by Sarah Cleaves

Created on: November 03, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

Many people are concerned about bringing pets into a house with a baby, but by taking some simple precautions it's possible for your pet and baby to live in harmony together.

When you first bring your pet home introduce them to the baby's smell before the initial meeting. Scent is very important to animals and the more you introduce them to the scents of the baby before they actually meet, the smoother the meeting will go.

Though fears of pets climbing into cots with babies and smothering them are largely unfounded, it's still a good idea to prevent them from entering the cot to avoid the spread of bacteria, accidental scratches, and to keep the cot free from animal hair. You can buy nets that are especially designed to keep pets out. They can easily be found on the internet and simply slip over the cot and tie in place. It's important that you get one that's the correct size so it's nice and taught. If the pet were to jump on the net you want to make sure it doesn't sag and bring them down on your baby.

You can also teach the pet that they're not allowed in the nursery and get in the habit of keeping the door shut, remembering to ensure the pet is not on the wrong side! Some people prefer to use screen doors so they're still able to hear the baby. Alternatively you can still listen to your baby on a baby monitor.

To help further prevent the spread of bacteria you should keep your pet up to date with their vaccinations and regularly de-flee and worm them.

As you baby grows into a toddler things will become a little more complicated. Your toddler may want to give a good tug to any tails and fur they manage to get in their grasp. It's never too early to start teaching your little one to treat animals with respect. If you're worried about the pet scratching your child you can always consider trimming their claws, or using plastic caps.

Place any litter trays or pet food where the curious toddler can't reach them. Also keep any well chewed animal toys out of their reach, or they'll want to give them a good chew themselves!

If you take these precautions there's no reason why your child and pet can't enjoy a wonderful relationship.

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