Should I worry about my cat smothering my newborn in the bassinet?

It is fine to handle the kittens, cats do not generally reject their young if they are handled by an outside source. It may also just look like mama is smothering them when in fact she might just be providing them with heat and/or the ability to nurse. Unless you actually see the babies actually struggling to move or crying out, they are probably not being smothered. The kittens are waking up a lot because they have to nurse. When they are this young, the tend to nurse upwards of every 2-3 hours. If you are not seeing the kittens nursing that often, they might need supplemental care in the form of bottle feeding. You can pick up some kitten milk replacer at a pet store or a big-box store as well as the bottle. Hope this helps!

Congrats on your newborn! I have a six month old baby girl, and four cats. She has not gotten anything from my cats, and at this age, it's not a big worry. It's when the baby starts moving there is a concern if they get into the cat's litter box. Babies love putting things in the mouth, so you can imagine the concern if your baby got into Ferdinan's litter box! I wouldn't leave him alone with your baby, always supervise any interactions. I hope this helps!

Keeping the room the baby's stuff is in off-limits can help limit your cat's access to the room so that Snuggle doesn't get in. If you want Snuggle to help get used to sounds, sights, etc. Starting a routine before baby comes can help your cat settle in. Letting your cat sniff objects such as baby wipes, powder, clothing, etc that smells like "baby' can also help her get adjusted to the new sights and sounds and smells. A pheromone diffuser can also be beneficial in the main areas Snuggle hangs out in, and making sure she can easily get to her food, water, bedding, etc so she has her own place to rest and relax is also useful.

If the cat has mothering imstincts she will nudge the kitten to suckle, and lick it often. Good mothers tend to make sure they dont lie on their kitten. If she is consistently lying on it you may have to remove it from her. Otherwise you could try putting a badket in the box that the kitten cant climb into, hopefully the mother will go in there to rest. Make sure the kitren has a water bottle or heat pad on its side.

If you do not mind that she raises her kittens under or in the sofa, then it should be ok. Kitten mamas are extremely careful and will not hurt their kittens by lying on them or any other way, theey will also not kill kittens. Sometimes, if a kitten dies by itself, a mother will actually eat it, in order to keep the nest clean and not to alert predators to the live kittens. You may want to prepare a nice box with towels for your kitten mama and move the kittens into the box where she will then join. She might move them again....and then I suppose you may want to give her her wish.

Hello, as in any occasion, you should make sure that you're washing your baby's hands immediately after touching Saffie. Majority of the infectious diseases we worry about are transferred via fecal to oral route, hence why washing hands is so important. To further ensure that your kitten is safe to be around your baby, keep up on her physical exams and you can have your veterinarian test a stool sample for any parasites or giardia. Eating birds particularly may expose your cat to foreign bodies and parasites but does not directly expose your baby to these same infections. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Unfortunately, when a momma cat feels someplace is safe, she'll be pretty adamant about bringing her kittens there! Apparently, the bed, and you are her safe spot. You may try making a "nest" for her out of pillows or a blanket from your bed and placing it next to the bed so it smells safe like you, but you can't crush it. You can also try making a pillow "wall" to keep yourself separated from the babies as well if you roll over in the night. Otherwise, just trying to make someplace else more enticing should encourage her to move them again.