• AdmiralShat@programming.dev
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      1 year ago

      Grown cats can suffocate a baby, but small kittens most likely won’t.

      It’s not that you should “keep them away” it’s that they shouldn’t be left unsupervised.

      I think this image is setting a dangerous precedent. These cats will grow rather quickly and believe it’s okay to hop onto this child’s head and take a nap

      • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Interesting. I thought it was more about babies not having a fully developed immune system, or possibly having an anaphylactic reaction.

          • fiah@discuss.tchncs.de
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            1 year ago

            a severe, possibly life threatening allergic reaction. Not that I heard of this being a risk with babies and cats tho

        • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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          1 year ago

          At least with peanuts you’re supposed to feed children peanuts because not eating peanuts as babies is what tends to lead to peanut allergies in later life.

          Perhaps the same is true of cats.

          Although I don’t know of anyone who was allergy to cats is potentially fatal. Presumably because you’re not actually eating cat fur

          • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Thanks for the advice. If I ever have kids, I’ll make sure to feed them cats early in life so that they won’t develop allergies later on.

      • _pete_@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Suffocation. Cats falls asleep where it’s nice and warm, like around a kids face.

        • Something_Complex@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Aha you are officially my grandmother, LOL.

          “The notion that your cat will smell the milk on your baby’s breath and suffocate it is an old wive’s tale – one that was even published in medical journals in the early 1900s. “There is a real danger of a fatal termination by suffocation,” a 1905 pediatric journal reads.”

          • Skua@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            To be fair I have absolutely woken up because my cat was asleep on my face and was making breathing difficult. Little dude just likes to cuddle up and get cosy. I have no idea if kids are actually ever accidentally suffocated by cats, but I can totally see how the concern would get started

          • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Babies that can’t move their head shouldn’t sleep with plushies with “long fur” when they’re too young because of the risk of them breathing in the “fur”, so until they’re old enough to do something about it, they shouldn’t be left to sleep unattended with at cat in the room either, especially a long haired cat.

            There’s also a big difference in strength between a newborn and a baby even just a child of months old, it wouldn’t be surprising that a newborn could get suffocated by a car sleeping on their chest or face…

            In the end the question is… Do you really want to take a chance with a baby?