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"Its important to teach your child to handle their pet safely"
One of the important things to remember when you get a new pet is that your children will not be "au fait" with handling them.
Pets are unpredictable and if frightened can try to
protect themselves. This often means that the cat, dog, guinea pig or hamster may give a little nip to your kids, so it is very important to advise your child about the proper way to handle their new pet.
Here are a few pointers:-
Holding
Show your child how to hold a new puppy or kitten, that is to support it with one hand under the body and the other around its shoulder. The pet should be cradled in the child's arms and should not be held too tightly as this can frighten them.
If the pet is too big for the child to cradle, then it should not be picked up as the child may accidentally drop it resulting in broken limbs. Grabbing the pet by one leg is not to be recommended as this may dislocate a joint
Handling
Hamsters and guinea-pigs are best if bought as babies. This is to get them used to human handling from a young age. If bought as adults they're likely to be afraid of humans and won't like being picked up by children to be cuddled, so may often scratch or nip if handled. They can make fabulous pets if you spend time with them and give them loads of love and affection from a young age
Training
Puppy training classes are very important, as puppies need a basic level of obedience. You also need to have confidence in your pup in letting him play with your children and their friends. This will only happen if you ensure that your pup is obedient and that your children know how to handle him properly
Kindness
Children should not inflict pain on the pet. If this happens then the pet is likely to return the pain. A dog, cat or hamster may not intentionally bite but if threatened then they have to protect themselves. Always ask what happened to cause the pet to bite and try to ensure that this doesn't happen again, explain that pets aren't like a cuddly toy and that they have their own feelings!
If you have an older dog you will know its personality, but remember that older dogs often suffer from arthritis and have sore legs and joints, therefore your children should be careful when handling them as they are not as pliable as a pup and can be grumpy and as a result may give a little nip if aggravated!!
Hygiene
Children should always wash their hands after handling their pets and should not allow them to lick their faces
Stay Healthy
Cat litter trays should be cleaned daily. Try to avoid this if you are pregnant - cats carry Toxoplasmosis - or else use rubber gloves that are specially designed for this use.
Not Recommended
Terrapins are not recommended as family pets anymore, but if you take the necessary precautions then they can be quite safe. Terrapins can carry salmonella and you should always wear gloves when handling it or cleaning its living space.
Snakes and other such exotic animals are not suitable pets for children, however if you do have one then you should also take precautions when handling them as they can carry salmonella too
"Let sleeping dogs lie"!
Puppies and kittens are like children, they need a lot of sleep and therefore should not be disturbed when sleeping.
One important thing to remember is that the more love that you give to your pet the more that it will give in return.
This Article appears on MissMolly - The Babysitter Directory of which I am the creator!
(July 2007) (
