We have a black-and-white feral (or "ex-feral"), who has adopted our toddler (just under 2 yrs old).
He is just obsessed with the kid. When in the playpen, the cat will be there with him. If the baby lays down, the cat lays down next to him, in the same position most of the time. When he sits up, the cats sits up. If he stands up and hangs his arms over the rail, the cat reaches up and hangs his paws and chin on the rail right next to the baby, standing on tiptoe. It's like they're synchronized.
Had a friend over the other day who didn't believe me. So, the baby gets put into his playpen, my wife puts the cat in with him, and the show began! Baby sits, cat sits. Baby lays down, cat lays down. Baby stands up by rail, cat's there next to him, hanging over the rail, like they're twins.
The sad part is that the baby acts like he doesn't even know the cat's there. The cat will nuzzle him, rub against him, forehead-bump him, and the baby just walks around him. Every now and then he'll give him a gentle pat, but that's it. Hopefully some day he'll realize how lucky he is to have his "guardian kitty."
What precious stories! Your baby truly does have a guardian kitty. And a good one to boot.
My guess is your little one will notice the cat in time. That’s what happened at our house. People kept warning me that one of the cats might hurt my daughter. Not even close. Our then male Siamese put up with it when she dressed him in her T-shirts and rolled him around the house in her dolly carriage. It was adorable. I have yet to see anyone look at those photos (including card carrying cat haters) and do less than smile. That cat lived until my daughter was 15-years-old. It was a terribly sad day when he had to go to kitty heaven but he certainly had been a best pal to us all.
The other nice thing was that my daughter learned to be kind to animals at a very young age. She caught on rather quickly when I’d correct her and show her what the word “gentle” meant. Well, I mean, Edgar was one of her best buddies. Kitty might cry if you hurt him, etc. Funny how I can remember that after all these years but those aren’t things parents forget.
Enjoy! Here’s hoping you take lots of pictures of your baby and her guardian kitty. You’ll treasure them in the future. That’s a promise!