Keep Children Healthy and Safe Around Pets

Being safe around pets and keeping healthy is an important lesson for children to learn and for you to teach.

Steps

Wash your hands before and after you play with a small animal. This will make sure that you and your pet don't get sick.
Have children know the importance of spending time with pets. If they want a pet in their life, this is a good opportunity to teach responsibility.
Teach children not to pester or tease animals for any reason, even play. Animals can react negatively at any moment if harmed in any way. Children need to learn these boundaries early on.
Teach children how to play properly with animals. Teach them how to touch, pat, and talk to animals.
Teach children how to discipline an animal. That is basically: only use voice commands, never hit an animal, never assume an animal knows what it has "done wrong" as they don't have that concept.
Keep all pet shampoos, flea powders, pills, etc. out of the reach of children.

Don't hold or bother your pet when you first get it, let it sniff you a little.
Never make your pet do something it doesn't want to do.
Don't feed your pet chocolate intended for human consumption; ditto for many processed foods.

Be aware of biting from all animals; that way you're not surprised if they bite you.

Make sure all animals have food, water, and at least one toy. If it's a small animal, make sure it has a cage.

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