9 pets that parents shouldn't get their kids

From the Community…

• 
  Posted by Dragon Sanctuary Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:08am PST

  Kim C...the lizard is in fact a real type. It's called a Tokay Gecko. Odd lookin' little dudes, lol!

  And I must say, this list is rediculous. Owning Gambian rats and Prarie dogs has already been banned by the CDC, so you can't get them anymore. It's a ton of paperwork to get a native wild mammal like a raccoon or something like a monkey. They're very strictly regulated.

  I was raised on a farm...with 96 chickens. I own 9 reptiles now. I'm thankful that my parents exposed me to the variety of animals they did...and let me be a kid. I never get sick, am very in touch with the enviroment around me, and I run a rescue for unwanted and abused reptiles.

  And I know plenty of parents who keep these types of animals in their homes and their kids are perfectly healthy. I always have to wonder about the people who give up their pets because there's a baby on the way; it isn't right. I was born into the middle of 3 siblings, 3 cats and a dog. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

  And for the record, some of the best pets I've ever owned were rats. Dumbo rats, not Gambian. They're intelligent, sensitive, fun to watch and fun to cuddle with. ANY animal can harbor disease, not just 'exotic' ones, and you're ten times more likely to get salmonella from your dog than your pet reptile--there's a CDC report on it. http://www.rexano.org/

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by D Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:50pm PST

  My fiance and I got a hedgehog two years ago - he'd dreamed of having a hedgehog for years, and as it happened, when we went to our favorite pet shop for bird supplies a week or so before Christmas, we saw they happened to have a young African Pygmy hedgehog there. My fiance had done lots of research beforehand on them, and as such, we decided to take her home. I can say this much for our little Amy Rose: she is a darling little critter, and I have no regrets about having her.

  I can also say that if your child wanted a hedgehog, I'd recommend waiting until they're older; their tweens at the very, very least, and you definitely don't want to get one as a first pet. (Each of us has owned birds, hamsters, dogs, and cats at some point, my family once owned a chinchilla, too.) Hedgehogs can be difficult to handle, and not just because of the spines; they're easily spooked by sounds and strange scents, hence you can find yourself getting pricked or nibbled if she's not used to you. They don't have very good eyesight, and depend heavily on their senses of hearing and smell. Despite all that, though, if you're willing to research them and learn how to handle them, hedgehogs can be great pets. There are good books you can get on having them as part of the family.

  Also, we have yet to get any sort of infection from Amy, and each of us has gotten a tiny bite or prick on the hand(s) at one point or another.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Morgan Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:28pm PST

  this article is bullcrap. the kids i babysit don't go outside, there house is HOSPITAL clean (bit unnatural i think, anyway) and they get sick all the time.

  i have to agree with the person that had all the animals. if your body gets introduced to germs, so what you'll get over it. as my dad says :it builds character...lol

  i get sick with the flu everyear, but its okay, because i know my parents didn't keep me in a disinfected bubble.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Mosikia Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:06pm PDT

  this is ridiculous. they are neglecting all the studies that say kids who grow up around lots of animals are less likely to develop allergies.

  i grew up around many pets by the way an i have a pretty good immune system and have not have any of their listed conditions.

  any animal (including people) can cause harm or harbor illness. a little common sense is all parents need.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by JC Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:11am PDT

  Had to laugh at some of these comments about children getting sick. I too have had some very unusual pets in my life time & never cought any thing from them. My children have had all kinds of pets from pet skunks to rats to lambs. I my self have 3 ferrets A 15 year old dog & cats & my youngest Grandson is 4.He knows that if you mistreat any of these pets he'll be biten & why. If you take care of your pets health needs & train your children on how to handle these types of pet you shouldn't have to worry about anything. My ferret hardly ever bite.What ever pet you choose to get for you or your children you should be ready to have that pet for life & that it should be considered part of the family.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Jamila Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:51pm PDT

  My mom had a racoon for awhile when i was little...but, she did have to get rid of it becuase it started getting a taste for playing withe my toes...I was 3

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Tom Mon Apr 6, 2009 10:50pm PDT

  The paranoia about harm coming to our children from their pets passing on exotic infections is in keeping with the way everything is done these days. I grew up in the late '50s and early 60s, and we rode bicycles all over the town where we lived. I can't say I ever saw anyone wearing a helmet while on a bicycle. We made our own skateboards out of wood and old roller skates, and rode them all over without the body armor todays kids are required to wear. Can any of the people who see life threatening danger in every childhood form of recreation explain to me how previous generations even managed to survive?

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by anita Tue Apr 7, 2009 4:49am PDT

  Sounds right to me. I've worked with many different kinds of animals and the more traditional is a better choice

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by B.25 Tue Apr 7, 2009 7:13am PDT

  I have had 2 hedgehogs as pets. My first when i was in 4th grade and 2d when i was in 7th. I think they make a great pet if you're responcible enough to take care of it. But I think it's ridiculous that this is saying to not have certain pets because they carry diseases. Any animal, including cats and dogs, can carry any number of diseases.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by PHOENIX Tue Apr 7, 2009 4:51pm PDT

  I can't believe this! We're turning our children into wimps!!! I've handled all sorts of animals since I was an infant, and so have my siblings. My first-grade class pet was a hamster, and I collected bugs and lizards as an adolescent. Never was I hurt by a pet. Not even by snakes, which I hunt every summer (armed only with a machete). I have introduced my infant nephews and young cousins to all sorts of animals, and they all love them, from cats to dogs to fancy rats to caterpillars. If you treat the animals with respect and don't pose a threat to them, they won't harm you. Where this whole thing about keeping "unconventional pets" away from children came from, I hope they send that principle back. Technically, there is no such thing as a conventional pet, because animals were not "placed on this earth to serve man" - they were tamed by mankind for that purpose.

  Report Abuse