Our question this week was:

Dr. Jon,

You have not mentioned the possibility of the cat smothering an infant, and this is a great possibility, I have many cats, and their
favorite place to sleep is as close to my head and face as possible., I have many time had to push them away from my nose and mouth so I could breathe. They don't mean to suffocate me...but it could easily happen to an infant.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. It is a common myth that cats smother babies or "suck their breath". It is true that many cats like to sleep near your face. Cats have no intentions or ability to suck the breath from a baby. You should, however, be cautious of allowing a pet to sleep with a small child, in case of other inadvertent injuries.

An article that might be helpful to you is Common Myths in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Jon

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