9 Rules for Pet Safety.
Keep your kids - and your new animal - safe at home with this baker's dozen list of essential rules for kids and animals.

Puppies have sharp little teeth.
And cats get really cranky when three-year-olds try to ride them.
So it's a very good idea to leave an animal alone while it's eating.
Kids under age 8 - depending on your neighborhood, the kid, etc. - shouldn't walk a dog alone.
Young kids might lose a finger as well as the snack.
Everyone in the family should remember to wash their hands after animal play.
And young kids and the immune-compromised should not clean aquariums. (Check out
Preventing Zoonotic Diseases
for more on this.)
This means always - whether changing the litter box, doing pooper
scooper duty, or cleaning up accidents.
That way, birds and the neighborhood cats don't mistake it for an invitingly large litter box.
Animal instincts keep most from seeing the difference between play aggression and the real thing.
And act accordingly.
Preventing Zoonotic Diseases
Cleaning Up Animal Messes
Easy Animals for Kids
Medium Maintenance Animals for Kids
What To Know About Exotic Animals
Chores for Kids
Less-Toxic Flea Removal
Return to Family Pets
Return to Home Page
About the Author
Tara Aronson is a native Californian. Having grown up in San Diego, she studied journalism and Spanish to pursue a career in newspaper writing. Tara, whose three children - Chris, Lyndsay, and Payne - are the light of her life, now lives and writes in Los Angeles. She also regularly appears on television news programs throughout the U.S.
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