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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat behavior and my pregnancy
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Question
I am pregnant and my female cat doesn't want to have anything to do with me, what does this mean?
Brianna,
Congratulations!
Your cat senses that something is different about you, whether by smell, instinct, or 'vibes'. Are you still giving her the same amount of attention as you did previously? If not, that could be upsetting her. Don't shut her out and ignore her now that a baby is on the way. Jealousy is a human emotion, but cats get a form of it.
Possibly her behavior may not have anything to do with your pregnancy. She could be 'pouting' for an altogether different reason.
I am including some links to good articles about cats and babies that you may find helpful for when the baby comes. They should be of help getting the cat used to the new baby: (copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar)
http://www.petplace.com/cats/helping-your-cat-and-new-baby-get-along/page1.aspx
http://www.sthuberts.org/petpouri/articles/catmeetsbaby.asp
http://westwoodanimalhospital.com/BhvArticles/Infants,%20Children,%20And%20Cats....
This horrifies some people but When my daughter was a baby our cat used to sleep in the crib with her. I never had any problems as a result of that, and my daughter grew up to be a cat lover.
Tabbi
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Answers by Expert:
Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
Experience
Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
Education/Credentials
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Awards and Honors
* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
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