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Are cats bad for a baby’s health?

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Are cats bad for a baby’s health?

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There are so many misconceptions about having a cat and baby in the same household. For example, some people believe that cats are bad for a baby’s health. However, a study at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found that children exposed to cats as infants grew up to have significantly fewer allergies than kids without pets. The study suggests that having a cat around early in life might influence the development of the immune system.

Another common myth is that cats try to harm infants. That’s not the case, but you still should not let a cat sleep with a baby unsupervised. The reason is that babies can’t always turn themselves, so if a cat gets too close, the infant may have trouble breathing. So let the baby sleep alone.

-Dr. Larry McDaniel, DVM for the "Purina® Animal Instincts" Podcast Series

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