Warning About Exotic Pets and Kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics has gone on the record with the warning that young children should not keep exotic pets. By this they mean: hedgehogs, hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles.

The dangers: Bites, scratches and sometimes "deadly germs," especially nasty for those under the age of 5.

I never have had rodents as pets--predominantly because the many dogs with whom I have shared my life would probably make their existence in my home pretty short lived--but I have never really heard of a young child becoming dangerously ill from a pet hamster. In fact, for those with allergies, hamsters were always the "permitted" pet, presumably because of the lack of dander.

Yet, according to Dr. Larry Pickering, lead author of the report from which this recommendation ensued, "Most parents clearly don't understand the risks from various infections these animals can carry." For example, about 11% of salmonella illnesses in children are thought to stem from contract with lizards, turtles and other reptiles. Hamsters carry this same germ.

Of course in my germ-infested youth, we got turtles from the circus in those little plastic dishes that resembled desert islands complete with the requisite plastic palm tree. And somehow we survived--probably because the turtles never managed to last that long.

The moral of the story: wait until your children are older than 5 to bring home an exotic pet. Which is actually pretty good advice for those contemplating the purchase of any pet--exotic or not. And wash your hands after you play with whatever you buy!