'Do you go to petting zoos?'

Jeanette from AZ (Contact Member) -

I love to take the kids to petting zoos. There is one on a dairy farm close to our house. They even let you milk some of the cows!!

Comment #1 Lucy (66.24.100.217) -

Just last weekend we had our annual Fall Foliage Festival in our town. It festival runs right around the corner from my house down by the school. They had a petting zoo and we went in on Saturday. My daughter looked at the pigs, they were eating from their mom. She got right in the pen with the baby calf. She petted the bunny. She said hi to the chickens and she also got to pet a horse. Well she did so well on Saturday and of course I forgot my camera we had to go back on Sunday. So we went back again and she got to pet the baby pigs. So cute. She also got to pet the rabbit. She put her hand up to the horse and the goat. Now when we got to the baby calf she wanted nothing to do with it on Sunday. I tried my hardest to get to go back in their with it but no luck. What I really liked is that they had a hand washing station right as you walked out of tent. I also brought anti-bacterial wipes. She sucks her thumb and I don't want to take any chances. She absolutely loved it. I would definitely take to another one again.

Comment #2 Jeanette from AZ (Contact Member) -

The petting zoo that we go to has those antibacterial pumps installed all over the place. I'm glad that they have them. You just never know - especially with the little ones always putting their fingers in their mouths.

Comment #3 Courtney (1) from The South (Contact Member) -

We don't have a petting zoo here. We have just the regular zoo but you can't touch or feed the animals. There is a petting zoo that comes in with the fair, but it is fairly dirty so we make sure to wash the kids hands immediately after they pet the animals. Plus the animals won't eat the food if you go in the evening because they are all bloated from eating all day.

Comment #4 Jeanette from AZ (Contact Member) -

I don't let my kids go to the petting zoo at the fair because they are so filthy. They beg and whine and I never give in. Better to be safe than sorry.

Comment #5 endora (24.45.126.104) -

I love taking the kids to the petting zoos. I totally agree about washing the hands after touching the animals. The kids love the zoo and we have an aquarium near us as well.

Comment #6 Whiskers from Guest Room Bed (Contact Member) -

I absolutely hated the petting zoo as a child. I was forced to go in anyway, because that's what kids are supposed to do. Can't say I like it any better now.

Comment #7 Goldie from Wisconsin (Contact Member) -

Oh definately!! We have never had a problem getting bit at one, but over the summer one of the kids got bit by a goat! They had to report it to the farm. I love petting zoos, in fact I wanted to have one come to our house for our daughters birthday party, but now she is getting kind of old for that. :(

Comment #8 DanJake (63.176.159.64) -

Well, you have a point there Jeanette, safety is always a priority to parents to their children. Sometimes it is also good if you let your child interact with various animals in petting zoo. I think what you had was a (somewhat) traumatic and disturbing experience knowing that the petting zoo is not "clean" and doesn't provide a "safe" environment for you and your child. Well, don't loose hope yet there are other pet zoos out there, try letting your child experience the best of his/her childhood.

Comment #9 YouTuber (76.67.118.9) -

I love the petting zoo. It's been so long since I've been to one . . .

Comment #10 Christina (24.159.6.2) -

As a child I loved animals and moved to the country to start my own petting zoo. Ours is Mobile however. I do hope everyone allows your child to touch and feed a live animal. To those here who did not let their children touch the animals: The meat we eat in other words the animals where our meat derives from are 10 times filthier than any animal you have ever seen. Go to any dairy or angus farm. You'll probably never eat meat again.

But always allow a child the oppurtunity to get up close in a safe manner with animals they do not see on a daily basis.

Our zoo teaches kids about the different jobs the animals have on the farm, in a PG way ofcourse....

Ciao.

• Petting Zoos

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