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Purr-fect Pets
Having Fun, Staying Safe
By Alex Powell
Dr. Hunthausen recommends parents teach kids to pet an animal's back and sides, avoiding the head. This helps protect your pet's eyes and ears from contact with little fingers, and is safer for children, as it puts them farther away from the pet's mouth. When petting cats, stroke instead of pat and try to avoid touching your cat's sensitive belly.
Kids often like to hug dogs, but this isn't a good idea, says Dr. John C. Wright, a certified applied animal behaviorist, professor of Psychology at Mercer University in Macon Ga., and the author of Ain't Misbehavin: The Groundbreaking Program for Happy, Well-Behaved Pets and Their People (Rodale Press, 2001). Hugging can trigger a defensive reaction that may even include nipping. Children should also be taught to avoid making prolonged eye contact with pets, as animals sometime interpret staring as aggression.
It's best to get kids in the habit of handling pets properly, even if your dog or cat is extremely tolerant, Dr. Hunthausen says. "I always cringe when families come in and say, 'Our dog is so good, the kids can do anything to him,'" he says. "That's great, but if they try to get away with that stuff with another dog, they are very likely going to be bitten."
And children should never handle an animal without permission from the owner. Dr. Hunthausen recommends kids ask two questions. "First, ask if the pet is friendly, then ask if you can pet him," he says. "If there is no adult there to ask, there should be no interaction."
