'A Patient Voice' Community

hello, 73003 --

i'm not sure what you are asking. do you think your baby is afraid of the cats? does s/he reach to be picked up when s/he sees the cats? has s/he ever been scratched by either of them?

or perhaps s/he is allergic to them? does s/he start rubbing her eyes when you are in your aunt and uncle's house or when the cats are nearby? does s/he cry when the cats are near her, when they are in the house but not near her?

whatever is happening, i definitely don't think it would be a good idea to try to make the baby pet the cats if s/he resists doing so. could your aunt and uncle put the cats in a different room when you and the baby come to visit?

maybe it would help for you to keep a sort of chart about each visit -- what time of day, how soon s/he started crying, where the cats were when s/he started crying, if it seems like the baby is reacting to only one or to both of the cats, did she cry, scream, fuss but then settle down, etc. -- to see if you can recognize some sort of pattern. are you sure s/he is crying in reaction to the cats rather than to your aunt or uncle or some other factor in their house? you might also ask the baby's pediatrician about this.

finally, let me suggest that if you have not already done so, you might want to take a look, or re-post this inquiry, in one or more of the following communities --

-- the parenting community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/parenting-exchange , where there is an expert on-board,

-- the baby's-first-year community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/newborn-and-baby-exchange , where there is also an expert on-board,

-- the three/six-months-old community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/parenting-3-6-month-olds-exchange ,

-- the parents-talking community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/parenting-friends-talking-exchange , and/or

-- possibly the allergies community, http://exchanges.webmd.com/allergies-exchange , where there is an expert on-board.

i hope you can find some answers for your sweetie.

-- susie margaret