets of the affection they will continue to receive, there are measures you can take to make sure pets know they still have a place with guests too. Again, this is more relevant for dogs, but if you have cats that adore attention from visitors you can apply this method for them as well.
Keep a sealed container of dog or cat treats by your door. As people arrive to greet the newborn, have them do so for the pets first. Ask them to take a treat and spend a few minutes calmly petting the cat or dog before moving on to the baby. This won’t teach the pet that it comes before the baby; rather, it assures the pet of its continued importance in the household so it doesn’t think the infant’s arrival will exile it from everyone else.
The most important thing to remember when considering the introduction of pets to newborns is that the baby will not appear overnight. You have nine months to prepare the household’s animals for the introduction of the newest dominant human.
Obviously it’s impossible to predict exactly how a pet is going to react to a new baby. Perfectly well-tempered animals that never sought much attention might become resentful in the presence of an infant. Cats and dogs that already showed signs of aggression, however, are much more likely to exhibit problems related to babies than animals that were generally calm beforehand.
Two of my initial points in this article series are the most important to remember when introducing pets to newborns: don’t completely ignore your pet in favor of the baby, and introduce it to other infants in smaller doses before your own, if possible.
The latter will help the pet become accustomed to the sights, sounds, and stirs that surround a baby. The former will prevent the pet from resenting the infant and make it much more amenable to accepting the baby. With time and effort, it’s likely that soon your new family will come together stronger than before.
Related Articles:
How Often to Immunize Dogs and Cats
The Best Animals on the Internet
*(This image by Keith McDuffee is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
