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

[raleej337]

I have a 2.5y.o. daughter and I love exposing her to germs and bacterias. Why? I'd like her to slowly build immunity, we've never sanitized her toys since she was born. We wash it if it get heavily soiled. When it comes to our beardies, I make sure she wash her hands after handling our pets anyway she love to suck her thumb. Our beardie have there regular bath every other day and the enclosure is immediately cleaned after they pooped. I've read somewhere that the possibility of catching salmonea from raw chicken and eggs are much higher than with our pets. Well I should ask my wife, she's an RN.

 

[Lunamatron]

Once again, if young children (2 thru 5 year olds) are properly introduced to animals they they are not rough with them. The peoblem is, people leave children alone with animals, which is a BIG no no, but there is no reason young children cannot enjoy an animal in the supervision of an adult.

Plus, my experience is that I see far more older kids tortuing animals. Last week I had to tell a 10 year old not to pour salt on slugs and snails. He told me that snails didn't count as animals. This was in front of my 4 y/o and she was completely heartbroken that anyone would harm an animal, slug or not. At work, when I see an animal that was stepped on by a child or thrown by a kid, they are also older. I think this is because parents assume their older kids are capable of being alone with an animal.

Introducing animals to children at a young age is the best way to teach them responsibility and compassion.

 

[protiemama]

My children are 8 and 4. They are extremly gentile with animals. Why? I had a cat when my daughter was born he would lay on the chair arm while she nursed and pat her head so softly. Before she was 3 she had a Guiena pig. She fed it and brushed it and never harmed it. My son has never known life without pets, either. He handles all animals gentlely, including our beardie. His trucks and blocks and such he bashes to pieces. He knows not to harm God's little creatures. Believe me kids can and should learn early.

Sandy H

 

[ghr15]

My children are 8 and 4. They are extremly gentile with animals. Why? I had a cat when my daughter was born he would lay on the chair arm while she nursed and pat her head so softly. Before she was 3 she had a Guiena pig. She fed it and brushed it and never harmed it. My son has never known life without pets, either. He handles all animals gentlely, including our beardie. His trucks and blocks and such he bashes to pieces. He knows not to harm God's little creatures. Believe me kids can and should learn early.

Sandy H

But see that was my point look what kids do to toys. I have seen kids for instance playing with trucks and smashing them together. Now I am imagining a 4 year old kid holding 2 bearded dragons and smashing them into each other. That is not a really pretty picture to have in one's mind.

 

[Lunamatron]

My children are 8 and 4. They are extremly gentile with animals. Why? I had a cat when my daughter was born he would lay on the chair arm while she nursed and pat her head so softly. Before she was 3 she had a Guiena pig. She fed it and brushed it and never harmed it. My son has never known life without pets, either. He handles all animals gentlely, including our beardie. His trucks and blocks and such he bashes to pieces. He knows not to harm God's little creatures. Believe me kids can and should learn early.

Sandy H

But see that was my point look what kids do to toys. I have seen kids for instance playing with trucks and smashing them together. Now I am imagining a 4 year old kid holding 2 bearded dragons and smashing them into each other. That is not a really pretty picture to have in one's mind.

I think you are missing the point we are making. You give children very little credit for their capabilities to comprehend an animal vs. a toy. My 4 y/o is a lot smarter than I often give her credit for and I know she is more than capable of determining what is alive and what is not. Besides, how else are children to learn how to be gentle and compassionate to animals if they don't gain experience with them until they are older? Even older children that are well aware of what is right and wrong are capable of being physically abusive to animals if they simply do not value an animal's life. Children should not be left alone with these animals for the sake of the children and animals. SUPERVISED children are fine with animals.

 

[akingsley9000]

Honestly, what it basically comes down to is people are afraid of what they dont know or understand. Ya know what they say ignorance is bliss!

 

[kirby]

i beleive, anybody who gives full responsibility of a pet, and the ability to 'go play' unsupervised.. to a child under five should live in a plastic bubble for the rest of their lives.

problem solved. its the silly parents, not our cute adorable little reptiles..

 

[ghr15]

I just think child's brains are not developed enough to treat animals gently at leas the kids I have seen could not. The kids who abuse animals at an older age are mentally disturbed from something the parents did to them and often times bully other kids as well. It is just the fact little kids are not gentle it's a fact for any young kid. I would not let a small kid touch my beardies or any of my other lizards they could look but not touch.

 

[Combichristina]

Yup, it's all about supervision. All of the terrariums in my house have locks on them. My son is never with the animals without an adult since the adults in the house are the only ones that can unlock the terrariums and vivariums. As he gets older he will have more opportunities to observe, handle and care for our menagerie. My fiance and I are serious hobby herpers so we realize our responsibility to our animals AND our son. He's even denied access to the feeder animals just in case he gets it into his three year old head to feed them something they shouldn't have. But he's slowly learning the responsibilities of being a pet owner and I think that is the key.

 

[clamentfamily]

I have so many thoughts running through my head on this one that I can't get them out coherently. Unfortunately some people don't think or don't care enough about their children or their pets to properly supervise. We can only hope that the majority of parents that do have both exotics and childern are smart enough to take the appropriate precautions for the safety of both. (unfortunately - trying to be PC - the world is full of people that don't think things through :wink: ). Like others who've posted here, we make sure Dominic (age 5) washes his hands before and after handling Dexter and he only is allowed to hold him with our supervision - even though Dexter is "technically" his pet. On the other hand, I also know someone who owned several well cared for exotics and neglected her own children. Amazingly, the children never became sick, a testiment to exposing childern germs I suppose.

Christine

 

[lacy_black]

I'll be dead honest with ya'll, Ive washed my hands...2 maybe 3 times after messing with ANY of my pets, mice, rats, dragons, snakes, tarantulas, scorpions or the guinea pig. I was also raised with more animals then I could count in a month. I don't get sick often. I'd fear getting sick from other humans (the dirtiest animals on the planet) then any of my babies. I also made sure my boyfriends son who just turned 5, was careful about how he handled any of the animals, again none of us bothered to wash hands. He's healthy and unlike some peoples opinion very smart considering he's a child.

I do blame doctors and alarmists for so many sickly kids and adults these days. I knew a woman who refused to let her child walk on the floor because it might get sick. Her daughter died from (shock of the century) extremely low immunity. and it was her fault IMHO.

 

[ghr15]

I'll be dead honest with ya'll, Ive washed my hands...2 maybe 3 times after messing with ANY of my pets, mice, rats, dragons, snakes, tarantulas, scorpions or the guinea pig. I was also raised with more animals then I could count in a month. I don't get sick often. I'd fear getting sick from other humans (the dirtiest animals on the planet) then any of my babies. I also made sure my boyfriends son who just turned 5, was careful about how he handled any of the animals, again none of us bothered to wash hands. He's healthy and unlike some peoples opinion very smart considering he's a child.

I do blame doctors and alarmists for so many sickly kids and adults these days. I knew a woman who refused to let her child walk on the floor because it might get sick. Her daughter died from (shock of the century) extremely low immunity. and it was her fault IMHO.

Obviously you have not seen vids of animals rolling around in dung.

 

[kirby]

Obviously you have not seen vids of animals rolling around in dung.

obviously you haven't kept them, rather watched youtube. *snap*

 

[lacy_black]

I have actually, and again it changes nothing. Do you seriously think the food you eat is clean? if so you may want to go do some research on it, you may decide never to eat again.