A mother has taken to Facebook to warn parents to be vigilant around pets after her friend's cat attacked her baby daughter.
After attending a baby shower with her five-month-old daughter Antonella, Pam strapped her sleeping bub into her car seat. While she stepped into another room to get her phone and nappy bag, her friend's cat jumped onto the seat and began attacking her little one.
A confronting image that accompanied Pam's post shows Antonella covered in scratches. She was rushed to hospital for treatment.
"We were in the hospital till past midnight and the nurse and doctor that took care of my baby said: ANIMALS ARE ANIMALS AND THEY HAVE ANIMAL INSTINCTS!" Pam wrote in a Facebook post shared by Mom.me.
"They told me they see these cases often, especially dog bites and attacks and they always hear parents saying, 'but I had this dog since before my baby was here and he's always been nice to my baby' and [yet] all of a sudden they attack! Doctors told me they see this on a daily basis."
Pam then issued a plea to parents, writing, "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR KIDS AROUND ANIMALS! I wouldn't like any other mother to go through what I am going through."
Speaking to Mom.me, Pam said,"It doesn't make me happy to have my little princess seen like this, but I put our stories and photos on Facebook to help other parents be more aware of animals around kids, and what can happen when you least expect it."
Thankfully, Antonella is now recovering well.
Have a cat and getting ready to welcome a new baby? Read Dr Katrina Warren's tips on peaceful co-existence here.
You can also read a fact sheet from the RSPCA, or find out more at wearefamily.nsw.gov.au.
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