For the love of Pets 🇬🇧

I have a small energetic dog and he’s lovely just gets a bit too excited with new people and with the baby nearly here I’m a bit worried about how he’s gonna be with the baby at first if anyone’s had a similar experience with there pet and has any advice please let me know

I want to go out more with my baby but my dog can't really be left home alone. I don't have any mum friends and ideally would like to bring him with me when I go out, but he can be quite wary of new people and barks at them. I want to do more groups and meet up with mum friends, but worry about how he will be if I bring him with from pram walks, and alternatively if I leave him at home he will just howl. It's holding me back from doing mum groups and getting out more. Any advice??

I am due to give birth in October and I am really worried about introducing the baby to my elderly cat. He has never really been around children, so im not sure how he is going to react. He is 14 years old. When my cousin used to come over with her children (the cat was about 3/4 years old) he would run upstairs and hide - or go outside until they had left. Other than that he hasn't been around any children. He is an only cat now after our other cat passed away in January.

Does anyone have experience with introductions? How to do it? What should I do to prepare?

I want both cat and baby to feel as comfortable as possible with the first encounter

We have a can who lives local (unsure which house) the past 3 summers every single time I have my garden door open he comes in and sprays! He’s sprayed tool bags, shoes, golf bags, tea towels, skirting boards, kitchen cupboards, washing / washing basket ect. Due to the lovely weather yesterday I had my door open… which I should be able to do! Within 5 mins I heard him and he’d sprayed up my baby’s changing bag, high chair legs everywhere. I’ve been scrubbing everything over since which is exhausting with a 8 month old who doesn’t sleep! Wondering if anyone had any advice ? Baby is going to be crawling soon and I’m not comfortable knowing he’s been in spraying, obviously I won’t allow her but I feel in my own home I shouldn’t have to be feeling uncomfortable knowing he’s potentially sprayed where my baby might be.

I’ve tried all the sprays going which do remove the smell but he comes back. I have my own outdoor cat but she’s been done for a long long time so it’s not that he can smell her for mating.

Totally had enough of it & it makes me so paranoid my house smells 😭

How bad is it that I keep bursting into tears as been told I have to be flown away to hospital early for the birth of first child and im devastated leaving my 2 year old puppy 🥲 even though I know he’s going to treated like a prince when I’m away by his granny and grandad(my mum and dad) every time I think about it i burst into tears!! 😭