Are Cats a Danger to Babies?

Parents may also be interested in our Baby Sleep Safety Tips article.

There is an Old Wives tale that a cat could steal a babies breath. These days, few people would believe this but there still remains a belief that cats can pose a threat to an infant, with many parents worrying that their cat may climb into the moses basket or cot and inadvertently smother their child.

In theory, this is possible. Cats like enclosed spaces, such as a moses basket, to sleep in and they are attracted to warmth, which a sleeping baby would provide. Since a newborn does not have the muscle control to turn their head away, they would be at slight risk of asphyxiation if the cat was to sit directly over their face.

However, the chances of this actually occurring are extremely small. The experience of many cat owners is that their cats are wary of the new baby and will actively avoid the infant, even while they are napping. If a particularly confident cat was to climb into the moses basket with the baby the risk of it suffocating the child is still insignificant as they are unlikely to sleep next to the baby’s face, but rather their body which offers more warmth. The worst that is likely to happen is the moses basket gets a bit hairy.

But this does not mean you should be complacent when it comes to cats and babies, or indeed any other pet. You should still take sensible precautions - a baby’s cry can be startlingly loud and a frightened animal, even a very good natured one, may attack or lash out. For this reason, you should never leave a cat or dog alone in the same room as your baby. If your pet is used to sleeping in your bedroom and your new baby will be sleeping in there after its birth, get your cat or dog used to no longer being allowed in the bedroom before the birth to avoid jealousy issues.

Moses basket cat nets are available to help protect a napping baby. Parental opinion of how useful these are varies. Some people purchase one and find their cat is not interested in the baby anyway. A small number of parents find that the cat isn’t interested in the moses basket but will try and sleep on the cat net. But at a cost of a few pounds, the cat net can offer peace of mind.