Preparing Your Pet for a New Baby

When I was pregnant with our first son, Ben, my husband and I seemed to spend as much time worrying about how our dog was going to react to the new addition as we did worrying about how we were going to handle having a new baby. Without nearby friends with babies, we resorted to buying a CD of baby coos and cries to acclimate her (and yes, us) to the cacophony that was to come. Knowing that her life was about to change, we spoiled her with treats and long, early morning visits to the local dog park, and we did a lot of plain ole’ hoping for the best. As we later learned, we did a mix of right and wrong, all with the best of intentions. Ultimately, when the time came to introduce the two, our canine baby promptly threw up all over the carpet, then walked into Ben’s nursery, where she had explosive diarrhea. Not exactly the scrapbook moment we’d been hoping for.

If you’re a cat or dog owner and are expecting a new baby, or even thinking about getting pregnant, read on for must-know advice on how to best prepare your pet.