KIM CORNELISON. STYLING BY KELSEY AIKIN. GROOMING BY MARY KATE GALES.
STAYING HEALTHyY EAToING RIGuHT GOrOD BEHcAVIORhild
Kid-Friendlier Pets
Forty-five million
American households have
dogs, making them the
most popular pet by far.
Thinking of getting a family pet? You should
probably choose a cat or a dog. A new report from the
American Academy of Pediatrics warns that popular
“nontraditional pets”—including hamsters, gerbils,
ferrets, rabbits, iguanas, turtles, frogs, and even
hedgehogs—can spread diseases like salmonella and
ringworm to young children (dogs and cats are treated
to prevent worms). “Kids under 5 put everything in
their mouth, and their immature immune system makes
them more susceptible to germs,” says pediatrician
Larry Pickering, M.D., lead author of the report. Plus,
little kids are more likely to provoke these animals to
bite and scratch. What if you already have a beloved
hamster or a fabulous ferret? Supervise your child
carefully and have him wash his hands after touching it.
