Sucks...

Hey man, i know how it is. I have three kids and one on the way but i have managed to keep chameleons for years. I have never had a bad experience with any of my kids or animals. Maybe this helps.
ps my wife hated the idea for a while, i made her a promise to keep it super duper clean and wash up after all my maintenance and handling. good luck
 
Rottsko said:
yeah, i think the constant worry of it was what did me in. i want to enjoy these animals and not look at them as something that can be harmful. BTW...do you know a lot of folks w/ kids under the age of 4 w/ chameleons? what are their experiences w/ it.
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I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 15 month old. My 3 1/2 year old has held Priscilla, my female veiled, several times..but only with my supervision, my husband won't even let him hold her unless I'm there. I make sure he sits down the entire time, and he has to let her walk where she wants. And I sit there right next to him just in case. I also make sure he washes his hands/arms when he's done, as do I. He knows better than to try and pick up either of my chams w/out me. He's actually started asking on occasion to hold them. My 15 month old just thinks they're fun to watch.
 
I have a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old and keep two chams and a boa with very little concern about disease transmission. I make sure they wash after handling any of them, but to tell you the truth the chams don't move enough to keep their attention for long.

They do love the bugs though and I have to keep them out of the dubia enclosure and they are both little girls, but I look at it as an educational experience and my 3 year old can tell you what country they originate from and point it out on a map. They know the stages of a superworm and hornworm and what to feed dubias so they have learned a lot already.
 
I have a 4 year old son. He knows he isnt allowed to mess with the cage unless his father or i am with him. Our cage is also up on a stand so it makes it harder for him to go up to it & mess with things. He also knows whenever he messes with ANY of our pets he needs to wash his hands & or use sanitizer we have available by all the cages. That is just safe practices with any of the pets.

Im also a few months pregnant & just make sure to wash wash wash when im done messing with the cage, feeding, etc. We make sure his surrounding areas are also kept up nicely. My husband has actually been pretty nice lately & has been doing the cage for me though! =]

My advice is the same thats already been given. Put the cage up & in a room the kids arent allowed in often or at least without supervision much. Maybe put a baby gate in the doorway to help keep them out..

Keep the cage clean will also help, of course.

I wouldnt "can" your ideas of having a chameleon just because you have kids. Kids can get worms, etc from dogs & cats just as any other pet. There are risks with ANY pet you think about. Owning pets is actually really good for them & will give them a lot of life skills & maybe explaining to them the reasons why they arent to mess with the cham would be beneficial. Explain he can hurt them, they can hurt him & he has ickies on him that could make them sick. Kids take in a lot & just might surprise you.

Good luck with whatever you decide! They are great pets & my son LOVES to help mist the cage & watch him eat! =]
 
I've had reptiles since I was 4, and yes, I actually took care of them. My mom didn't like reptiles and she said they were my reponsibility and I understoodthat. With that being said, I understand that not all children are as sensible and understanding/grown up asi was. So, what I suggest is that you teach them the importance of hand washing and using hand sanitized before and after touching and handling any type of pet (not just reptiles.) I would also put the chameleon in a room with a bathroom in or very close to it so that a sink is easy access for your children. Also keep your chameleon's cage too high for your young children to touch/reach into, and cover the bottom 6 inches of the cage with a slick plastic (show curtain perhaps?) and keep that nice and clean. Then, if they some how find a way to get to the cage, they are only touching clean plastic. Do not let them handle the animal without supervision and teach them to completely respect the animal at all times. I would also purchase an adult animal that already has a known personality that is very calm and gentle. There indeed are very tolerant and gentile chameleons that are good with children. I happen to have a beautiful male panther that won't even use his claws with anyone, including younger children, and he is extremely gentle with younger kids.

You can make it happen :) the risk of your children catching salmonella is miniscule and, IMO, not even worth thinking about if you take precautions. I got my first chameleon when I was seven, and I've never had any problems with them. I was and am the sole caretaker of my reptiles, birds, and small animals since I was 4. I always washed my hands well, and respected the animals completely. So long as your kids are taught well, there won't be any problems.
 
My brothers small children visit my chameleons whenever they are at my home. From before they can walk, they get to look at the chameleons (and frogs and bugs). They are taught not to enter the chameleon room without permission and an adult with them. They are taught not to touch one of my animals unless an adult asks them if the would like to (never the chameleons, but sometimes the stick bugs). They have been "trained" to immediately wash their hands after visiting the chameleon room, even if they didnt touch anything. They dont even think about it, they just walk out of the cham room and into the bathroom next door and wash their hands. To them its just part of the routine.

I am sure that the chameleons are no more risk, probably less risk, than the dirt, the slugs, the neighbours dogs fur and drool, and store-bought spinnach, BSP plastic toys, and everything else that kids injest.

Keep the door to the room where the chameleons are kept closed. Keep the cages closed. Teach the kids what their boundaries are. Teach them to wash their hands. They'll be fine.

Its really just your peace of mind that's at risk here - which is a perfectly good reason to forgoe having a chameleon for now.
 
I personally don't let my son (13) touch the chameleon, yet. I'm sure my pit bull is a bigger risk than the lizard though! He's a sweetheart, but the risk of bacteria/parasites is probably greater considering he licks himself and people. Either way, you should never leave kids unattended with animals, unless they are old and/or responsible enough.

Ha, he's laying on the floor with his arm around the dog now.
 
I have 3 children aged 7,4,1 and i keep my chams in my bedroom with the exo terra locks on amd make sure my enclosures are always clean and ALWAYS wash hands after handling them..risk of contracting salmonella is down to almost 0..but i do understand what you are saying and it is your personal choice after all :) good look to the future :D
 
I know a few keepers on here that kiss their chameleons with no ill effects! :D If they're still kickin' everyone else should be fine too!

I actually could care less about the risks. If you knew what was all over everything you touch everyday anyway, you'd never leave your bubble. If you have a dog, like I do, the potential for there being E-coli on your floors is quite high, especially if they go toilet in an enclosed yard or at a dog park. Your outdoor cat could kill an animal and then track all sorts of diseases into your house, and up onto tabletops and counters. And right now, inside all of you, are at least 5 parasite species thiving without you knowing. So all you can do is be sensible, but I think worrying too much about it will drive you mad. Maybe that's just me though, I'm too relaxed for my own good sometimes.
 
Miss Lily said:
Maybe you could have the cham and not let the children touch it - chams don't really usually like interacting anyway! Small children's fast movements may un-nerve the cham, so it possibly wouldn't go to them anyways. I know how kids are with putting things (including fingers!) into their mouths all the time. My daughter put everything in her mouth as a baby and she is really healthy! I feel that exposure to whatever was lying around actually strengthened her immune system.

I was concerned about salmonella before I got my first cham, but I fell in love with her - once your cham is with you the worry will pretty much subside. The joy of owning a chameleon far outways the slight risk of catching anything from them. As long as you get the kids to wash their hands there shouldn't be a problem. I love my two so much - I couldn't be without them! Its amazing how attached you become and how quickly! There's just something so special and enchanting about chameleons!:D

Jann! You actually kiss Luie and Camille?!?! :eek: I wouldn't go quite that far although I air kiss them pretty close - not often as Amy hates me getting too close to her, lol! Don't chams smell lovely though? Amy smelt heavenly after her last shed!:eek::D
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Yes, Tiff I kiss Luie, Camille and Dulce, too, all the time. Luie actually turns his head up to me for a kiss. See post #31 in this thread. https://www.chameleonforums.com/most-friendliest-chameleon-45616/
 
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This is just not very likely. Your cages should be higher than little kids can reach just as a matter of keeping the chameleons happy since they will want to go above your eye level. Chameleons are also pretty clean as far as reptiles go...I chalk that up to the fact that they're perfectly happy with no substrate.
 
Im in the mood LOL ! So is anyone afraid their cham is gonna whop their eye with that tongue and pull it out? LOL Now your afraid!!!!!
 
Rottsko said:
i'm sad to say that i won't be getting a chameleon after all. i have 3 kids and 2 under the age of 4 so the risk of salmonella for my littles were too high. i bought everything for the cham too...cage, lights, supplements and even 1000 crickets at my house right now!
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Hmmm...I question your way of thinking. To get the setup and food then think of the hazards that reptiles might bring to your household? Maybe you are better off getting a pet plant...;)
 
Hehe!!! I work at a hospital, and I will guarantee that anything I encounter, walk in and bring home is far worse than anything i could get from my cham. I have a higher risk of contracting something from the grocery store carts!! We all play with the reps here!! The chams sit up in their trees and watch!! My dragon has run of the house for most of the day, as long as the dogs leave him alone!! And yes, I too kiss my critters!!!:D
 
This concern is way overblown. I wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe it's easy for me to say since I don't have a chameleon (yet) or a kid (yet), but I am in healthcare and I wouldn't worry one bit about it. God gave you and your kids an immune system (hopefully) and even if you do get exposed to Salmonella, you'll probably still be fine. It's not a big deal. Now if your kids have sickle cell anemia or some immune deficiency syndrome . . . it might be a legitimate concern. Simple handwashing and routine care should reduce the chance to near zero. I'll happily lick anyone's cham (sorry, that sounds awful) on camera and won't think twice about it. Now, I won't be eating any cham poo . . .
 
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