Last week I was doing an in-home meeting with my clients expecting their first baby mid-August. As we walked into the parents bedroom, mom was showing me the Nuna bassinet for the baby.
While approaching the bassinet, I saw their sweet fur child (kitty), snuggled up in a ball, soaking up the sun, cozy as could be.
It seems completely harmless, but take a minute to think about this for a minute. Your beloved fur child has had the opportunity, potentially, for several months prior to your baby’s arrival, to enjoy this space. In fact, mister dog or miss kitty probably think you bought this fancy contraption just for them to solely occupy!
This scenario is potentially quite dangerous. If your pet has become accustomed to sleeping in anything your human baby will be sleeping in or using regularly, they are going to continue to think they can use this item after the baby is born.
Reasons Your Pet Should Not Use The Baby’s Items
- It’s dangerous. Immediately upon seeing my client’s kitty sleeping in the bassinet, I educated them on why kitty shouldn’t be allowed to sleep there. A newborn especially, doesn’t have the ability to move their head or adjust positions if a pet would jump in and lay on top of them. It’s not worth the risk.
- Pets are dirty. Even vaccinated pets carry bacteria that can harm your baby. In particular, cats are in litter boxes digging around and want to kill birds and rodents outside. Your newborn’s immune system isn’t well established at birth and therefore they are more suppecible.
- Bassinets have weight limits. A pet will add a solid 5-10 extra pounds, at a minimum, into your baby’s sleeper. This could cause the bassinet to collapse.
- Animals may want to jump in. If an animal jumps into your baby’s bassinet while the baby is in it, the entire bassinet is in jeopardy of tumbling over, possibly injuring your baby.
Bassinets, cribs, bouncers and swings are for babies and babies only! The risk of suffocation or injury is too great. Please don’t let your fur babies use these items and make any sleeping space your baby will be in a “no pet” zone while your baby is sleeping.
