of your family enjoy a happy and healthy life together, it is important to distinguish between myths and facts.
Myth or Fact:
Raising children with pets can help your child’s development of non-verbal
communication skills, compassion, and empathy.
Fact!
A positive pet experience is very beneficial to children. Taking care of a
pet can help children develop social skills, as well as
build self-esteem and self-confidence.1 Pets can improve
children’s physical health too - studies show children
exposed to pets during the first year of life have a lower
frequency of allergic rhinitis at 7–9 years of age and of
asthma at 12–13 years.2
Myth or Fact:
Pregnant women shouldn’t own cats.
Myth!
As an expectant mother, you can own a cat – just delegate the chore of
cleaning the litter box to someone else. Fecal matter should be scooped at
least twice a day. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that cats can carry
and spread to humans through contact with their feces.3
Myth or Fact:
Cats steal a baby’s breath.
Myth!
While there’s no truth to this, do not allow your cat to sleep in
your baby’s crib or room. If a cat snuggles close to a baby’s
face, it can make it difficult for a baby to breathe simply
because the cat’s fur and body are in the way.3
Myth or Fact:th or Fact:
If your pet was your first “baby”, you will have to find
it a new home before your human baby arrives.
Myth!
Introducing your new baby into a home is a major
change for everyone, including your pet. But giving
up your pet is not necessary.4
Information provided by: Bayer Health Animal Division
