How to Teach Your Kid About Animal Safety

As a child, a big part of growing up is learning to navigate relationships, including handling emotions and learning social boundaries. Parents, teachers and playmates all have major roles in this development, but so do the pets in a child’s life. 

Some of the most important relationships for children can be their connections with animals. Household pets provide comfort and companionship, and they can help children learn very important life lessons. Some of the many  benefits of furry friends for kids  include:

These benefits are not automatic, however, and one bad experience in a child’s early years could instill fear  or poor habits for years to come. That’s why it’s important to learn safe behavior early on. Kids should be able to play lovingly with animals throughout their childhood and enjoy all the emotional benefits that come from having pets . 

Playing safely with pets

Most children naturally want to play with dogs, cats and any other pets. However, kids may not know without being told that actions like squeezing tightly or pulling on a tail are not okay, and they don’t immediately understand the consequences of an animal lashing out when it feels uncomfortable. To keep your pets and your children safe, take the time to demonstrate these simple rules about playing with animals:

All of these guidelines apply to any pets your child might meet. Because your child is also likely to encounter other pets in less controlled environments, such as on the sidewalk or in the park, it is also important to teach some additional rules that apply to unfamiliar animals.

Safety around unknown animals

When your pets and your children get accustomed to playing nicely with one another, a child’s confidence is very likely to extend to other animals as well. They may think that every dog or cat will play just like their own at home. This won’t always be the case, however, so it’s good to  teach kids about safety around pets they don’t know . 

Here are some helpful guidelines for interacting with other people’s pets and dogs, in particular:

The above rules are important for avoiding injury from animals, but germs pose another risk for children playing with pets. That’s why healthy hygiene makes another set of good habits for children to learn.

Your child’s health and pets

A big part of healthy interaction with animals is practicing healthy hygiene. That’s because animals can carry a variety of germs like salmonella and E. coli  that make people sick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children under the age of five are most vulnerable to animal-borne diseases, but anyone can be at risk. 

Luckily, the guidelines for hygiene around animals  are not much different than the everyday healthy habits we teach our kids, but the timing after handling a pet is what matters. Remember the following tips to keep your children healthy:

Practicing all of these safe-play habits can go a long way in fostering healthy relationships with animals, but learning more about different pets’ unique behaviors can help even more in keeping your children and the animals safe.

Safety around dogs

Kids and dogs are an inseparable combination, as they are usually two little balls of energy that are practically made for each other’s company. As adults looking back at childhood, many of us find it hard to even imagine growing up without a dog. A dog can truly be a child’s best friend, but dogs can pose real risks as well.

Potential risks for children and dogs

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs each year , and the majority of victims are children. Although not all of these bites are considered serious, children are more likely than adults to suffer serious injuries from dog bites.

Dogs can also suffer harm from children playing too roughly or handling them incorrectly. Risks include damage to a dog’s ears or eyes from poking or pulling and to the limbs or tail from being pulled or stepped on. Although these injuries are usually accidental and are rarely serious, they can create fear and mistrust that make the dog more likely to lash out aggressively, in turn, putting the child at greater risk.

To minimize the danger for both playmates and to ensure the happiest possible relationship with these loyal companions, teach children to be gentle when playing with dogs and to learn the possible signs of a dog becoming agitated.

Understanding canine body language

Even if your family doesn’t have a dog at home, kids are almost guaranteed to interact with them frequently, whether at friends’ houses or out in public. Because not all dogs are friendly and because  even the nicest animals can turn aggressive  in certain situations, it’s important to combine safe-play habits with an understanding of canine body language. This will make children well prepared for interacting with dogs in any setting.

Any of the following signs may indicate fear or aggression in a dog , meaning it’s time to back off or leave them alone:

In contrast to the above signs of danger, there are a few signs that typically indicate a dog is feeling friendly or ready to play:

If you see none of the warning signs of fear or aggression and see the signs of friendliness instead, it might be okay to approach and pet the dog. Of course, it’s still necessary to get permission from the owner and smart to use extra caution around any dog that’s unfamiliar.

What to do if a dog bites

Even when taking all the necessary precautions, some dogs can be unpredictable and injuries can happen. Parents can take some comfort in the fact that 4 out of 5 dog bites do not require medical attention , meaning the victims choose not to get care from a doctor. However, in the event of an animal bite that breaks the skin, it is safest to see a doctor as soon as possible  due to the risk of unseen damage or infection.

If a child gets bitten by a dog, follow these steps for basic bite-wound care  before seeing a doctor to reduce the pain and minimize the risk of infection:

Although most bites do just superficial damage, punctures from an animal’s teeth can go deceptively deep. Only a medical professional can properly assess the damage and determine if stitches are necessary. A tetanus shot and antibiotics are common precautions following a dog bite as well. In severe cases, a trip to the ER might be necessary, but a walk-in clinic or  pediatric urgent care  can handle the typical treatments for animal bites.

Safety with cats

Although less well-known for their companionship with children, cats make beloved pets in many people’s homes, and kids tend to be fascinated by their aloof antics. Even though most cats like to keep their distance from children, kids must know the difference between how to play with a cat versus a dog.

Because cats are more fragile and often more temperamental than dogs, these pets provide an excellent learning opportunity for children. By learning to play nicely with cats , kids gain experience with playing to another’s comfort level, earning trust and respecting boundaries.

Potential risks for children and cats

A cat can easily be hurt by children playing too rough or physically taunting them. Most adult cats can easily escape a young child when they want to, but kittens and older animals may not and are the most likely to suffer accidental harm.

To help avoid injury for both cats and kids , teach your children a few simple rules about safely playing with kitties:

If a cat does get cornered when it doesn’t want to play, the animal may lash out aggressively toward a child. What’s more, as all cat owners know, these mischievous animals can often be unpredictable, and a loving cuddle might still end with a painful scratch.

That’s why it is particularly important to teach kids about gentle play and responding to feelings, which are often signaled by a cat in its body language.

Understanding feline body language

It is usually easy to tell when a cat is angry or acting aggressively. Hissing and growling are the telltale signs, but cats don’t always give these warnings before they nip or scratch. There are other, more subtle  signals in feline body language  that children should learn to interpret as well:

Any of these signs may indicate that a cat is feeling stressed or fearful. Because cats are not likely to approach and attack a child, simply leaving them alone is usually enough to avoid a confrontation.

What to do if a cat scratches or bites

Although injuries from cats are usually less serious than bites from dogs, felines are capable of scratching or biting quite deeply. For any wound that breaks the skin, you should use the same steps for basic wound care described for dog bites above.

After cleaning and bandaging the wound, it’s advisable to see a doctor  within a day or two so they can check for signs of infection. A condition known as cat scratch fever , along with other bacterial diseases including salmonella, can be spread by injury from a cat. These diseases are rarely life-threatening but still warrant treatment so they don’t become more serious.

Small animal safety

Small pets such as rodents, ferrets, lizards or birds can be helpful for children learning about responsibility in caring for a pet. Kids must practice  safe handling and proper care of small animals  to keep these pets happy and healthy, and the risk of injury to the child is quite low because of the animals’ small size.

Any pet with teeth can still bite, however, and small animals can carry germs that cause disease  or infection in people. For any bite that breaks the skin, your precautions should be similar to those you would take for a wound from a cat or a dog. Clean the wound with soap and water, then treat with antibacterial ointment and bandage it. To minimize the risk of infection, it’s always best to see your doctor or go to urgent care  following any bite or scratch that breaks the skin.

Safety around wildlife

Viewing animals in the wild can be a special experience for children, allowing you to teach them about nature and safe interaction with the world  outside of one’s control. Young children may not immediately understand the difference between wild and domestic animals, however, so it’s important to teach them how to recognize wildlife and how these animals can be dangerous.

When you do spot an animal in a natural habitat, remember the following rules to keep yourself, your children, and the animals safe:

By following these guidelines, it’s unlikely that you or your child will ever suffer an injury from wildlife. If it does happen, however, you should  immediately seek emergency care  — even if the injury does not appear serious — because of the high risk for infection.

Additional resources related to child and animal safety

As any parent knows, it is impossible to plan for every situation that you and your kids might encounter. This is no less true when it comes to pets and wildlife, but you can better prepare your children for unexpected and even dangerous situations through education and practice in spending time with animals. Here are some additional resources to help you learn more: