When is it safe for cats n babies?

i wouldnt let my cat sleep in the cot... apart from the fact they take up room they might leave fleas in there. My 3 year old has the cat on her bed sometimes now but she is in a bed and i shoo it off when i find it.

Interesting question. From a smothering point of view I'd be guessing around 3 years old. Much younger than that and I'm not sure they'd wake from a really deep sleep even if cat was across their face. Since the risk of SIDS doesn't really go away completely until around 18 months I'd definitely be waiting until after then.

yeah our 2 seem to steer clear of E too, but once found one of them in her bassinette (when she wasnt in it) but made me freak abit, so we keep her door shut to her room when in her cot but was curious as to when it might be ok. so do they do big sleeps until they are 3? i dont think the cats would lie on her face really, they dont lie on ours (and they sleep on our bed most of the time) so i don't see why they would suddenly sleep on her face when she's abit bigger? better to be safe than sorry tho. good to know SIODS risk gone at 18months so yeah maybe at 2 years old we relax with the cats and her bedtime and maybe not shut the door so much?

CJsays wrote: awww jade sound slike she wants to protect him! so he's 10months and you don't really have an issue with the cat in there now?

Not really, I guess some people would. I can't imagine her lying on his face, since she avoids touching him, and if she ever did, he would freak and pull her hair/squirm/scream. To be honest I'm more worried he'll make a grab for her and she'll scratch him. But he's in a safe t sleep, and she sleeps down by his feet. I wish she wouldn't, but she sneaks in. The other night she threw up all over his bedding, we found it when we got home from visiting family. FUN. Not.

I put tin foil in the cot before the baby went into it and the cats have never been in ... perhaps try some tin foil in there while the baby isn't there to keep cats away and encourage them not to return?

hehe we did the foil on the bassinette... and was still around the edges when the oldest cat figured out how to get in... cheeky monkey. so unfortunately that didnt work. also tried the pepper at the doorway to the room but that didnt keep them out either.
i guess if you know sleeping at feet all the time there is no worry eh! hmm think best to keep cats away till E is at least a wee bit bigger and would win a kittie wrestle!!

we have a hook latch on the door so it is open enough for air flow and for me to hear Zoe but closed enough so the cats can't get in

Our cat may walk in there occasionally during the night but has never jumped up to sleep with DD, even now that she's in her single bed. But I think I'd relax about now if she did want to sleep with DD, but she's not a face sleeping cat

Nikki it's not so much as want them to, more when is it safe to so we dont have to worry about closing doors etc, would rather they didnt (and they prob wont as they like hanging with us more) but be nice to relax abit more about it. if she was allergic it would of shown up by now i think, one of the boys is mildly allergic so we have low allergen cats and he is fine with them so i would be surprised if she wasnt.
And yeah ours arent face sleeping cats either i have never had one that is, surprises me some do!
That's true BecB, wouldn't want a scratching session one of our cats gets grumpy if kicked accidentally in the nite... hmmm.

I wouldn't let them sleep on their cot or beds either, I have heard if the tinfoil doesn't work you can blow up balloons and put them in the cot so when the cat jumps in their claws pop the balloons and scare them...dont know if it works I dont have a cat so haven't needed to try it lol