By Lauren Malmberg, Peoria County Animal Protection Services
Last month, we talked about preparing your household for a new baby. Hopefully, you’ve been able to make the changes to the pet’s sleeping and eating areas and adjusted the nursery to either accommodate or exclude the animal. You’ve also considered how the baby will change your pet’s routines and started incorporating those changes into your lives. All your efforts in advance should now pay off!
Bringing the new baby home will be a wonderful experience, but it can also be stressful for your dog or cat. Experts suggest a number of strategies to make the homecoming less worrying.
You want your pet to have pleasant experiences with your baby right from the start; the best way to ensure that is to plan ahead. When you come home, have someone take an article with the baby’s scent (such as a blanket) in first for your pet to smell. In fact, send everyone else into the house first so your pet can express his usual excitement and greet people. Once he’s had some time to investigate the baby blanket and greet everyone, have someone leash your dog or hold your cat. Even if you don’t expect a bad reaction, it’s best to have control of your animal when you first come in.
You can choose to allow your pet to have immediate interaction with the baby; or you can delay their first meeting. In either case, you want to remain calm and relaxed when you enter the house with the baby. If you’re nervous or jumpy, your pet will pick up on that and may grow nervous as well. Talk to your pet in a soft but cheerful voice as you enter. Have whoever is in charge of the animal offer an occasional treat to distract him and reinforce positive behaviors.
You may want to have someone take the baby into another room so that you can give your pet a warm and calm greeting. Spend a few minutes quietly interacting with your animal friend; offer treats and praise for quiet behavior. When you’re ready, you can then take the baby back and get settled in.
Set the stage for the pet’s introduction carefully. Wait until all the visitors have gone and the house has settled down. Choose a quiet place and sit down with the baby in your arms. Have a helper leash your dog or hold your cat as they come into the room. Avoid nervous or agitated behavior; your calm and quiet assurance is important to a successful introduction.
Have your helper approach with the dog on a short but relaxed leash. Speak to your pet in a calm, happy voice to convince him that meeting and interacting with the new baby is fun, not stressful. Watch your dog’s body language — if he remains relaxed and friendly — allow him to sniff the baby as you continue to speak softly to him. Praise your pet for any calm attention paid to the new baby.
If your cat is really social, have your helper approach the baby holding him in their arms. Allow the cat to investigate the baby quietly and calmly stroke and talk to him. Once he’s satisfied with his investigation, your helper can let him down but monitor that he doesn’t jump up on your lap. Some cats will avoid any interaction at first and may hide out until the commotion has passed. Allow your cat to satisfy his curiosity on his own time; just be sure to monitor the interactions.
A couple of important things to remember:
- Don’t force your pet to interact with the baby; let him approach the newcomer in his own time. If he seems nervous, speak softly to him and praise him for bravely investigating.
- Never leave a baby or child unattended with any pet. All animals can bite in the wrong circumstances — not that all will. To ensure no tragedies occur, always supervise any interaction between pets and children so that inappropriate behavior can be nipped in the bud.
Once the baby is home and settled in, you’ll still want to continue encouraging appropriate behavior in your pets. Check out these resources for the best ways to deal with any issues you encounter.
- The Humane Society of the United States: (www.humanesociety.org)
- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(www.aspca.org) - The American Humane Association: (www.americanhumane.org)
For more information, contact the Peoria County Animal Protection Services at 309-672-2440 with questions or concerns regarding animals, pet-related laws, and other resources. Be sure to visit our location and find a great animal companion for your family!
Photo credit: airspa/iStock