no exotics if you're under 5... your thoughts?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081006/ap_on_he_me/med_exotic_pets

I saw that this morning! How interesting. I certainly don't plan to get rid of my exotics, but I can promise you that the setups are child-proof (or as child-proof as they can be...) and that my critters are NOT playtoys for young'uns.

I don't agree with the article... but I do think that anything that makes people hesitate and maybe even do some research before they buy an exotic is a good thing. Too many people buy exotics on a whim without researching their care first, and it's the animals that end up suffering. If this gives people pause when they are considering a new pet, then I think it's a good thing. Anyone who does their research and is serious about being a good caretaker won't be put off by this article.

I agree with if it helps someone stop and think and do research first, then the article isn't a bad thing. But they left out dogs and cats, which also carry disease.

So let me guet this right 11% of cases are caused by herps maybe so that means the other 89% is caused by what?Spinach,chicken,other veggies well I guess no more eating for kids under 5 :wink:

And don't forget the biggest disease carriers of all... other humans! Mom and Dad go on the train or the bus with hundreds of other people, spend the day in the office with other people, and then come back home on the bus or train, only to pick up Junior without washing their hands. The other children at daycare or preschool are just as germ laden. Hmmm... maybe we should all live in plastic bubbles until we're five!

Jasper's Mom":e2b42 said:

And don't forget the biggest disease carriers of all... other humans! Mom and Dad go on the train or the bus with hundreds of other people, spend the day in the office with other people, and then come back home on the bus or train, only to pick up Junior without washing their hands. The other children at daycare or preschool are just as germ laden. Hmmm... maybe we should all live in plastic bubbles until we're five!

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Well said lol
But i do agree somewhat with the article, not so much out of concern about germs and young children, but because i do not feel most 5 yr olds are mature enough to be gentle and careful enough with small animals.

Jasper's Mom":652de said:

And don't forget the biggest disease carriers of all... other humans! Mom and Dad go on the train or the bus with hundreds of other people, spend the day in the office with other people, and then come back home on the bus or train, only to pick up Junior without washing their hands. The other children at daycare or preschool are just as germ laden. Hmmm... maybe we should all live in plastic bubbles until we're five!

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Exactly we need a bubble to live in or I have another great idea...how about we just wash our hands.
Isnt it a brilliant idea :idea: I mean I know its going way overboard but lets just give it a shot shall we? :wink:

vickson420":6faca said:

Jasper's Mom":6faca said:

And don't forget the biggest disease carriers of all... other humans! Mom and Dad go on the train or the bus with hundreds of other people, spend the day in the office with other people, and then come back home on the bus or train, only to pick up Junior without washing their hands. The other children at daycare or preschool are just as germ laden. Hmmm... maybe we should all live in plastic bubbles until we're five!

Click to expand...

Exactly we need a bubble to live in or I have another great idea...how about we just wash our hands.
Isnt it a brilliant idea :idea: I mean I know its going way overboard but lets just give it a shot shall we? :wink:

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LoL :laughhard:

I saw this too. I don't take it to seriously, but then I still have common sense. I worry more about touching cats and not washing my hands then Reptiles. I am deathly allergic to cats (took a kitten 3 days to send me to the ER last time).

i also thought this article was ridiculous. they should put more effort and time into teaching kids the rights and wrongs when it comes to handling reptiles and animals in general. don't take them away, and re-introduce them when it may be even harder to teach the kids about them. if they learn from an early age, it stays with them. if parents do agree with the article, then i think Jaspers Mom has a good industry ahead of her... "do you want that plastic bubble in pink or blue? and what kind of trim?"

LOL :lol:

I was talking to my fiancee, Austin, about this earlier today after I read it. What a load of hogwash if you ask me! If I find myself having children, I'm not going to get rid of my beloved Squirrel! How horrible of a thought! Parents just need to teach their kids proper sanitation during and after handling ANY animal!

Austin brought up the comment that while we domesticated dogs, cats, and barnyard animals, our immune systems have adjusted and the illnesses they carry no longer really effect us as they used to. But if you read the article, it even says you shouldn't take your kid to a petting zoo. A PETTING ZOO! Now tell me. What is usually in a petting zoo? BARNYARD animals.

I kinda agree with the guy at the end of the article. If kids can't have exotic animals for pets if they're under 5 years old, they shouldn't have any pet except maybe a fish. But even then, they're bound to play in the water that the fish have been living in. It just seems to me that some people are just to ignorant about proper sanitation with animals and some are keen to blame whatever they can on what would no doubt be prevented if they had followed proper sanitation after such handlings.

Note- I am not a parent, so some of the things I say might be easier said than done. However, this is simply my opinion on the matter.

vickson420":057cd said:

Exactly we need a bubble to live in or I have another great idea...how about we just wash our hands.
Isnt it a brilliant idea :idea: I mean I know its going way overboard but lets just give it a shot shall we? :wink:

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Are you trying to kill my plastic-bubbles-for-children business? :laughhard:

When I told the people I work with that I just got my baby in the mail, they gave me the weirdest look. They asked me if it was a real baby. Snickering, I told them "yes, yes it was. wrapped in bubble wrap." Then I explained that it was a baby beardie I had bought and gottne shipped to me. I thought they were gonna pass out, they started laughing so hard.

Introducing children to germs is what helps build their immune system. How is their body suppose to defend itself if it has never came into contact with anything other then hospital sanitation?