true or false?

Yeah I have heard something similar... I gave birth to my son last year, and because I have a cat people said don't ever leave her alone with the baby whilst he is asleep in the cot because she might lay on his face and suffocate him... but thankfully that never happened... it was quite the opposite actually as she protects him, she will lay outside the door whilst he is asleep and if anyone other than me goes near she will growl lol... I actually think she feels like a dog or something lol, but to answer your question I actually think that it is false, but I guess you just have to be careful, but I would highly doubt it, if anything they would lay at the bottom of the bed

No, a cat cannot magically draw a babies breath away. However, I would never leave a cat alone with a baby. It seems to me that the cat could lie on the child's face and smother him. I've never known this to happen, though. The biggest danger to a baby from a cat would be scratches when the baby gets bigger and more active.

I've heard that old wives tale too. It isn't true. I had a Siamese when my daughter was born. I brought the baby home and Charlie jumped into the crib with her. I heard the most awful noise and went into the room to find my daughter trying to nurse on Charlie's paw. I got him out of the crib and soothed his shattered nerves. But from that day forward he was her guardian cat. It almost seems like a natural instinct for cats to protect the babies. Yes, there are some animals that might get jealous, but I haven't ever had that problem with any of my cats or dogs. I do know that I never had to wait for the baby to cry if she was hungry or needed changing. Charlie would come and get us to take care of HIS baby.

Hi, walking2010. I have never heard of this before. I know that cats should not be around a newborn at all. No one or thing should be so close to a newborn. Fragrances and bodily skin contacts can make a newborns skin very irritable. It is okay for the parents to be around the newborn because they have to take care of the baby.

It's definitely false. Most likely cats snuggle up to babies for warmth, & then smell milk on the babies' breath. Cats make wonderful protectors of babies, in many cases! Maggiepie "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle, philosopher 384-322 BC

well, Yeah. cats will sleep on your baby's faces. not all cats, or maybe it didn't happen to you. I think maybe you should just.. like.. not risk it and keep them separate. i don't want to lose my child, for a comfortable place for the cat.

I had 5 kids and I had cats and I never had any problem with them around the babies. I never experienced any of the protective cat stories that I read here. But I am very glad that noone believes this. It was a VERY popular belief when I had my babies. I have read the same 'protector stories' about dogs. I don't think it matters if it is a cat or dog, the baby is a part of 'their' family and needs protection, and that is 'their' job.

That is one of those lies told about cats. My mother didn't want Jingo to be around my sister when she was a baby, because she was afraid the 12 lb cat would lay on the baby, because of the smell of milk on her breath - none of that "stealing the baby's breath" nonsense Then, the day she heard Jingo going crazy in the nursery (he was half Siamese, so he could get REALLY LOUD) she rushed in to see what was wrong. There was a 6 INCH across tarantula under the crib. Jingo saw mom and knew his job was done, the human would protect the baby, so he split. After that, Jingo could sleep ANY WHERE HE WANTED!

I haven't heard that, but I did hear that having cat's around newborns wasn't a good idea because some nutrients in the cat's pee could actually be detrimental to the infant's development. Don't know how true that is though, it's just what I was told a few years ago by a friend.

Hi Walking, Cats love to snuggle up to something warm and years ago used to seak into prams and sometimes would accidentally smothr a baby and siffocate it which is why cat nets for prams wer introduced. However I have always had cats and three children andhave never xperienced this myself. Huggles. Ellie :D

A lot of people think that, but that I think goes back to the days where babies were left alone unsuperivised. Now a days that is hardly ever the case. Kittens and children interact all of the time and kittens tend to leave babies alone. In a way they tend to be protective, and its perfectly alright.

I've never heard such a thing. Is the cat like right in front of the baby's face sucking it's air out? It sounds silly to me... If anything I'd keep my cat away from a newborn just because she's hyper and likes to pounce on things that move ;p

This is one of many falsehoods about pets and children. Certainly pets should not be left alone with newborn children. After all, cats are animals that cannot conduct rational thoughts. However, eventually cats will begin to treat children as part of normal household property. You see, cats do not really know that you own them. Rather, cats think that they own you...and everything else at "their" home. There are many falsehoods about keeping cats away from toddlers. None are true -- other than keeping your toddler away from the litter box. But that applies to people of all ages...wash your hands thoroughly after changing or scooping the litter box. For many years, there were directives to get rid of the family cat as soon as a child was born. (Such nonsense ended my first marriage.) Turns out, a long-term study by a reputable health organization (completed in the 1990s) indicated that children raised in homes with cats were HEALTHIER adults than those raised in homes without cats.