Animal Safety

We’re a society of animal lovers, and while cats and dogs continue to fight it out for the top spot as the nation’s favourite pet, it’s not uncommon nowadays for people to keep a whole range of animals around the house. Have you seen that video of the guy with a house cow?!

A cow. In the house.

An actual cow.

Most of the time even if little one does have an adverse encounter with the animal kingdom, they’ll bounce back just fine, so I’m not saying you need to keep a chain link fence between your human baby and your fur baby, but some animals are more dangerous than others, and ALL animals can be unpredictable (yes, even your beloved family dog). Especially when confronted with grabby hands and a lack of awareness of personal space.

Look me in the eye and tell me you’ve never ever not once had to take a minute and step outside because your darling bundles of joy were playing with your last nerve, or accidentally knocked over a tiny human because they literally ran between your feet as you were walking. Look me in the eye and lie to me.

The other danger to keep in mind is how having a negative interaction with an animal (especially when young) can impact a person’s relationship with animals for the rest of their life. We've all seen children (and some fully grown adults) who have slightly disproportionate reactions to animals. I'm not saying that the fear that they experience isn't real, but mice aren't actually that dangerous, you don't actually need to climb the furniture to escape it. Snakes? Yes. Mice? Not so much. You love animals, and you want to set your kid up to love animals too, so here’s a list of things to look out for, and some preventive measures you can take to reduce the risks.

Lastly, don't forget that allergies to animals aren't always immediately obvious, and the severity of them of them can build over time - especially with prolonged exposure. Click here to learn more about allergies (it's a good read, if I say so myself, which I do).

Dogs

We’ve seen the story in the news a hundred times – a family dog with no recorded history of aggression has attacked someone. Often children. Often with horrific results. I’m not going to sugarcoat this, all dogs can be dangerous, and your dog is not the exception. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have both dogs and children, it just means that you have to train both.

Here’s our advice:

1

Never leave your dog unattended with a child that you wouldn’t leave alone. Children aged 0-3 should not be left alone unless they are asleep (and even then, you should use a sleep monitor to keep an eye or ear on them). Peter Pan lied to you, your dog is not a babysitter.

Dogs communicate frustration or annoyance to their pups with physical corrections like nips or ‘paw slaps’, and dogs feel jealousy just like siblings do when they see someone else getting more love and attention than they do, and let's face it, you probably love your kids more that your dog. Probably. So even once your child is old enough to play in another room while you’re off making a cup of tea, you shouldn’t leave them in the same space completely unattended.

Even if your dog loves your kid and just wants to play or cuddle, they can knock them down, accidentally scratch them or (especially big dogs) squash them trying to snuggle.

2

When you first start introducing your kids to animals, teach them the ways that dogs will warn them that they’re getting annoyed or frustrated. Things like tail position, body position, and ear position will tell you a lot about how your dog is feeling, as well as growl, yips, and other vocalisations. Dogs will rarely nip or bite out of the blue, there are normally signs.

Ears back, tail down, side eye, baring teeth, a rigid posture, growling or snarling, and physically getting up and walking away are all signals that your dog might give to let you (and child) know that they’re getting bothered and annoyed. Watch out for these behaviours and point them out to your child so that they learn when they should take a step back and give the dog some space.Image

Perked-up ears, a high tail, ‘bowing’, jumping from side to side, and sneezing or huffing can indicate that your dog is feeling very playful. This is probably a good thing, but an over-enthusiastic or boisterous dog can be just as scary to a small child and can easily knock them down

(accidentally or deliberately)

during play, so it’s not just signs of aggression that you need to keep an eye on to make sure no one gets hurt.

3

If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably encountered at least one child who approaches your dog without checking if they’re friendly, and possibly a dismissive parent who insists that

'it's fine, they love dogs', when you ask them not to. If you have dog yourself that might make your child think that all dogs are friendly and well-behaved, it's especially important to teach your children that they should never approach a dog unless they’re given permission by its owner.

The correct way to approach a dog is from the front so they can see you coming. Avoid coming head on, and keep your body at an angle pointing slightly to the side, so that they don’t think you are challenging them to a fight (you'll lose and be really embarrassed).

Stay a step back so that the dog can come to you if they want to say hi, and hold your hand out in front of you in a closed fist so they can sniff you, but don't shove your hand in their face. That would make even a human want to bite you, and we don't even have the right teeth for it. If the dog comes closer to investigate, you can take that as a signal to give them some pats on their neck, back or side.

Most dogs don’t actually like to be touched on the top of the head (though they might tolerate it from family), and definitely don’t hug, hold, or restrain the dog in any way. Don't be clingy, you're better than that.

Your child should never to approach a dog that is loose and off the lead, and make sure they know to stand still with their arms tucked in, without making direct eye contact if an off-lead dog approaches them. If there’s an owner nearby, you can ask if you can greet the dog, but if there’s no owner in sight it’s probably best to avoid letting your child get too close.

Don’t forget that just because a dog is small doesn’t mean it can’t injure a child – I’ve seen my mum’s 4kg toy yorkie-poos take down a 6-year-old boy while they were playing together.

He was fine (his mother is a nurse, so she made sure), but if they had been on concrete and not the grass, he would have had a nasty bump on his head.

I totally encourage you to let your kids play with your dogs, in fact I think you should go adopt a puppy right now (I already told your kids you're getting one so you kind of have to) but just keep in mind that there’s a time and a place for big play. Most of the time, the risks of serious injury (physical or psychological) are pretty low, and a few bumps is part of childhood, but just remember that the more excited the dog gets, the more likely it is to do something unexpected. Please just be sensible and keep play to a minimum in places where kid (or dog) could fall off or over anything unexpectedly, on unforgiving surfaces like gravel or concrete, and especially in areas with vehicles or bikes, or lots of foot traffic.

Cats

Okay, the thing with cats is that they're kind of mean. And I say that as a cat person in all caps, a CAT PERSON. Cats are less likely to cause life-changing injuries than dogs are, but if you've ever seen a fully grown adult cower from a 2kg cat, you'll know that just because an injury isn't "life-changing", doesn't mean the results won't last a lifetime.

So here's what I want you to do.

1

Teach your little ones how to play gently with cats. Cats behave very differently from dogs. Cats need to be approached quietly, and pet gently and calmly. Cat body language is much harder to read than that of a dog - largely because dogs are better at reading and mimicking human body language - and it's easy to be caught off guard by a cat who's been telling you to back off for a while, but just in a way that we don't easily recognise. Even seasoned cat owners get caught out sometimes. They have sharp teeth and sharper claws, and if they manage to take a chunk out of you (accidentally or not), it's kind of an infection risk.

Never ever pull on a cat's tail or fur (or any other grabbable part like ears and whiskers), and remember that sudden movements and loud noises can scare a cat and provoke defensive scratching or biting. It's a good job that toddlers hate grabbing things they're not supposed to, and never behave erratically or make sudden loud noises...

2

Teach your cat how to play gently with children. Try not to engage in overly aggressive play, especially with kittens, as cats are more likely to scratch or bite during play. Use toys instead of fingers and toes when you're playing with your cat. If your cat thinks it's okay to attack your hands and feet during play, they'll do it whenever they want attention. Like when they're bored, hungry, or definitely don't want to be touched, but want you to touch them so they can be mad about it.

These toys don't have to be expensive, my cat goes WILD for elastic hairbands tied to a bit of string.

3

Keep your cat's claws trimmed if they live indoors. There's a lot of discussion about whether or not cats should be allowed to roam free in the garden (and beyond). There are some people with very strong opinions on the matter, but that's a discussion for a different corner of the internet.

What I do know is that as they're using them less to climb dig, and get into scraps with the other neighbourhood cats, indoor cats are likely to have overgrown claws that can't be fully retracted, . If you have a cat who doesn't go out much, make sure you trim their nails regularly to avoid any accidental scratches. If not properly cleaned, even a minor scratch can lead to infection or other complications.

5

Take your cat to the vet for regular checkups. Zoonotic diseases like Cat Scratch Disease (from cat scratches), Pasteurellosis (from cat bites) and Ringworm (spread through skin contact with an infected cat) are not life-threatening, but they are pretty unpleasant.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection you can get from handling cat poop, like when cleaning out a litterbox or working in a garden with infected soil. Or if a cat steps in dirty litter and then does something adorable, like stick their whole paw in your mouth.

It's not typically considered serious if you have a healthy immune system, but if you have a weakened immune system, like if you are having chemotherapy, it can cause problems with your eyes, brain, heart, or lungs. It's particularly dangerous for pregnant women, as it can cause miscarriage, or serious complications in your developing baby.

The good news is that these diseases are rare in well-kept domestic cats, so as long as you keep up with your vet visits, those risks are nothing to worry about.

The most common cat-related injury though is actually falls. Cats love sleeping in places where you won't see them like a busy staircase, or just outside your bedroom door. And if you've ever fed a hungry cat, you'll know that they like to weave between your feet while you're walking (and then look at you like you're evil when you ACCIDENTALLY kick them). Cat's like to hide behind things and underneath things, and jump out at you when you're walking past them.

Now that I've typed that out, I'm wondering if my cat actually IS trying to kill me.

There's not much you can do about this, if your cat is trying to trip you up they can't be reasoned with. The best advice I've got is to be mindful when you're going up and down the stairs (especially if you're carrying a wriggling child), and make sure that older children know to keep an eye out for mobile trip hazards.

There's more information about preventing falls here with some generally good advice for everyday life.

6

Have you ever woken up feeling like you're suffocating, only to find your cat happily asleep on your chest? There is a risk of suffocation or injury if your cat is sleeping unsupervised with your child. Even though it's adorable, you should never let your cat climb into a cot or crib with an infant.

You can start letting you children and pets nap together from around 6-7 years old. By this age your child should have the ability to control their sleep movements, and will be better able to communicate if there is a problem. Keep an eye on them during these naps if you think that they have a good understanding of how to coexist, you can start transitioning to letting them sleep together at night as well. Keep in mind that it's not just the temperament of the cat that needs to be taken into consideration.

Small Pets

Small pets like hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs, or ferrets are generally safe, but if there's a way to get injured, we can trust our children to find it.

The biggest risks with small pets are bites and scratches. These little guys have powerful teeth and they can and will bite when they feel threatened. Mishandling or playing too roughly with a small pet can trigger a bite, and if you've ever tried to dislodge an angry hamster once it's got its teeth in your finger, you'll know that though they are small, those things are MIGHTY. Make sure your kid plays gently with their pets, and PLEASE don't let your children dig their hands into the cage to try and drag the poor creatures out of their hidey-holes. If something 100x my size ripped the roof off my bedroom and picked me up out of bed when I was fast asleep, I'd probably bite them too.

Burrowing creatures also tend to have sharp little claws, so anything that will cause them to try to run away (such as being ripped out of their home in the middle of a good dream) will likely lead to some scratches too.

The good news is that the scratches will probably be superficial and may not even draw blood. Cleaning them with warm soapy water and/or an antiseptic solution should be sufficient. The bad news is that you'll have to hear about it for the next three weeks, and it might be used as an excuse to get out of cleaning out the cage (which was a condition of them getting the thing in the first place).

Be especially wary of children wanting to let their pets walk on their faces (which is not a problem I thought I'd ever have to think about) because eyes are delicate and children are... not always smart.

Large Animals

Look. I'm a city girl. If your kids are regularly coming into contact with cows, horses, pigs and other animals that you'd find on the front cover of 'Farm Life Weekly' magazine, you probably know a lot more than me about animal handling.

If however, like me, you find yourself once or twice a year accidentally around these (sometimes very scary) animals, here are some basic things you should know.

1

Unless you're somewhere like a petting farm, or you're with someone who knows the animals, your best bet is to look from a distance. Never hop a fence to get close to animals that you don't know. Just because an animal is friend-shaped doesn't mean they're friendly.

2

Make your kids wash their hands. Always. Excessively. Animals that live outside are going to be dirty, no matter how well looked after they are. If you pet an animal that lives in a field, your hands will be filthy. As adults, we'd probably look at our hands and think "maybe I shouldn't put this in my mouth and or in my eyes". Children don't think these things. You must think it for them.

3

Don't let your children walk too close, directly behind or underneath any of the big animals.

Yes, you read that right, underneath.

Animals that are large enough to walk underneath are powerful enough to do some serious damage. You hear horror stories of fully grown adults having their feet crushed by horses stepping on them, you don't want to imagine what could happen to a small child's bone if they got tangled up under those hooves!

Horses and donkeys also have powerful kicks, so if you and your kids have to walk behind them for any reason, leave enough space. And then leave a little more.

4

Goats and sheep play battering ram for fun. You know a battering ram, the big heavy thing they use to knock down doors? It's named after Rams - male goats and sheep - because they spent a significant amount of their lives butting each other with their heads. And they're good at it too! Rams can deliver an impact force of up to 360 kilos per square inch, which is comparable to a small car crash, and they can charge at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. They can easily knock down a fully grown man, and they'd send a small child absolutely flying. And don't forget the horns.

Fortunately, goats and sheep are more likely to run away from you if you rush up to them excitedly, but maybe just keep an eye out to make sure that none of the herd is eyeing you or little ones up for target practice. Warning signs include lowering their head and lining up to you, huffing, snorting, or grunting, stomping the ground or pawing with one foot (like a bull in the cartoons), giving you the evil eye, and sometimes even doing some little practice 'test charges' to see how you'll react.

Goats and sheep aren't the only animals that charge, cows do too. If think that you're about to get charged, avoid direct confrontation or aggressive movements, and back away slowly while keeping your eyes on the animal. Do not turn your back on an aggressive animal, and do not try to outrun them. They're faster than you and if you can't see them coming you won't know when to dodge.

5

Pigs bite. Pigs aren't famously aggressive, but they do have very powerful jaws that can bite through bone. The chances of pigs eating your child are extremely low, but let's keep everyone's fingers out of biting range regardless.

Exotic Animals

You need a license in the UK to own a 'Dangerous Animal' (as dictated by the

1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act

) so if you're an owner of something on the list, you (really should) know a lot more than me about the proper care and handling of them. I'm not going to pretend to know what advice to offer to you. But if you have a pet like a snake, exotic bird, turtle, or insect, here are some things that might seem like common sense to you, but may not be so obvious to a child.

1

Birds, reptiles, and amphibians can carry some nasty germs that can leave you all kinds of unwell. You should keep new animals quarantined from any others that you own until you are sure they are healthy to avoid an uncntrolled outbreak. If you feed your pet whole or live animals like mice or chicks, your pet can get worms from eating infested animals, and then pass them on to you.

You're not likely to die from anything that you could catch from an exotic animal, but getting salmonella because you touched bird poo and then ate a sandwich is pretty grim.

Make your kids wash their hands after they've touched the animals. And go wash yours too. Lead by example.

2

Speaking of feeding live animals to your pets do you know what looks a lot like a moving mouse to a hungry snake?

A hand.

The majority of accidental bites are caused by mistaken identity when the human puts their hand into the enclosure too close to feeding time. Even if it's not venomous, it'll still hurt.

Snakes aren't the only animal that bite - birds, reptiles, insects, and even amphibians all bite too. These are mostly carniverous animals, so even if they're very small, they've probably still got powerful jaws. I once got bitten by a ladybird, and it hurt a lot more than you'd have thought, so just because it's tiny and pretty doesn't mean that it won't take a chomp out of you if it feels threatened.

Make sure you do your research into how to properly handle your animal of choice, and if you do get bitten, clean and dress the wound and seek medical attention if it's a bad bite.

3

Like bites, scratches can be an entry point for bacteria, and should be cleaned thoroughly and monitored. Proper pet handling can and will reduce the likelihood of being scratched, accidentally or not. I have nothing else to say on the matter.

4

There's no hard rule on when a child can start interacting with exotic pets, but keep in mind that until they're 6 or 7 years old, most children don't have the motor skills and hand strength to hold most animals safely, nor a proper understanding of basic care.

That's not to say that a younger child can't hold an animal, but they should only do so in a calm and controlled environment, and only for very short periods at a time - for both their safety and the animal's.

Native Birds

I don't like birds. That's not true, I like looking at them. From far away. But I don't like them in touching distance. They have sharp claws and scary beaks, and I don't like it when they flap their wings.

I'm not talking about the sweet little cherubs you keep as pets, I'm talking about those birds that the dinosaurs left behind. The big birds: swans, geese, turkeys, ducks and chickens. Ok, not so much chickens, they're kind of cute, but I didn't know what other category to put chickens in.

Let's crack on. Pun intended.

1

Going down to the river and feeding the ducks is a national pastime, but just because the birds are accustomed to humans feeding them doesn't mean they're friendly. Do not try to touch the ducks you are feeding - remember that they are wild animals.

Hand-feeding ducks is a great way to get pecked. And those bills can do some serious damage.

Instead, throw the food into the water a few metres away from you to avoid bringing the birds onto the land. This is for their safety as well as for the safety of your child.

There's advice available here on what you should and shouldn't feed ducks. It turns out that white bread is as bad for them as it is for my waistline!

2

Geese have a reputation for being angry and aggressive. This is for a reason. Do not try to make friends with geese, they are unpredictable and cannot be reasoned with. That's actually not true, they are very predictable. They will attack you if you get too close.

How close is too close? Well, keeping at least 10 metres between you is good, but ideally 15 metres or more. If your goose is feeling particularly nasty, you'll have warning signs like making itself bigger to look more threatening and making a lot of noise by hissing or honking. These are clear signals to back away. If it lowers its head to the ground and makes lots of movements with its neck, that means it's getting ready to attack you, and if it starts walking towards you or charging at you, then drop everything and get out of there. Don't turn your back and run, but back away quickly and calmly, and try not to make any loud noises or sudden movements.

3

Swans are also famous for being scary, but they're less likely to attack out of the blue than a goose. Swans will become territorial and protective of their mates and their babies (cygnets) during mating season, so you should avoid getting too close to them when they are with their young.

Generally, if they are in the water and you are on land, you will not encounter aggression, but you should still watch out for warning signs like swimming quickly towards you, or holding out their wings to make themselves look big and intimidating. Swans consider direct eye contact threatening behaviour, so if you feel like that swan is staring you down... It probably is.

If you come across a swan blocking your path, give it plenty of space and if possible take an alternative route. Keep pets on a tight lead, and keep children close to you. Wait for the swan to move out of the way, and do not rush or crowd it to try and get it to move, as this could provoke an attack.

Swans are generally peaceful unless they feel threatened, so as long as you remain calm and give them plenty of space you don't really have to worry too much.

4

Turkeys and chickens are not birds you're likely to encounter in the wild, so the chances are you'll be with someone who either owns them or knows them well enough to guide you on their behaviour. However, if you come across these birds and you're the responsible adult in the room (outdoor area?) then general bird handling rules apply.

Do not try to touch, pet, pick up, or hand feed the birds. Male chickens (roosters) and male turkeys (toms) can be aggressive, so give them space and if they're a bit too interested in you or your children, give them more space. These guys have sharp claws which can puncture human skin. Though they can't fly, they can jump pretty high while they flap their wings, which is both scary and surprisingly painful. I know from experience, I was attacked by a turkey on a school trip when I was 17. It was deeply embarrassing, and to this day I hate turkeys.

Chickens aren't known for being aggressive, but even so don't let your kids harass them. They do peck, and they can scratch, and honestly, an over-excited 6 year old chasing a chicken around a field is probably going to fall over and end up crying anyway. Also, bird poop is gross and hard to clean out from under fingernails.

British Wildlife

I want you to apply it to any animal you can think of:

Do not let your children touch the animal.

We're lucky in the UK that most of our wildlife is not dangerous*. We don't have bears, or wolves, or lions roaming around our countryside, and there's a very good chance that any wildlife you encounter is going to be more scared than you than you are of it.

But a scared animal is a dangerous animal, and having to take your child to hospital because they got bitten by a squirrel is something that you will never live down.

*Special mention goes to badgers, who are very dangerous but are so shy and nocturnal that you'll probably go your whole life without seeing one.

If you come across a badger in the wild, WALK AWAY.

Remember that where there's wildlife, there are the kinds of animals that feed off of wildlife. Parasites like tapeworms and ringworms. Ticks and fleas can transmit diseases from the blood of one animal to another, and bacteria like E.Coli and salmonella can be transmitted from animal to human.

I'm not saying that you can't take your kids down to the local pond and rummage around for some frogs, or that you shouldn't help an injured animal (and there is some excellent advice from the RSPCA

here

on how to safely help an injured animal). I'm just saying that if you're deliberately going out into nature to see what you can find, be aware of some of the more dangerous species, and please please make your kids wash their hands before they stick their fingers in their mouths.

1

They might not kill you, but we do have some venomous snakes in the UK - Adders - that have a nasty bite. If you see an adder, do not touch it.

2

Most bugs are carnivorous, and though human skin isn't the meal of choice, they will bite or sting to escape danger. Things like spiders, wasps, bees, hornets, beetles, and ants.

Some caterpillars have very thin spines that can get lodged in human skin and cause a painful rash with swelling.

Most of the time, staying calm and letting the creepies crawl away is the best course of action. Freaking out and running around like a mad person is normally not helpful. If you see any of these creatures bumbling about minding their own business, do not touch them.

3

Foxes are cute. Do not touch foxes.

Badgers are cute. Do not touch badgers.

Deer, seals, squirrels. All cute. Do not touch them.

Bats. Surprisingly cute. Do not touch bats.

So if you ever find yourself out in nature and you come across a wild animal, just say to yourself (and any nearby children):

[Animal] is cute. Do not touch [Animal]

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