Five Pets For Kids To Reconsider
You have finally made the decision to get a pet for the family, but what pet to get?! There are so many factors to consider when thinking about what pet to get especially when you have or are planning on having children. I have broken down the 5 worse options so you can know to avoid these particular pets that may not be the best to have around younger children.
1. Hamsters: For a while, everyone was getting a hamster for their kids. It became very popular to get as a pet and then people realized they weren’t actually so family friendly. For starters, if you want to lose a pet, get a hamster. These teeny tiny little guys are incredible escape artists that could easily get a job with the CIA for how good at escaping they are. You will not be able to hang on to these little creatures, they will run from you. They will decide to get gone and you will not see them ever again. Instead of having a sweet cuddly family pet you will be up all night wondering where on earth the body is. Hamsters are also nocturnal animals so whoever has the hamster wheel in their room is going to be up all night listening to the peeter patter of tiny feet hammering along the hamster wheel. The sound of small claws running on a wheel endlessly will haunt you long after your hamster runs away from the family. Let’s move on to their chompers that can easily pierce through skin. These small, sweet, cuddly animals have incisors that are sharp and ready to take your little kiddos finger off. Alright, maybe not clean off but prepare for lots of tears and blood when the hamster inevitably goes for a meaty chunk of flesh on their way out the door. Hamsters are notorious for biting when handled too roughly which with kids is likely to happen at some point. Keep these little land sharks away from your kids' small, delicate fingers.
2. Large snakes: There are people that choose to have large pythons as pets which is great but not so much if you have kids. Large snakes can easily over power and harm small children. You should never leave a child alone with a large snake because it can easily go south. The problem with large snakes is once it goes south you need the strength of The Hulk to pry that snake off someone. You are unable to train a snake the way you can with other animals and there is potential for a small child to be hurt by a large snake. Snakes can wrap around the neck constricting airways which is less than optimal for small children. You also have the bite to worry about. If a child mishandles the large snake it could potentially illicit a bite from the snake causing serious injuries. Those fangs are deadly weapons and best kept away from small children.
3. Ferrets: We are approaching a common theme among reasons why these pets are amongst the worst for small kids and that recurring theme is sharp, piercing fangs ready to sink into delicate flesh. Ferrets have teeth akin to needles that are razor sharp and designed for ripping and tearing flesh apart. We mustn't forget that ferrets are carnivorous predators after all. There is a high likelihood of puncture wounds, blood, and heavy crying when ferrets are mishandled and that can be easily accomplished due to their fragility. Ferrets are delicate and easily injured pets. It can be easy, accidental of course, for younger kids to mishandle ferrets which will likely prompt a quick and severe chomp down to ward off the perceived threat. It would be challenging to properly manage the handling of such a pet around small children. You would end up being nervous for both your own child and the ferret because though you don’t want your child being ferociously bitten, you also don’t want the family pet ending up with a spinal injury. Their delicate structure makes them prone to spinal and limb injuries which can easily occur when mishandled.
4. Small Birds: The main reason small birds are less ideal as a family pet is because of the extreme likelihood of them flying away. Children are often running outside without pausing to remember to shut the door, especially at the toddler stage, open doors plus bird equals bird leaving the nest. The math is mathing on this one. There is a strong chance that your child is going to leave a door wide open and all that bird needs is a few seconds to soar off into the sunset far away from the family that just wanted to provide love and care. No loyalty there against an open door. It’s not the same as chasing a dog down the street. I promise you will not be able to tell your bird apart from the other birds hanging around the neighborhood. Can’t exactly post up missing pet posters for birds either, just isn’t the same as a missing dog or cat. I haven’t even mentioned open windows yet. Doors are only one means of escape but let us not forget about windows. Who doesn’t love an open window with a fresh crisp breeze. The delightful, warm air is too tantalizing for your pet bird to resist and they are going to chase that breeze right out the open window. There are simply too many means of escape and not enough solid ways of getting them back. Birds are also quite small and frail making them prone to injury if accidentally squeezed too tight or handled too roughly. Their size and structure make them less than ideal to have as a pet for a small child. The chance of accidental mishandling is just too high.
5. Iguanas: Iguanas are cool pets to have for adults that have knowledge on how to properly care for them. However, iguanas are not ideal as a pet for small children because they require very specialized care. Iguana’s are a high maintenance pet. They demand special lighting, humidity levels, high temperatures, etc. they are the diva of pets with all their special requirements for proper care and it will be too much to ask young children to help with. It’s not a pet that small kids can easily help out with, your iguana will end up begging to go live with another family. Part of the extra special level of care these divas require is a very specific type of handling when they are young and if it doesn't happen they become aggressive and territorial. These bad boys can grow quite large and the last thing you want around your kids is a 6 foot creature deciding to step up and fight your toddler because your kiddo got too close to their space. An angry, mean iguana charging after your child because they are territorial is not going to end well for anyone. Iguana’s may not be the dangerous land sharks like some of the above mentioned pets, they do have some sharp claws ready to shred and lacerate someone they are mad at. These razor sharp claws paired with aggressive tendencies makes iguanas a household pet you really don’t want around your small children.
