If so, you may join the majority of Americans who have at least one animal in the home. After all, there are many benefits of having pets, including providing companionship, encouraging physical activity and teaching responsibility to children. It’s important to remember, though, to consider this decision carefully--especially if you have young children (under age 5) or family members with weakened immune systems. Here’s what you need to know:
• Nearly 2/3 of households have a pet. Most of these are dogs or cats. The rest are fish, birds, horses, and exotic or “nontraditional” pets.
• There are 4.4 million animal bites to humans in the U.S. each year. Most of these are dog bites. Cat bites, although much less common, can cause injuries and infections as well.
• Exotic animals, such as reptiles and rodents, may transmit infections like Salmonella or plague that can cause serious illness in humans.
• Children (and adults) may be allergic to animals brought into the home.
• Young children lack the developmental maturity to be expected to act safely around unpredictable pets. Also, until about age 5 or 6, many children are not able to help care for animals.
• It may be better to wait until after the holidays to get a new pet. By then, many “holiday gift” animals may be put into shelters because they were not a good fit for their family and will be in need of a new home. Instead, get all the supplies you need in anticipation of the pet (such as food, bowls, toys, etc.) and then go choose an animal together after the hustle and bustle of the holidays settles down.
For more information about exotic pets, check out this video on CNN.com:
