7 little notes before deciding to keep pets indoors

Keeping a pet indoors will make everyone more happy, especially young children. However, you should not ignore a few caveats before bringing your pet.

Pets are a good friend for children. Keeping a pet indoors can be a lot of fun for you and your baby. Before deciding to keep an animal, you should learn more about it. In addition, taking care of a pet can be time consuming and costly. Therefore, it is better to think carefully, not by feeling the momentary.

1. Benefits of keeping pets indoors

Many studies show that caring for a pet can help young children understand many useful lessons:

Children can understand the responsibility and joy of caring for pets outside of themselves

Pets help children explore the natural world and help them understand what animals mean for their environment

Sharing and playing with pets can help your child become more attentive to other people's feelings

Pets help children have a beautiful friendship

Pets can help children relax

Pets can help children learn to express their emotions

Pets help children learn to share with family.

2. Teach your child about pets

Young children may love their 4-legged friend very much but will not know how to take care of them if you do not guide them. So, teach your kids to take care of pets by:

Teach your child to gently touch the pet and know when not to be in contact (when he is scared or angry).

When children are old enough, encourage them to participate in activities to take care of pets such as walking the dog, feeding pets ...

Teach children not to let pets lick their faces and wash their hands before eating if playing with pets.

3. Pets and babies

If you have babies and pets in your home, here are some rules to follow:

Never leave a baby's crib or mattress near a cat or any other pet.

Never leave a baby or toddler alone with a pet. Toddlers can make pets uncomfortable and they may bite them back.

Teach children not to share food with pets.

4. Pets and pregnancy

If you are pregnant, think again about keeping a pet. Better yet, you should wait for your family to settle down and think about this.

If you have a pet and you are pregnant, be careful when disposing of cat waste or other pet poop. Wear gloves when doing this to reduce the risk of a toxoplasmosis  infection that can affect the health of the unborn baby.

Also, try to take your dog for a gentle walk. This will make walking fun, not a struggle anymore. Train your dog not to jump up or bark. Ideally, you should teach your dog restricted areas of the house such as the baby's room or the kitchen before the baby is born. Take your dog to exercise regularly to avoid getting bored. When this is the case, your dog can cause problems, especially if he is used to an active lifestyle.

Think about how you will take care of your pet when your baby is born. Animals are very sensitive to changes in the family. They can understand human body language to know what's going on.

5. Diseases from pets

Children can experience health problems from pets such as hookworms, fleas, and chickenpox. This can cause liver problems. Here are some ways to reduce the risk of having pets in the house:

Worm book for cats every 2 to 6 months, every 3 months with hydatids

Use a flea soap to make sure your pet stays clean

Give your pet cooked food (do not give raw food)

Do not let your dog roam the streets

Wash your hands after touching animals and keep the plates of animal food in a separate place

Clean the pet's cage 1 time / week

Keep your pet away from your baby's bedroom

Do not let your pet lick your baby's face.

6. The pet is sick

If your pet is sick, take them to the vet. Your doctor will tell you what illness your pet is having and whether it can infect young children. Most serious infections in pets are not transmitted to humans.

7. Animal allergies

Status allergic pet is quite common. Children may be irritated by the sebaceous glands in cat skin or the dog's saliva. Even if you stop keeping these animals, the allergens can stay in your home for up to 6 months. If your baby is allergic to animals, chances are you will have to find a new home for your pet.