9 Rules for Pet Safety

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.

1. Kids under age four need adult supervision when playing with animals.

Puppies have sharp little teeth.

And cats get really cranky when three-year-olds try to ride them.

2. Remember that animals do not share their food well with others.

So it's a very good idea to leave an animal alone while it's eating.

3. Set a minimum age requirement for solo dog walkers.

Kids under age 8 - depending on your neighborhood, the kid, etc. - shouldn't walk a dog alone.

4. Don't snack around dogs.

Young kids might lose a finger as well as the snack.

5. Wash your hands after animal play.

Everyone in the family should remember to wash their hands after animal play.

6. Pregnant women and small children shouldn't clean the litter box.

And young kids and the immune-compromised should not clean aquariums. (Check out Preventing Zoonotic Diseases for more on this.)

7. Always wear rubber gloves when coming in contact with animal excrement.

This means always - whether changing the litter box, doing pooper scooper duty, or cleaning up accidents.

8. Keep sandboxes covered when not in use.

That way, birds and the neighborhood cats don't mistake it for an invitingly large litter box.

9. Don't roughhouse with animals.

Animal instincts keep most from seeing the difference between play aggression and the real thing.

And act accordingly.

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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.