Helping Your Pets Help Your Baby
By Michael Kabel
Though it probably sounds extreme to animal lovers who are childless, every year thousands if not tens of thousands of pets leave the household within weeks of a new baby's arrival. These pets are sometimes turned over to animal control authorities or, even worse, left to fend for themselves outside of the home. Many are simply abandoned.
Pediatric researchers and child home experts say traditional household pets offer benefits both seen and unseen to the child. Even the pet's very presence can result in therapeutic benefits that will help the child later in life.
Creating "the perfect environment"
Some parents often become nervous regarding the baby's safety when a dog or cat is left unsupervised. Others claim the pet frightens or disturbs the child. In the interest of calming the baby and preserving a healthy atmosphere, the pet is turned over to Humane Societies or local animal control for adoption or disposal. Experts there say forsaken pets are usually from first-time parents attempting to create a perfect atmosphere for the child, who may not be aware of the pet's benefits to baby.
Pressure to get rid of the pet often comes from outside the home, via well-meaning but misguided friends and relatives. The advice can range from keeping the pet outdoors from now on to actively finding another home for the animal. But many pets, especially cats, will wander off for good when left outside for long periods of time.
Worst case scenarios very rarely actually occur
Every parent's worst nightmare in this regard is an otherwise well-behaved dog biting the infant child In truth, this almost never occurs, and the instances where such a thing actually happened were in cases of extreme conditions - for example, the dog was seriously ill, or confused about something the child was doing to it. Animal trainers do recommend never leaving an infant alone with infants and small children. All the same, attacks on even precocious small children are very rare.
As for cats, it's in their nature to leave the child alone. Cats often do not approach unless called, and as a rule are very wary of unfamiliar things. In all likelihood, the cat will be every bit as skittish as the child, and will seek to keep a healthy distance.
For practical reasons, make sure all pets in the house are up to date with their vaccinations and heartworm medication.
The benefits outweigh the risks
New research shows that children exposed to household pets at an early age carry less susceptibility to allergies later on in their development. Some studies also show that babies who develop around dog fur are less likely to become asthmatic later in life.
Vision and hearing
The dog's or cat's fur helps build the child's allergen resistance system, so that allergies are less likely to occur. A 2002 study by the American Medical Association showed that children regularly exposed to dog and cat fur before their first birthday had half the risk of contracting allergies as opposed to children from pet-free homes.
Making your home pet and child friendly
Animal trainers say the best way to prepare your house for peaceful coexistence between pets and babies is plenty of advance preparation and training. For the pets, this means bringing in nursery supplies and materials well in advance, so pets can get used to their existence.
Remember, dogs and cats have very highly attuned senses of smell.
And like children, they also depend on stability of their daily routine to feel at ease in their surroundings. Many nursery items, such as talcum powder, diapers, and baby food, are going to have very distinct odors that may confuse or frighten the pet. Experts caution setting these items up weeks before the baby arrives, so that all the pets in your household have the chance to familiarize and relax with the new smells in their environment. You can train the animals' sense of smell recognition by letting them sniff some of baby's clothes before the child comes home from the hospital.
Experts also recommend carrying and cuddling a doll before the baby comes home. This will get the pet used to the idea of something new vying for your attention, and let them see the baby's approximate shape and size.
It's also a mistake to bar the pets from visiting the nursery, though their roaming through the room should be limited. Dogs can have their own mat on the floor; cats should be barred from jumping atop flat surfaces.
Obedience training is the main part of keeping your pet in the family as it grows larger. For future children, the process will be much easier for the pets and for parents alike. Pets don't have to leave the family when baby comes - in fact, with a little effort they can become even closer to you, your spouse and especially your child.