I'll bet the animals are happy about this doctor's warning!!

This is probably the only way to keep breeders from getting small pets for their brats. They might make wittle pweshus tick!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081006/ap_on_he_me/med_exotic_pets

"Our recommendation is that no animal should be a pet for kids 5 and under," said Z.G. Standing Bear. He runs a rescue operation near Pikes Peak, Colo., for abandoned hedgehogs, which became fad pets about 10 years ago.

I think that's good advice. Small kids don't have the motor control or sense of boundaries to treat pets well IMO.

Doesn't matter. breeders often feel the baybee has to have a puppy or a kitty to "grow up with" once they hit 2 or so. My brother got a cat for his 2 year old spaz and 11 year old VIOLENT stepson. I want to save that cat so bad.

We have cats, and when kids come over, I lock our cats in the bedroom. I won't let any kids under age 10 play with my cats. Sometimes this makes the parents angry, though. I don't care. Small children don't understand that an animal is a living creature, and they have to be careful when handling it. Instead, they see it as some kind of toy.

I had one parent come to our home and demand that I let my cats out so her son could play with them. I politely told her "no" and there was dead, awkward silence after that.

My cats have limited experience with kids, except Peaches because her foster mom ran a daycare center so she's tough as nails. One weekend with my niece (who is cool) and nephew, (who both also have cats) has cause my cats to become and remain pathologically shy.

My cats have only been around a child once. I had a coworker stop by unexpectedly and I didn't have the chance to put them in their room. My oldest run away and hid under my bed immediatly. The younger one watched from a distance for a while, and ran off hissing when the kid got too close. She NEVER hisses.

Few things piss me off more than a brand new puppy with a big red bow around his neck and perched up under a fucking Christmas tree from Santa. The same goes for bunny rabbits at Easter. Kids often see pets as toys and are not made to understand that they are living beings with feelings and needs. They are'nt taught that how they need to be treated, held, petted, etc....and how to properly care for the pet. I have seen many a "shiny new puppy" relegated to a life in the great the muddy outdoors or to life on a chain, when he outgrew puppyhood. These stupid bastards adopt/buy Golden Retrievers for their kyds, yet they live in an apartment and have NO intention of walking him or playing with him in the park every day. They adopt pit bulls with no knowledge of their background and with no training and act surprised when he takes off half the kyd's face. Same thing with cats. Neither kittens and ESPECIALLY older cats do well with being picked up by their heads or in the middle of their stomachs.

I have my 3 y/o nephew afraid of my cats, and with good reason. I have no doubt that the older of my two oldest will take out an eye with her claw and/or a chunk of flesh with her teeth, if that kyd were to pick her up in a way that caused her arthritic back legs any pain. Why do SO many people say, "My dog/cat won't bite", or otherwise insist that their animal won't hurt anybody. If it has teeth and claws and it perceives the kyd as a threat or danger, it WILL bite or scratch. My cats don't bite/scratch ME, but they are used to me and I don't do shit to annoy them like a kyd would. ALL of the outside cats are prone to bite, so that's what I say to him when he starts his stampede toward the cats. If that frightens him from ever having cats, judging by how his parents care for their current cats/dogs, it's probably a good thing for the animals.

I grew up in a house with multiple cats when I was little. The cats were there long before I was born. I grew up learning how to respect animals. The few times I did get manage to get scratched by the cat I was always told that it was my own fault and to leave the cats alone. I'm pretty sure breeders today never take the cat's side.

I absolutely would NOT put one of my cats to death because it scratched or bit a kyd, or anyone else, who was picking at it. I warn people whenever they come over which cats do NOT like to be picked up (which SHOULD be obvious), and which ones they can pet or hold. If it's a small kyd however, I tell the parents AND the kyd that ALL of the cats can and WILL bite or scratch, that they do not like children, and that it is unsafe for Bratford to do anything more than gently pet their backs IF they come up to him. So far I have never had a problem, but if some little bastard picks one of my cats up in the middle of his/her stomach and gets scratched, it's their own damned fault.

One of my hillbilly neighbors who has God only knows how many hunting dogs who constantly escape or run off while hunting, knocked on my door looking for one of his stupid mutts one day. If I see one I always go up to it, leash it, give it food and water if he looks hungry, and call him, so I couldn't figure out why he was still pestering me by knocking on the fucking door. I told him, "No, and if I had I would have called you". Then, his motive became clear. He sort of casually mentioned that one of his dogs had come home with a bloody face and had to go to the vet for cat scratches. It seems he had to get a shot and some topical ointment. It just so happens I witnessed the "attack" and laughed as this HUGE dog tucked his tail and ran off wimpering. I told that fucker that "Yes, Old Yeller had been "attacked" by ONE of my cats, but that's because he was up on my porch trying to get their food and she had a litter of kittens on the porch as well. I then told him that the best way to keep that from happening would be to CONTAIN his animals, and then I slammed the door.

What did he want me to do? Apologize for HIS dog getting scratched while trespassing on MY property? Pay the vet bill? Say I would destroy the cat? I have no idea why he told me about it, but it is rather puzzling.

No sprog has ever entered my house and I like it that way. I can't even imagine how freaked out my 2 cats would be.

I got my first cat at the age of 5 - but I wasn't an out-of-control brat, of course. And Sophie was such a sweetie - the most gentle cat ever! She'd even let me dress her up. She was extremely protective of me, too.

I won't let any kids under age 10 play with my cats. Sometimes this makes the parents angry, though. I don't care. Small children don't understand that an animal is a living creature, and they have to be careful when handling it. Instead, they see it as some kind of toy. I had one parent come to our home and demand that I let my cats out so her son could play with them.

Angry?! Entitled, much? how would she react if you stopped by in a bathrobe and DEMANDED that she let you use her shower? Or DEMANDED that you be allowed to root through her fridge? The arrogance! Why doesn't SHE get cats if her precious one is so fond of them?