Many new parents are worried about the possibility of their cat climbing into the baby’s crib. Although most experts agree that it is unlikely that a pet cat would harm a sleeping infant, it is still best to keep your cat out of the crib. Cats love to climb and are very curious, but there are still methods you can use to keep your cat away from the crib. Here’s how to keep a cat out of a crib:
- Close the door. The most foolproof way to keep the cat out of the crib is to keep the nursery door closed, particularly when your baby is sleeping in the crib. If you want to keep the cat out but need to be able to see and hear your baby, install a screen door on the door to the baby’s room.
- Cover the crib. Use a netted crib tent over the crib. This should be placed on the crib well in advance of your baby’s arrival. This way, if the cat gets curious and tries to climb in, they will soon realize that it can’t be done, but won’t fall on your baby in the process. Before your baby arrives, you can also cover the crib with a piece of cardboard, which will keep your cat from discovering the soft bedding inside.
- Guard the interior of the crib. While your baby’s not in it, place double-sided tape on a piece of cardboard on top of the crib mattress. Cats hate sticky tape, and will quickly learn to avoid the area. They also hate to walk on aluminum foil. Another strategy is to place balloons in the empty crib; the cat’s claws will pop these balloons, making a loud noise that will scare you cat away. Spray the mattress lightly with a water and lemon juice mixture; cats hate the smell of lemon.
- Guard the exterior of the crib. Place down empty aluminum cans or anything else that will be uncomfortable for your cat to walk into on his way to the crib. If he can’t get to the crib, then he won’t climb inside.
- Give the cat its own bed. Chances are, your cat wants to sleep in the baby’s crib only because it is soft and comfortable. Give your cat his own bed so that he will have somewhere nice to sleep that’s all his own.
Although it is best to teach your cat to stay away from the crib before your new baby arrives, it is entirely possible to teach your cat after the birth of your baby. Never let your cat sleep in the crib until the baby arrives; this will teach them that the soft bedding in the crib makes an excellent napping spot. Instead, keep them out of the crib from the moment you assemble it. That way, by the time the baby arrives the cat will understand that they are not allowed in the crib.