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| |    Pets, Infants, and Toddlers: Caution and Considerations by Susan E. Davis reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I dreamed of the day that I'd bring her home from the hospital and introduce her to our beloved rabbits, Elmo and Maybelline. Sure, they were "just bunnies," but they lived free-range in our house, often slept on our bed, and were truly members of the family. I imagined letting them sniff and lick her to welcome her into our family. I even imagined them lying contentedly near her wooden cradle while she snoozed away in newborn peace. When we brought Phoebe home, I soon realized just how fantastical that vision truly was. The first problem was that at six pounds three ounces, Phoebe was actually smaller than either of my rabbits, which brought up the delicate question of whether or not they would see her as another rabbit and therefore as a threat. The second problem was that when she was all swaddled up, she looked sort of like a stuffed animal, and both rabbits enjoyed chewing on, pawing at, and even, on occasion, mounting stuffed animals. So I changed my game plan quickly -- the rabbits could sniff at Phoebe as much as they wanted, but an adult (human) always had to be in the room and at arm's distance from whatever interspecies interactions were taking place. By the time Phoebe was crawling, an adult had to be in the room for another reason: My dear daughter was likely to grab at, squeeze or even try to sit on the rabbits. Too young to realize that she might hurt the animals and too uncoordinated to control her movements, she was a genuine threat to these fragile creatures. Neither Phoebe nor my pets ever sustained damage, but I learned a lesson in that first year that I'll never forget: While children and pets are a natural fit, adult supervision is always necessary when babies or toddlers and animals are in the same room. Keeping both sides safe The primary issue with an infant is making sure the animal doesn't deliberately hurt her (as when a hostile dog bites) or inadvertently hurt her (as when a playful puppy pounces). The idea that cats will purposefully suffocate a baby, by the way, is just a myth. But it could happen by accident--say, if an affectionate cat were to curl up next to or on top of a newborn who can't yet push her away. That means the best rule of thumb with infants is that they shouldn't be alone in the room with an animal. Toddlers are vulnerable for different reasons. First, as fairly mobile humans, they're now capable of chasing, grabbing, and squeezing household pets, which can hurt the animals or drive them to bite or scratch in self-defense. (A toddler squeezing a hamster or a guinea pig or sitting on a rabbit actually could kill it.) And, second, because they're small, mobile, and have high-pitched voices, toddlers can appear like prey to dogs. That might incite aggressive dogs to attack or inspire even gentle dogs to play "predator" by jumping on, knocking over, or even nipping at your child. Again, monitoring all interactions between toddlers and pets is crucial--especially if you have pocket pets (hamsters, gerbils, etc.). Training your dog not to jump and bite is also key to maintaining peaceful, safe relations within the household. So, too, is teaching the child lessons of "no chasing," "no picking up," "quiet," and "gentle" early on, while the parent models the same behavior. Children will adopt the same behaviors towards animals that their parents exhibit. Don't expect much help yet Infants and toddlers can derive tremendous joy from watching the creatures in their house go about their daily business. (As an infant, my daughter used to shake with excitement every time a rabbit hopped by.) But they can't do a lot to help care for animals. Toddlers can help with feeding and watering (you know how this age group loves to pour!), as well as distributing toys and doling out affectionate pats. But be especially careful not to let a toddler use a comb or brush on an animal; they may want to imitate their parents' grooming activities, but they can hurt the animal if they handle the brush unskillfully. And teach toddlers early on to stay out of animal food bowls and litter boxes. The former can make an animal aggressive; the latter can make your child sick.
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