cats suffocating babies

Can Cats Suffocate Babies, Cute Cats, Can Cats Suffocate Babies Maybe, but read on. Sounds and Smells. In that superstition, the cat was supposed to be stealing the child’s vitality by magic. What’s the origin of the skull and crossbones pirate flag? Naturally I thought I had achieved a truly remarkable hangover. Schedule Changes. Did Rep. Greene Say ‘If English Was Good Enough for Jesus, It’s Good Enough for Us’. Litter Box … © 1995 - 2021 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Tragedy is hard enough to bear without its also being inexplicable. Of course, this moggie myth is untrue — our furry friends do not suck away the breath of babies. There was one confirmed case where the baby inhaled the cat's fur and its breathing was obstructed. now i am confused. This myth is the biggest reason that adult cats are in rescue centres beacuse families with a new baby give them away. The problem is that people spread the rumors quickly without checking the facts. Sleeping cat suffocates baby By Richard Savill 23 December 2000 • 00:00 am A SIX-WEEK-OLD boy died in his cot after the family cat fell asleep on his face. Cats and babies can live in harmony together. Further examination by pathologists laid this theory to rest — they attributed the 21 December 2000 death of 6-week-old Keiron Payne to sudden infant death syndrome. Cats steal babies’ breath One of the most common worries when it comes to cats and babies is ‘stealing breath’. Hello,Heavily pregnant here and have bought all my bits and pieces for new baby. A 5-week-old previously healthy baby girl was found in her pram with a cat lying over her face. If you're wondering, it's a myth that cats like to suffocate babies. Cats sometimes do harbour disease, but there are very few diseases of the cat that are zoonotic (transmissible from cat to human). Not that the cat will suffocate the baby so much but I really don't want cat hair etc all in the crib, yuk! The best of The Straight Dope, delivered to your inbox. If you visit the cat protection league website there is some advice. A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD, Sign up for the Help your cat to adjust to the changing situation via the sounds and smells that will be commonplace once the baby arrives. Our cat Simone decided to lay on Oliver and steal his breath, thus waking him up. My MIL (who hates cats) keeps saying "That cat will crawl in the crib and suffocate your baby! 4. what do you think? Try ... 2. Barbara “catafalque for cat-at-fault” Mikkelson. Hi,expecting first sprog v soon. It is, said the smell of milk on the child’s breath draws the feline in for the kill, but anyone who has been around housecats knows the average moggie doesn’t much care for the liquid. It is still quite rare to pick up a disease from a cat, and your baby is far more likely to catch a disease from another human than a cat. Did Dems’ Video Omit Trump’s Telling Supporters To ‘Peacefully and Patriotically’ Protest at Capitol? Looking into buy Did Biden Block Giving Aid and Admittance to Vietnamese Refugees in 1975? EUREKA! In 1791 a jury at a coroner’s inquest in England rendered a verdict to the effect that a Plymouth child had met his death by a cat sucking out its breath. No, Gov. How did the myth that cats sometimes steal people's breath when they sleep get started? Cats suffocating babies is a load of old bollocks. 9 Ways to Prepare Your Cat for a New Baby. Drawn by the sweet scent of milk or seeking a bit of warmth, cat's will snuggle up to the baby, inadvertently suffocating the child rather than deliberately sucking out his breath. Cats have long been viewed as evil, and for centuries a number of superstitions featuring their bringing bad luck have abounded. Sources: A cat may settle to sleep near a baby's face. from being left sleeping on their tummies on waterbeds. Send questions to Cecil via cecil@straightdope.com. . Cat Lady Pictures .. 1. What does the Chicago lyric “25 or 6 to 4” mean? Folk beliefs work to give folks a sense of control over their destinies and thus some small measure of security in a capricious world. I raised my hands to give my eyes a serious rubbing (I was lying flat on my back), when much to my surprise I discovered a large furry growth protruding at least three inches above my face. This is very dangerous. It could interfere with your baby's breathing. Did VP Kamala Harris Cut Funding to VA Facilities? So the baby wasn't suffocating in the uterus. One cat book that warned about the danger of suffocating a baby was You and Your Cat by David Taylor (1986); it seemed plenty reputable to me. newsletter. Page 3. A cat doesn't do it on purpose, it just wants to keep warm. https://www.walkervillevet.com.au/blog/cats-smothering-babies Explore. Art. While the claim that a cat will purposefully suffocate your baby is false, the VERIFY team did find one incident in the United Kingdom in 2000 where a six week old baby died after the family cat fell asleep on his face. If you spot your cat sniffing your baby's mouth, it's likely your infant's breath … Did Biden, Ossoff, and Warnock Mislead Public With Promise of ‘$2000 Checks’? There used to be an urban legend about cats stealing babies’ breath right out of their mouth,... Toxoplasmosis. Facts about cats, part 1. Is the danger exaggerated? Safety concerns when it comes to cats and babies Suffocation or smothering. Specifically, she described a … The fact is that cats are heat-seeking furry missiles that enjoy being close to a warm body, so your cat may be drawn to sleep near your infant. Page 3 of 3 < Prev 1 2 3. misspriss Well-Known Member. If a parent can believe that preventing crib death is but a matter of keeping the cat out of the baby’s room, that parent will sleep a lot easier than one who realizes such a tragedy could occur any night, cat or no cat. It’s hard to believe a person in the 1990s could still believe that cats can “suck the breath out of babies.” No reputable cat care book has ever suggested that a cat will “suffocate” a baby! A cat can get in the crib to cosy up next to the baby to keep warm, which could possibly suffocate the infant. 149-160). Cecil is willing to concede this fear may be exaggerated. Discussion in 'Pregnancy - Second Trimester' started by Sarahrei, Jan 16, 2013. The old wives' tale about cats stealing babies' breath or suffocating them. “Attracted by body heat, they may curl up alongside a baby, but this habit must be discouraged as there is a danger that the cat might unwittingly suffocate the child.”. Did Rush Limbaugh’s ‘AIDS Update’ Mock the Deaths of Gay People? Still, if you’ve got a little one on the premises, no sense taking any chances. I have over 50 cat books in my possession, and have lived with cats for 34 of my 39 years. This material may not be reproduced without permission. “Cats like warm spots to sleep,” one writer says. Jun 23, 2018 - Where the cats- suffocating- babies legend came from.... Amorosos. This theory is of far more recent coinage than the bit of lore it purports to explain, though, coming into fashion no earlier than the 20th century (while the “smother” belief dates to at least the 1700s). Baby’s face would be too much to resist. There is a prevailing myth among people that cats will try to suck out an infant's breath, possibly because the smell of milk attracts them. I had a cat on my face. 3. The superstition itself is older, with print sightings of it recorded from 1607 and 1708, so that 1791 verdict should be viewed with the realization that the jury was probably influenced by a snippet of “everybody knows” lore when it came time to explain a death for which there was no apparent cause. Before your baby is born, take your cat to the vet for a thorough check-up. Cat seems determined to sleep in moses basket and cot. Did Rush Limbaugh Refer to 12-Year-Old Chelsea Clinton as a Dog? How did “nuts” and “bananas” come to mean “crazy”? Have bought it own cat-basket but ignors it. Cats love a warm spot and the cot in the nursery is usually very cosy but the old wives tale about cats sitting on babies and suffocating then is just that – an urban myth. Even stuffed animals can suffocate a baby. Some cat-care experts — folks who presumably would laugh off unfounded legends about cats — warn against allowing a cat into a room with a newborn baby. Unfortunately this is not an isolated case of such behavior. Donald Rumsfeld’s book about the Ford administration, “When the Center Held,” recounts an interaction with... Myths, Manatees, and Mermaids in the Age of Exploration. Listen, honey, at least I’ve got something to sleep with besides a cat. Facebook Failed To Respond to Dire Emails Ahead of Capitol Riot. but from my doctor and a few nurses at the hospital i go to for my prenatal care, said that is all just a myth. One cat book notes that to many people, “cats may still presage evil, particularly if they are black; they may still, as has been widely held throughout the world, cause the death of a child by creeping upon it and sucking its breath.” Furthermore, we read, “Lilith, the dark goddess of Hebrew mythology, changed herself into a vampire cat, El-Broosha, and in that form sucked the blood of her favorite prey, the newborn infant.” The authors describe such beliefs as “without factual substantiation.”, Maybe, maybe not. The next morning I awoke with really fuzzy vision and undeniably hairy tongue. A cat would never 'suck the breath out of a baby', but if a cat was to lie across a baby's face (mouth and nose) it COULD suffocate the child if the baby was unable to move and the cat laid there for long enough, just a couple of minutes. Tales about cats suffocating babies abound, but actual occurrences are very rare; in many cases the presence of the cat was incidental. Pregnancy forums spread rumors of cats suffocating babies and the risk of toxoplasmosis from cat litter boxes on a regular basis. Does ‘Cracker Barrel’ Refer to a Barrel of Whips? Dear Cecil: It’s hard to believe a person in the 1990s could still believe that cats can “suck the breath out of babies.” No reputable cat care book has ever suggested that a cat will “suffocate” a baby! No question, people have been getting freaked about cats for a long time. Here's an example of how folklore, myth, and legend can sometimes slow scientific understanding. I pulled my arms back to my sides and froze while I tried to make sense of the situation. They are usually exaggerated and the few that are genuine are only newsworthy due to their EXTREME rarity. Helpful, trusted answers from doctors: Dr. Friedlander on Will my cat suffocate our baby: Usually umbilical cords wrapped around the baby's neck in the uterus is loose, and only during the delivery is the cord stretched tighter. New York: Horace Liveright, 1930   (pp. Shattering Health Superstitions. Totally disregarding the cat’s ability to extend its claws, I grabbed it and flung it across the room. Hi Just wondering if anyone who has cats and babies can dispell or confirm the old wives tale that cats like snuggling newborn babies and that baby suffocation is a risk? Playtime Frequency. After all, pregnant women, babies, and felines have coexisted peacefully for centuries. and thus could strike down another youngster at some future date. Here's more information that'll help ease any other anxieties. About that time the furry growth began to purr, as kitties will do when touched. Do cats suffocate babies? Cats like to cuddle up to things warm and rhythmic — I’ve seen them asleep atop operating electric motors, so it’s probably best to keep them out of nurseries. Cats smothering babies? No longer the center of attention, the neglected pet is allegedly capable of setting about to get rid of what it sees as the usurper. Similar to the “sucking life from a child by swallowing its breath” superstition was one about not raising a kitten and a baby together, lest the cat thrive and the child waste away. Example:   [Collected on the Internet, 1996], Origins:   The idea that a cat could suck the breath of an infant is simply a misguided notion — cats just don’t do that. Our cats seldom are with our DD without one of us being involved. I developed a cat fur allergy which stuck with me for 25 years, but at least it didn’t steal my breath. This is my first baby. Photography Subjects. You are an irresponsible reporter. i have heard from numerous people, thats a fact. I have over 50 cat books in my possession, and have lived with cats for 34 of my 39 years. As it was described to me, the cats, no longer afforded the attention they once got prior to the infant’s birth, will actually attempt to suffocate the infant. What’s the origin of the myth that cats can suck the breath out of babies? She was deeply cyanosed and gasping. . It may be that cats over the years have been unjustly blamed for cases of crib death, whose cause is not well understood. She recommends making sure your cat has its own space. The idea that a cat could suck the breath of an infant is simply a misguided notion -- cats just don't do that. Crackers can come in bags, boxes, and yes, even barrels. Joined: Jun 15, 2012 Messages: (Given free choice between plain water and a bowl of milk, cats generally head for the water unless milk has been the only liquid offered to them from weaning onwards. It is said the smell of milk on the … What is on record, however, are any number of accidental deaths of sleeping children caused by their parents’ rolling over onto them, or from their turning around to face into a pillow. Her father, a doctor, … Paranoid or anything, but I’m not totally sure it’s a myth, and neither are some cat writers, as we shall see. Disorientation is not the appropriate word, but it’ll have to do. Put more simply, unless the cat has been taught to like milk, it generally won’t seek out that substance on its own.). It is possible a cat might lie across the face of a sleeping child and thus upon extremely rare instances accidentally cause a death, but that is not the old wives’ tale at hand wherein the cat does so with malice aforethought. Well, not to be Mr. As the name suggests, this is the belief that cats will suffocate a baby by breathing in its breath. Don't worry the cat will be gone when the baby arrives. My cats sleep next to me at night, and the only thing that concerns me is that I might roll over and crush them!     Fishbein, Morris. Were the Bidens Booed During Their Speech at the Super Bowl? The fact that $600 plus $1,400 equals $2,000 is relevant here. What is the origin of the song “There’s a place in France/Where the naked ladies dance?” Are bay leaves poisonous. I am noticing my cats are loving the new furn Did Rush Limbaugh Utter All These ‘Racist’ Statements? Unconscious in my bunk bed, I was unaware that one of my academic neighbors had let a small stray cat into my room during the night. If you had half the brains and personality of a cat you could accomplish much more than writing for a cheap throwaway paper. Children have also suffocated. And then there is “sudden infant death syndrome” (SIDS), the inexplicable passing of an otherwise healthy child in its sleep. As to how widely believed the “breath sucking” tale is, a 1929 article in the Nebraska State Journal quoted a doctor as having said he had seen “the family pet in the very act of sucking a child’s breath, lying on the baby’s breast, a paw on either side of the babe’s mouth, the cat’s lips pressing those of the child and the infant’s face pale as that of a corpse, its lips with the blueness of death.” The doctor’s emphatic statements to the contrary, the legend is still a fatuous piece of lore.

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