How to Prepare Your Pet for a New Baby

Most people find themselves here when a baby is on the way and a dog or cat is already part of the household. The question isn’t whether your pet is “good” or “bad”; it’s how they cope when the house smells different, sounds different, and your hands are suddenly full.

Done well, the change is usually quiet and manageable. Done quickly, it can create avoidable stress for the animal and real safety risks for an infant who can’t move away. The aim is simple: steady preparation, clear boundaries, and calm supervision from the first day home.^{1, 2, 3}

Start with what your pet already does

Before you add anything “baby” to the picture, watch your pet in ordinary moments: when visitors arrive, when you move furniture, when there’s a sudden noise, when they’re tired. These patterns are your best guide to what may be hard for them once the household changes.

Look for early stress signals you can work with well before any growling or snapping: freezing, lip-licking, yawning when not tired, tucked tail, pinned ears, hiding, pacing, or sudden clinginess. If you’re seeing these often now, treat it as useful information, not a character flaw.¹

Bring baby smells and sounds into the house—slowly

A newborn arrives with a whole new sensory landscape: milk smells, wipes, lotions, squeaky furniture, crying at night. Introducing these gently helps your pet treat them as background noise rather than an alarm.

New scents

• Set up baby gear early so it becomes familiar furniture, not a sudden invasion.
• Use the baby’s products (lotions, washes) in the home ahead of time so the smell is no longer novel.
• Let your pet sniff baby items briefly, then redirect to something they enjoy (a chew, a puzzle feeder, a favourite toy).¹

New sounds

Play recordings of baby crying and babbling at a very low volume while your pet is relaxed. If they stay calm, pair the sound with something good (treats, play). Over days, not minutes, increase volume only as far as they can handle without tensing or fixating.¹

Set boundaries before the baby arrives

Boundaries work best when they’re introduced early and kept boring. If a room will become off-limits, make it off-limits now, not on the day you bring the baby home. That way, your pet doesn’t learn to link the baby with lost privileges.¹

Practical, low-drama boundaries

• Use baby gates and closed doors to create clean separations, especially around sleeping areas and change tables.
• Teach a reliable “go to mat/bed” behaviour so your pet has a clear place to settle when the room is busy.⁴
• Make sure your cat has vertical escape options (tall scratching post, shelf, separate room) so they can observe without being cornered.⁵

Book a vet check and keep routine care up to date

A health check before the baby arrives is less about perfection and more about removing preventable friction. Pain, itch, dental disease, or reduced vision can make animals more reactive because the world feels less predictable.

Ask your vet about any behaviour changes you’ve noticed (guarding, noise sensitivity, anxiety, irritability), and confirm your pet’s parasite prevention and vaccinations are current for their lifestyle and local risks.⁶

Training that helps in a baby house

You don’t need tricks. You need safe, repeatable behaviours that keep everyone’s bodies where they should be.

Focus on everyday skills

• Settle on a mat or in a crate with the door open.
• Walk calmly beside a pram (start with an empty pram, then add weight later).
• Leave it / drop it (especially for dummies, toys, and anything that smells like milk).
• Gentle greetings: four paws on the floor, no jumping.

Use reward-based training so the baby’s presence predicts good things, not punishment or tension. If you’re stuck, a qualified force-free trainer or veterinary behaviourist can tailor a plan to your pet’s triggers and your home layout.¹

Practise the routine change before it’s real

Pets notice the small shifts first: walks that run late, meals that are rushed, doors that are closed. If you can, begin adjusting routines in the last weeks of pregnancy so the “new normal” arrives gradually.

• Move feeding and walking times closer to what they’ll be once the baby is home.
• Reduce intense, on-demand play and replace it with predictable, shorter sessions.
• Add independent enrichment (snuffle mats, food puzzles, long-lasting chews) so your pet can cope when you’re busy.

The first introduction: baby meets pet

Keep the first meeting calm, brief, and tightly supervised. The goal is not a perfect photo; it’s a neutral, safe memory for the animal.

A calm, controlled approach

• Ensure your pet has had exercise, toileting, and a chance to settle first.
• Keep dogs on a loose lead or behind a barrier at the start so they can look and sniff without crowding.
• Let the pet approach at their own pace; don’t force sniffing or face-to-face contact.
• Reward calm behaviour and end the interaction early, while things are still going well.^{1, 7}

Non-negotiable safety rule

Never leave a baby or young child alone with a dog or cat, even for a moment, even with a “gentle” family pet. Babies can be bitten, scratched, or accidentally smothered, and they can’t move away or protect their face.^{3, 6, 8}

After the baby arrives: keeping balance without pushing closeness

Once you’re home, many pets cope best when life stays ordinary. Feed them on time. Keep walks steady. Protect their rest. Notice when they choose distance and allow it.

If your pet begins guarding spaces, stalking movement, snapping at touch, or showing persistent fear around the baby, don’t “wait it out”. Reduce access, increase management (gates, leads, separate rooms), and get professional help early.⁶

Cat-specific notes: litter and pregnancy health

If someone in the household is pregnant, toxoplasmosis is one reason to take litter hygiene seriously. Infection during pregnancy can harm the unborn baby, so delegate litter tray cleaning where possible. If you must do it, wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly afterwards.⁹

Keep the tray clean daily, and keep sandpits covered outdoors to reduce contact with cat faeces in soil or sand.¹⁰

References

1. Humane World for Animals — Introducing your pet to your new baby
2. RSPCA Victoria — Expecting your new baby
3. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) — Simple steps to prevent dog bites
4. RSPCA (UK) — Children & dogs: staying safe together
5. RSPCA Knowledgebase (Australia) — Introducing a new dog/puppy to an existing cat
6. VCA Animal Hospitals — Children and pets: infants and dogs
7. The Royal Kennel Club — Child safety around dogs
8. The Royal Children’s Hospital — Child Safety Handbook (section: babies/children and dogs)
9. healthdirect — Toxoplasmosis
10. Victorian Department of Health — Toxoplasmosis (prevention and control)