From the first day we brought Gianna home, our cat Hazel has been a fan. I was a little concerned about how she would react to the baby, since before the baby was born, Hazel had appropriated all of the baby items- changing pad, bassinet, bouncy seat- as her own. But no, no, she warmed right up to Gianna and has never been anything other than gentle and sweet. In the early days, I would wake up in the middle of the night and find Hazel curled up at the foot of the bassinet fast asleep. As I would nurse the baby, Hazel would snuggle next to her on the boppy pillow or perch on the arm of my chair.
As Gianna got older and learned to grasp, we started to teach her how to be gentle. We show her how to pat and pet as opposed to grab. It’s a work in progress. I thought the love affair would wane, would lose its luster on Hazel’s part once Gianna became mobile. It hasn’t. Just last night, Gianna started fussing in her crib, and Hazel was the first responder, jumping onto the crib to make sure she was alright before I could even get up.
It’s incredibly surprising because Gianna is constantly trying to touch her. Most often its attempting to pull herself up using Hazel’s body for leverage. Hazel doesn’t even flinch as she is bowled over by a tiny person who charges at her mouth open for what I can only hope is a kiss (or it might be a bite, it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes). When I pet the cat these days my hand always comes away wet with Gianna spit because my child will lick anything. And as for the moments when, despite my vigilance, Gianna manages to get a handful of fur, Hazel has never so much as hissed. Impressive, right?