Is it safe to baby-sit if you have cats?

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In today’s Ask Amy column, as featured in The Times’ Calendar section, a reader asks the Tribune columnist for some guidance on concerns about a baby and a cat:

Dear Amy: I am the mother of a beautiful 1-year-old baby girl. My husband and I both work. My mother and mother-in-law take turns watching my daughter during the week.

My mother has a cat, which goes outside. This cat hunts and has caught small animals.

My husband is worried that my daughter will get sick from the cat and doesn’t want my parents to watch her anymore. I don’t like the cat either, but I know it would hurt my parents if I told them my mother cannot babysit. The cat does not go near my daughter. All of the cat’s things are in my parents’ basement and my daughter stays upstairs.

My daughter’s doctor said that we do not need to worry about the cat as long as we are careful that it doesn’t scratch my daughter.

Should I tell my parents that they can’t baby-sit? — Sad and Confused

Dear Sad: Your daughter’s doctor has given your family the go-ahead. I will add that house pets can be fascinating and fun companions for children, as long as an adult supervises their contact.

Children can learn a lot about the world by watching an animal navigate through it. They can also learn to be gentle, kind, respectful, and how to take care of another living thing — all very important lessons. This might not really be about the cat, but about your husband finding a reason for your mother not to baby-sit. You should find out. — Amy

Send questions to Amy Dickinson by e-mail to askamy@tribune.com.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta