# Pets bad for children.



## Kiko

I would post a pic if I had any.
Just got a very nasty slash on my hand, bled pretty badly.
Looks like a definite scar bringer.
Does anyone else agree that bunnies would be bad pets for kids for this reason?
All it takes is one kick, and your kid is bleeding like a stuck pig, he drops the bunny, bunny gets hurt.
No ones happy.
They seem to be very popular pets for kids...but I strongly disagree. 
Better Pets I think are
*Rats* Of course heh, why else would I be here?
*Guinea Pigs* love these little guys, going to be adopting a pair soon, had them as kids.
*Syrian Hamsters* But not dwarfs which often harbor bad attitudes!

I am not having kids any time soon...being still young myself heh, but I hate when I see a mom buying a kid a cute little bunny with no info on the proper care, or knowing the lifespan (15 years+), and that this animal might not be the cuddly little fuzzbut in the pet store as it seems.


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## Jaguar

I've heard lots of horror stories with rabbits as well, and I wouldn't recommend them as pets, really, but all throughout my childhood we owned rabbits on our farm and they were gentle and docile as ever. I have pictures of myself at about 6 years old with two bunnies hanging under each of my arms  It just really depends on how well socialized they are with kids/people and whatnot. It could happen with any animal, some perhaps more than others... An ill-mannered rat is just as likely to bite a kid as a rabbit.


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## Mom2Chewbacca_and_Jaqotay

My rabbit is an amazing rabbit, he's gentle, and one of the best pets I have ever owned. He lets my brother do just about anything to him, pull his tail, pull his ears, pick him up... lol 
It really does just depends on the rabbit. They all have different personalitys. The same thing goes for rats, gunieas, & hamsters. 
I def. would not recomend a guinea though, they are nervous around little children, have had 5 of them and only 1 was a good critter that allowed the kiddos to mess with him. 
Right now the animal that we have the just will not tolerate the kids is a rat, so it just comes back to each individual animal, and not the species in general.


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## Kiko

This is true.
And my bunny is great, has a very sweet temper and I do love him.
BUT he got spooked by something and kicked. 
I also imagine a rat bite is not as bad a bleeding gash from a bunny heh. 
All my years of owning guinea pigs, and rats. They are both very sweet compared to some other animals.
All my piggies were pretty calm...depends on the animal
Ferrets, birds, lizards, hamsters, and buns are no doubt wonderful pets. I just would not let a small child play with any small animal

Horror Story: I was barely 3, and walked over to out guinea pig cage. I had NO idea what it was or that it was fragile, so i pick him up, and start throwing him in the air like a stuffed animal. He was okay, but shaken up. I do not remember this, as i was just turned 3. But kids can so easily hurt little animals.
After that all piggys were kept out of reach of me. ( this story was told to me by my older sister)

As i got older of course i stopped thinking they were toys.
I have seen Kaytee with the most digusting slogan. "Get your kid a small furry pet! they are great and don't require batteries"
I wanted to upchuck, the whole ad was making like they were toys! Not once did it say that it's a big responsibility or mention lifespans or required care...


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## chiklet1503

I have heard that leopard geckos and bearded dragons also make good child pets but have no personal experience with either. They are both said to be very docile.

I think bunnies do make great pets if kept indoors and interacted with daily, I had two growing up and they never kicked- they were litter box trained and allowed to roam around the kitchen. Guess they were just very calm! I suppose it depends on the individual bunny.

While rats are amazing pets, I probably wouldn't reccomend them for very small kids either. Not for the kids safety, but for the rats safety. Sometimes small children don't understand the need to be gentle and that you can't squeeze everything you love like you do with your teddy bear.


It was probably pretty terrible getting a nasty gash from your bunny but from a little kids perspective, being intentionally bitten is much more terrifying than being accidentally scratched- they are two different things. They are both bad, but I would think if a kid were to be bitten by something, they'd be much less likely to continue interacting with a pet than if they were scratched.


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## Mom2Chewbacca_and_Jaqotay

chiklet1503 said:


> I have heard that leopard geckos and bearded dragons also make good child pets but have no personal experience with either. They are both said to be very docile.


Though my bearded dragon is docile, and lets the kids hold him, pet him, kiss him and whatnot, I wouldn't suggest to a parent that a beardie is a good pet for children under 13. They require *alot * of work.


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## Kiko

Bunny wise, my bun is a Netherland Dwarf, and they are known for being hyper, and they are so small.
I LOVE the big fat floppy bunnys.


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## Kinsey

Beardies are too advanced for a child. I see 13 year olds have trouble. They are also prone to bone trouble and if mishandled can pack a nasty bite.


Leopard geckos require a middle level amount of care, but kids don't usually do well with reptiles. They always put things in mouths and herps can carry some icky disease. Salmonnella, esspecially. Lizards also loose tails, as do geckos. Leopard geckos are excellent for older children, around 12 or 13, as beginning herps. They are docile and good natured, and hardy. I love them, persoanlly.

Bunnies, can be both very sweet and very dangerous. Countless time I have seen people bitten and kicked by ornery buns, and occasionally I will come across an abused rescue who crawls into my lap and won't leave. It very much depends on personality. I would not suggest a bunny as a young childs pet unless VERY supervised the the animal is very docile.
Guinea pigs are lovely creatures, probably the best I can think of for cyounger kids. They are very good natured and slow moving. If you MUST get your kid a small animal, then I say probably a guinea. A nice dog would be better.


Rats for little kids...NO. I have seen the nasties happen with this. In october, a 14 year old girl walked up, plucked Romeo from my shoulder, and squeezed him until he screamed. Took her all of two seconds. I snatchied him up, and smacked her hand and scolded her, sheltering Romeo. Then when i looked away, she reached out and I heard him screech, and she hadn't touched him. He was petrified of her mere hand. Then she tried to grabhim again. I about strangled that girl. Don't worry, Romeo's fine, and I don't go near her at all anymore.

The point is, even older kids sometimes can't handle animals. Occasionally youngsters can. I myslef was one. I had my first herps when I was 5 years old. Two White's tree frogs, one of whom is still with me today at age ten. Sweet old frog. I handled herps and every other matter of creature from the time I could walk, and never once harmed any one of them. You get exeptions, and if the kid is mature then go for it 

Most aren't though, and parents tend to think that their kid is the king of the planet, so just overall no.


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## Kiko

I hate to be a downer on myself xD
But I was not a responsible pet owner till I was at least 13-14. I had pets yeah, but it was my folks who cared for them.
Now I am the sole caretaker, and I take it very seriously, but when I was younger I just did not have the attention span/patience to fully take care of a pet on my own.

I Love Ball Pythons, and like rats they get a very bad rep. the ones I have help always seemed so docile (provided the handler is not being an idiot).
I think supervised, a Ball Python would make a great beginning reptile for an older mature child (10+)


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## Kinsey

I think older than ten, maybe 14. Pythonns are wonderful, but they also have special requirements and they can get very large.

I am 14 xD

I do my own pet care, theres occasional slips, but they don't have to do much. Well, my mom takes the dog for walks in winter. But other than that  And I rehab wild creatures regularly, and usually have a heap of assorted orphaned animals.


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## chiklet1503

FYI- It's illegal to rehab native wild animals without a state license. If you are caught you could get into big trouble.


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## Alexc844

Kinsey said:


> I think older than ten, maybe 14. Pythonns are wonderful, but they also have special requirements and they can get very large.
> 
> I am 14 xD
> 
> I do my own pet care, theres occasional slips, but they don't have to do much. Well, my mom takes the dog for walks in winter. But other than that  And I rehab wild creatures regularly, and usually have a heap of assorted orphaned animals.


Ball pythons are actually small and rarely exceed 4 ft. Just thought I would throw that out there. 
I have one, (he is actually my boyfriends) named Murphy, and he is the most docile snake I have ever seen. Although, I had one when I was younger, maybe 13 or so and he was just a jerk. Struck at anything and everything. Like people have been saying, it really depends on the personality of the animal. Overall, Murphy, himself, would be great for even a mature 8 year old. Basically anyone old enough to be gentle.


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## Kinsey

Yeah, it's temporary only until they can be taken to the rehabber. AKA overnight ICU.

I also take non illegals a lot  Starlings are often killed by rehabbers and are not illegal to house or even keep. They are pretty much the extent of the wildies I get and fully rehab. I get tame orphans a lot, too, like feral kittens. (get a litter almost every year from under the neighbors barn)


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## Nebride

Rabbits for young kids would just be awful. Rabbits can so easily be hurt - they are really pretty fragile.

I don't think I would recommend any pet for young kids actually, but that's simply because I've seen so much cruelty. Too many parents don't teach (or don't know) how to handle and respect animals.


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## steffiez

I honestly wouldn't trust children with rats, unless they're aware that they HAVE to be careful. Sometimes I put my rats on my three year old nieces shoulder, but I'm watching her hands very closely at all times, and i'm close enough in case she hits the rat or grabs her, etc. Children are really rough and rats are very fragile creatures, so I wouldn't risk it. With any small animals that is.

I heard ferrets aren't good for children either. I saw something on t.v one time about a family's pet ferret that ripped off their baby's face because the ferret was attracted by the scent of the milk.


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## Soybean

I think the ability of a child to care for a pet should be judged by the parent and is not necessarily determined by a child's age. Now this is my opinion on a few animals....

Bearded dragons - These are great animals but their care should be supervised by an adult until the child shows they are capable of caring for them properly. Bearded dragons have certain lighting and diet requirements that if neglected can result in a dead lizard. They require UV light, dusting their insects with calcium, daily misting (some do not drink water out of a dish), basking heat requirements, and fresh greens and veggies. They are great animals to hold if they are introduced to handling from a young age. They have great personalities. 

Leopard Geckos - Even easier to care for than bearded dragons. They are relatively forgiving as far as care goes. They DO NOT require UV light (though for some reason pet store employees will tell you they do, probably to get you to buy more lighting equipment), though they do require certain heating requirements (preferably belly heat, but NOT from a heat rock). They eat mealworms, which are relatively inexpensive though they do like crickets 2-3 times a week, which should be dusted with calcium. They should not be handled by young children because they are a more fragile reptile, especially when young. 

Ball Pythons - A great beginner reptile! They stay under 5 foot long (my big female is only 4 foot) and as long as they are handled from a young age, are very very docile animals. I only have one nippy one. They do require belly heat (NOT a heat rock) and humidity requirements, but other than that are a great animal.

A note about reptiles and them being "icky" - as long as you wash your hands before and after, you should not get salmonella and such from reptiles. Basic hygiene should protect you from any bacteria that a reptile carries. 

Ferret - Definitely not for small children. These animals require A LOT of attention and should always be kept in pairs or groups. They get bored easily and should have a minimum of 3-4 hours out of their cage everyday. They are also obligate carnivores. It is BEST to feed them a raw diet but if you are unable to do so, then a high quality ferret/cat kibble. These animals ARE capable of biting and drawing blood. My first little girl was quite the biter when she was young. My big boy has never even tried to bite us though so it all depends on the individual ferret. 

If you have any questions about ANY of these animals, please feel free to PM me. I am always happy to answer questions about my experience with my animal kids.


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## amsue0222

Well I am new here but I have several pets and 3 children. My 12 year old has had pets since she was very small, probably 3 or so. She loves the small pets like hamsters and has been great with them! She is an individual that I would trust a small, fragile animal to. We currently have (and I do say currently) have 1 hamster, 3 guinea pigs, 1 cat, 1 shihtzu, 1 large goldendoodle, and 1 quaker parrot. She is awesome and always has had a knack with animals. She has always tamed her own hamsters and usually isn't afraid of being bit. She just says oww and then goes right back at it! (not me). 
I really think it depends on the child and the pet. We have a 4 year old also and I can't let her alone with the guinea pigs, bird, hamster, or the small dog. The cat can handle his own, usually he just runs and hides, and the big dog can handle it and dishes out some of her own. She is absolutely terrible with the smaller pets. She has her "own" guinea pig' that she is allowed to hold supervised, and very supervised. If I turn my back she will pinch, or pull the pigs hair just to see what she will do (poor pig, I know) so she is locked out of the small animal room and is only allowed to be supervised. We have never had bunnies but have always had a lot of pets. Our 14 year old can't be trusted with pets because he doesn't care if they get fed regularly and would starve if I don't MAKE him feed them. So I do just think that it depends on the child. Our 12 year old gets a gold star as the best pet owner ever, but even then I have to help her clean out their cage, which is expected. A bunny is a big responsibilty and unless I wanted to take that on, I wouldn't do.


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## rach913

Size of pet depends on parent & child. My son is 1 & 1/2 years old, and he's EXCELLENT around my rats. We allow him to hold them. NEVER has he pulled their fur/tails/legs/whiskers, bit, squeezed, or shook them. Kids imitate what their parents do, even if parents don't see it as early as their infant age. He has seen me with rats since he was able to focus from far away. He STILL watches everything we do to the rats. He knows you PET the rat, not PAT them. He's also careful when he sits down when they're out, to ensure he doesn't sit on them. Of course, tots his age get excited fast, but it is the parent's responsibility to read the excitement early and to restrict their child from the area until they calm down again. Some easy signs are quicker breathing, squealing with excitement, repeating yourself 3 times or more, & taking A LOT of energy just to remain calm, IN THAT ORDER. One burst of way too much energy could end up in a squished rodent, or a bitten hand (note: we've NEVER gotten that far).


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## jasugar

This is true. I have a rabbit, Winnifred, and she absolutely ADORES me. But I'm patient with her kicks and scratches. She's very ornery.

Rabbits need to be picked up & held in a very particular way for them to feel safe most of the time. Children aren't very good at consistent picking up / holding.

A rabbit I had previously (she passed away) named Fern was AMAZING with children. She wasn't very skittish or anything. She was one in a million.


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## rach913

_  Some of my rats, however, I feel are not patient and understanding as some of the rats I've allowed Rhenton to hold, but as for the ones that just sit there in his hands (I trained them that way, just in case  lol), they usually wait until either he puts them down or I make him put them down (in the case of excitement) before running off to do whatever. Bandit likes to skitter away, then return and gently use his claws (I keep them trimmed, but I'm always careful not to cut the quick, is this ok, even if I know what I'm doing because I once owned a guinea pig, and the piggy forum ok'ed it...) to "tackle" his naked toes, then he'd stand on his hinds and pull on his pants for him to pick him up again! lol

The whole kicking in rabbits and guineas is the reason I found a better home for my guinea. I don't think a pet like that is ready for him until he's about 5 or 6, don't ask why, but maybe that's just me? Dunno =)

But, yeah, training them this way is a rather interesting "experiment," when you start off with little ratties and infants  It's just too bad the longest they live is 2-3 years, though :'(_


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## hshelton

if you want a bunny and dont want scratches you can try these www.softpaws.com they make them for cats and dogs but ive also seen people put them on bunnies, you would have to use the cat ones in kitten size though unless it was a large rabbit.


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## momjabbar

I owned guinea pigs as a kid (9-10ish) and they made great pets for me at that age -- now, having a 2 year old myself, I really prefer the rats we recently acquired. They're very bright animals, and we've had no issues with themj biting, or with my child being too rough with them. My son is not interested in holding them himself yet, but shares his play table with them and plays side by side (under parental supervision). He can successfully give them treats himself, but it "tickles" when they climb on him and he just backs away. If he even approaches playing too roughly near them, a gentle reminder of how small the "mice" are (he calls all rats mice) is enough to make him play more gently. One previous poster mentioned that a child will mimic his/her parents' behavior, and I think that really nails it.


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## Julia_Austen

I think kids are bad for pets, not vice versa.
I have to monitor my almost 7-year old daughter all
the time when she decides to play with my two boys.
And no matter how many times I try to explain that they cannot be
squizzed like rubber balls, it gets to her attention only if I am there to catch what she is doing. My male rats tolerate her, but I
still have to watch them play.


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## ZoeHale

I agree with Julia. 
Kids ARE bad for pets.
I live with my hubby and family in law, and he has 2 younger sisters who are 13. We were at the park, and a dog was passing through. I told them to leave it alone since we don't know anything about it, but no. They run at the dog, yelling, and then they act suprised when the dog started barking and acted like it was going to bite. I wish they HAD been bitten.


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## wynny

When I was mabey 6, I had a rabbit. I used to rock him on our swingset like a baby. He sometimes would fall asleep and when he didn't want to rock anymore he would jump or wiggle around (wich could take 30min to 1.5 hours) most little kids are bad with small animals. I was always gental. I just never liked cleaning them... :


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## nain

ZoeHale said:


> I agree with Julia.
> Kids ARE bad for pets.
> 
> I wish they HAD been bitten.


I agree with you and Julia.. My cousin's kids are at my home once a month and all my pets hate them.. The kids try to poke my birds through the cage bars, they pull the rats tails and they also net out fish and leave them to die.. I have to be around at all times to make sure that none of my pets are hurt, I wouldnt mind if the kids did get a lil hurt due to the pet's protecting themselves...

But yes, if the parents dont teach kids to love and respect animals then even when they grow up then they will be bad for pets...


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## rach913

_Just thought I'd share, but there was a BIG SURPRISE today! I was holding the recent weaned babies we have had the joy of raising since birth (an accidental pregnancy, don't worry, they're perfectly healthy, mama included!! ^.^), and my 19 month old wanted to pet them. At first, I felt rather skeptical, but seeing as he's in my view and such, I let him pet them. He picked one up soooo gently! No squeezing, no rough shaking, none of that! :O ( <========= that was the look that was on my face, too lol). When he decided to pet them, he actually seemed to have pointed one finger out and juuuuussst barely touched the babies on the head, then he'd pull his hand back as he'd say: "nu" (I think it's his way of either saying "no" because that's what we say to kitty when he bugs us to go outside in the rec room, or "meow," cause that's what kitty says to do so, not sure at the moment lol), then point out and touch again.

I don't know about a majority of kids, but you can trust Rhenton touching pretty much ANY pet around the house. I'm actually EXCITED about bringing home a new kitten in about a week or so. He's probably gonna be following that little guy (Naming him Pharoah lol) all over the house, petting him and calling him "nu" lol

I then put the babies on his shoulder. He was excited about it, but he knew to stand still until I took them back off of him. Then, he was done. After running off to play with his toys, I put them away, and that was pretty much it...But, yeah, mostly about this reply is my surprise that I really AM doing a good job at teaching him proper animal socialization, and I'm proud of myself for raising such a good listener. Next baby may, though, we may not be so lucky, as different kids have different things about them...But, still, worth a try to teach the same way, no? Honestly, not sure, this one's my first child lol_


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## clarry

I had a rabbit when I was younger, but I was 10 when I got him, it taught me a lot of responsibilty and i loved him a LOT. How young kids do you mean? I guess around 5 or so, 10 is old enough. I was very gentle with him, sure he kicked me, and I had some temporary scars on my arms but I never dropped him...actually I just got used to him I didnt really notice when he kicked.
But then we had quite a different situation, our Thumper (cliche I know, but I was young) was house and litter trained, so was more like a cat. 
I do agree that rabbits arent the best for young kids, yes they are cute, and stereotypically cuter than the animals you mentioned but they are a lot more jumpy and timid than a lot of rodents, and not as trusting. In my flat its always just been my mum and me so it was a good environment, but I think in a busy house they would be unsure, and then when they are scratchy to their children; people stop taking them out and they get locked in the cage.


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## Sw0rd Raver

any pet can be a bad pet for kids, even fish. (trust me, i would know because a kid down the street from me ended up burning down his families house because he thought it'd be cool to give his fish electric powers.) but if a parent is willing to not be lazy and do some research with the kid and can afford to help care for it then almost any animal can be a pet. it all depends on if the family takes the care to research and care for it together and if they have the time and space.


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## Simisama

I used to have a rabbit. And I have four younger siblings that were then ages 2-8. We all treated the bunny right and we never even got one scratch from her. She's one of the sweetest pets I've ever had and I'm thinking about getting another bunny.


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## ShadowHunter

There are no pets that are bad for children, but there are many children that are bad for pets.


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## oatsnyogurt

ShadowHunter said:


> There are no pets that are bad for children, but there are many children that are bad for pets.


Amen!!


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## bentfish

I don't think young children (unless your child knows not to be cruel to animals) should have one of their own no matter if you care for it. I work at a supermarket, and today a 6 year old girl pinched her little brother hard on the arm just because he walked in front of her. Granted, the parents didnt even care. But still, children that inflict cruelty onto other people should never be trusted or left alone with animals.

For children responsible enough, I'd go with the basic cat, dog, or hamster. I wouldn't reccommend anything else personally until they are older.


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## PetoftheDay

Any pet can be okay with children if the kids are taught to handle the pet correctly, and the parent agrees to take responsibility for feeding, cleaning the cage, etc, when the child is unable to do so. I got my rabbit as an adult, but she LOVED children, and would put up with things from the neighborhood children that no adult could ever get away with. 

We did make a rule that you had to be 12 years old to actually hold her, which worked fine, and everyone understood that. And the only time a child ever got nipped was when Taylor, introducing her younger brother to Miss Hoppy, said, "Where is it we aren't supposed to touch her? Under the chin?" and reached her finger under the chin and was promptly nipped. "Ow!" she said, then told her brother, "that was my fault, so don't ever do that, okay?"


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## Alethea

I would have to say that there are a lot of pro's and con's when it comes to any animal and children. Some people can have the nicest rabbit that never comes in contact with a child and then for some reason the rabbit a mother buys for her kids is a kicking, biting menace. It all really depends on the animal, the handling it had before you purchased it and the knowledge the parents bring to the table when it comes to buying small animals. When you go into owning a pet and know nothing other then its cute, it's bound to happen that something goes wrong. I sometimes wonder why parents fail to do research about the animals they are bringing home. I know, personally I read as much as I can before I bring anything home. This helps me judge how they will act and be around young family members and how I can give that pet, no matter how big or how small, the best life they can while in my care.


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