Although it is generally agreed that the idea of a cat climbing in to a baby’s cot and smothering the child is one of those ‘old wives’ tales, there are still plenty of good reasons to keep the cat out of the cot.
The first issue relates to common sense safety, Cats do like to find somewhere warm and comfortable to sleep and to them a cot is probably ideal, it’s seen as safe, warm and cosy and as another member of the family sleeps in there then why not them. The cat probably has no intention of causing harm to the baby but there is always the issue of unintentional harm. The baby could accidentally startle the cat causing the cat to scratch almost as a reflex action.
We have also all seen cats doing their kneading/paddling action on a soft surface, this is actually a sign of contentment and is an action they performed on their mothers when wanting milk. They are showing you that they are happy and comfortable but, this action is usually accompanied by an opening and closing of their claws, no intentional harm intended but we would not want them to do this in the cot when the baby is there.
The next issue relates to hygiene, your cat might use a litter tray or go outside but we certainly would not want them to then jump up in to a nice clean cot and to potentially contaminate the area.
Finally we come to the issue of fleas, cats do get them and we would not want our children sharing their cot with cat fleas.
For these reasons cats should always be discouraged from getting into baby’s cot regardless of how docile and affectionate they are. Snugnights have cot cat nets available in cot and cot bed sizes that fit over the cot yet let plenty of air through, these will stop the cat from gaining access and discourage it from trying.
You can see these items here Cat Nets for Cots
Cat Nets for Cots