Introducing a baby into a home with a pet

Does anyone have any experience/stories of what happens when they introduce a baby into the home where there is already a pet? I'd like some advice on things I can do to help my cat cope. Me and my husband have had a cat for 2 years and now I'm pregnant. I'm concerned about how the cat will adjust to a new family member. Any advice or experiences/stories appreciated. I do know I won't be able to give her as much attention and I'm worried about her possibly attacking the baby (though she's not particularly aggressive).

Well when we brought my first son home from the hospital we had 2 cats. The older one who is usually friendly with everyone was terrified of the baby and stayed under the bed for a couple of days. The other cat was very interested in him. She wanted to climb in his car seat when he wasn't in it and she was contantly checking everything out. They never tried to attack him or even climb into his crib...which is what I was really worried about. Well I hope this helps a little and good luck.

Most likely the cat won't attack the baby if the cat isn't aggressive now. I think somehow cats know that the baby is a baby and that the cat needs to be gentle around it. I read that you should start introducing the cat to baby smells before the baby is born, IE baby powder, baby food, formula, baby blankets, etc.

Just remember to keep paying attention to your kitty throughout your pregnancy and after the baby is born, make time for him/her and I think it'll all be fine.

My experience was with my dog at home but I receieved advice with my first child to bring home the stocking that the baby wear's right after they are born... When the nurses remove it... have your SO bring it home and leave it somewhere where the cats can smell it and get used to it... This will help when you bring baby home - the cats will know the smell and hopefully not fear it...

My dog walked around with the hat in her mouth for weeks... now her and my daughter are best friends...

I KNOW I AM KIND OF SCARED ABOUT MY CAT GETTING INTO THE CRIB...WHAT CAN I DO??

when i bring my daughter into my baby father's house he has a cat. and the cat doesn't do anything to her. the cat just looks at her. and in that house his sister has a 11 month old son and he is the one trying to attack the cat

They have crib covers you can buy, your baby can breathe and stuff but the kitty cannot get in. I can't remember the link but I'm sure you can buy them almost anywhere. Other than that, teach the kitty that the crib is off-limits and watch the baby closely.

As to the cat in the crib, it might be best just to keep kitty closed out of the nursery or your bed room in general, just so you don't have animal dander landing in the baby bedding in general. Also, be extra careful when washing baby stuff, a dryer full of fluffy baby blankets is awefully tempting to a cat, one of mothers friends accidentally re-started the dryer once not realizing her kitty had climbed in with the still slightly damp laundrey.

some cats DO suck the milk off of the babys mouth .. this is NOT a myth.. it happened to my cousin and it almost killed her because she couldn't breath!! but if you keep a close eye on the cat an make sure the babys mouth is clean of milk then you she be ok!  

thanks for the replies. I still haven't found a lot of information about it online, but I have some ideas on how I'll train my cat that the infant is off-limits.

my sister heather's in-laws have a cat and so do me and my mom ... i would keep the cats away from the baby .. because it will get them used to the sent of the baby and then slowly let the cat be around the baby .. as for the crib .. shut the door and don't let the cats in the room .. because if they smell the milk on the baby's mouth .. they tend to lick and with kittens they can even suffacate a baby ... i don't mean to scare you if i am .. my other sister courtney has a little girl and has a kitten and she smelled the milk on her breath and on her mouth and tried to lick it .. and yeah .. lucky my sister went in there when she did ... but .. just let the cat get used to the baby and everything should be fine

Still looking for more pets and babies stories. I think it's a fun topic. My friend brought her 6 month old over 2 months ago and my cat reacted to him in a very sweet way. It was so endearing to watch her look at the baby with awe and confusion/caution. I know that there isn't going to be a problem with my cat, but I'd still like to hear from others about their experiences (good or bad) with pets and babies.