Pets and cleaning

Question

Dear expert team,

my daughter (10 years old, CF, staph. aureus) would like to have a pet with all of her heart. Because we, the parents, also both have allergies, we have been living without a pet so far, but we would now like to gift our daughter two dwarf rabbits. We are planning on keeping them outside only, though. Our daughter's allergy test is still negative.

To what extent can we involve our daughter in taking responsibility for the pets without any risk?

And is it a hygiene problem to clean the food bowls and drinking bottles in the dishwasher daily (70° C)?

Many thanks for your answer.

Answer

Dear parents,

having and taking care of a pet are important taks for a child. A pet allows your child to learn and take responsibility and to experience affection on a completely different level. Therefore, relationships between children and pets are very important. If you have rabbits, it is crucial to keep the cages clean.

You should keep in mind that pets have their own germs and can possibly pass them on to humans. This is something that can never be ruled out completely and is also valid for non-CF children. However, the risk of transmission will surely be limited if your child deals with the rabbit responsibly, and the benefit of having her own pet will certainly outweigh such a risk.

Cleaning the food bowls and drinking bottles should better be done by hand, though, not in the dishwasher.

Have fun with the rabbit,
Barbara Kahl

15.05.2012