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Petting zoos

post #1 of 12
8/12/05 at 6:11am
Thread Starter 
Have you ever taken your child to a petting zoo? Our state runs a petting zoo not far from where we live and we were thinking of taking Kate to it. I told my SIL about the idea and she told me about all the horrendous petting zoo deaths out there. But I grew up on the farm and I really want my dd to learn a little more about the things I loved as a child. I like to think it's ancesteral voices that make her love cattle so much.
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post #2 of 12
8/12/05 at 6:51am
We've been more times than I can count. Just take along some antibacterial hand cleaner amd male sure she does not stick her fingers in her mouth or anything else before you wash it off. I think it is probably more safe than touching the buggies at Walmart!
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post #3 of 12
8/12/05 at 10:12am
We've gone too. And, Like Roxanna said, I bring along some purell hand sanitizing lotion. I wipe there hands with a wet wipe and then put the lotion on them... JUST to be on the safe side.
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post #4 of 12
8/12/05 at 10:29am
No touching animals at petting zoos in ds's future. I LOVE petting zoos and farms too. We go but no touching. I have read too many stories of deaths from petting livestock. Not too long ago in FL (I think it was) a whole preschool became very sick from a petting zoo visit. Of course he'll touch the fence, gate, etc. I just use purell on him when he's done. There is a great petting zoo at a farm near us. We can't wait until apple season in the fall to take him there. But NO PETTING!
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post #5 of 12
8/12/05 at 11:21am
We go every year to one. We take sanitizer plus my petting zoon has sanitizer pumps and sinks/soap/paper towels everywhere and stools for the children to stand on to wash their hands also. Just take the proper precautions which a lot of people don't do.
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post #6 of 12
8/12/05 at 1:04pm
We often go up to the local college that has Cows and Horses - Usually I do all of the petting and feeding of them - but even when Ryan touches the grass around it we go nuts cleanign his hands -we keep purell in the car and wet wipes- I am SUPER paranoid about it because Ryan sucks his thumb without even knowing he is doing it, so we have to be very strict about everything.

I also saw the datelines stories abotu the kids gettnig sick petting the animals and it did freak me out - I dont think we will let Ryan do it at FAIRS anymore, because those animals are brought in and out from everywhere for a week at a time and stuff but at a full time petting zoo, at least in my own head I feel like they would be more responsible to take care of their animals - but I still will go NUTS on him cleaning his hands after
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post #7 of 12
8/12/05 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
This does not make any sense to me. I grew up on a farm. We walked in manure everyday, hugged, kissed and fed the animals everyday and I never got anything worse than ringworm from it. Why are the kids all getting so sick from farm animals now?
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post #8 of 12
8/12/05 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
The one we're talking about going to is part of the state park system, so it should be really clean.
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post #9 of 12
8/12/05 at 3:47pm
We haven't taken Jonathan to one yet. I don't know how he would react to all the animals. He likes animals, but I know it's not something I could do by myself. LOL!
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post #10 of 12
8/12/05 at 3:49pm
The only one that Lys has ever been to is the little one at the zoo.
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post #11 of 12
8/12/05 at 4:04pm
I'd just make sure they washed their hands good. Alot of the kids that get sick already had some sort of sickness, whether it was a cold or something more serious. We must all remember that the chances are a zillion to one that something really bad will happen. Take precations but let them be kids.
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post #12 of 12
8/12/05 at 4:16pm
Thread Starter 
Actually, it's always a good idea to wash your hands after playing with animals even housepets that you are used too. I always do. Maybe that's why I never got sick as a kid. My dad taught me to always wash my hands after messing with the animals. I guess I did learn one useful thing from the guy!
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