Bark N Wag 15 Minute Vet Talk

Although young children shouldn’t be given total responsibility for pet care, learning the basics can keep both them and your pets safe and sound. If you’ve recently brought a cat or dog into your home, congratulations. Not only can a pet become a child’s best friend, but exposing young ones to an animal's germs actually may be healthy; a recent study1 found they help build up kids’ immune system. Having a pet is also a good way to teach kids responsibility. How much a child should be involved in pet care depends on his or her age. Babies and pets should not be left alone together. Toddlers need lots of supervision as they can be unintentionally rough. To them, pets are like moving stuffed animals. Megan J., a mother to a mother and pet parent to a 2-year old Siamese cat, says to teach gentleness, “Take [your child's] hand firmly and guide him through petting the dog/cat. Tell your child, ‘We touch the cat softly. We are nice to our cat,1 so that he hears positive words to go with the actions.” Teach compassi