8 Pets Kids Love, Nannies Hate

Due to the nature of the job, nannies temporarily become attached to the families of the children they are hired to care for. Those families often have pets, which can be a problem if nanny and pet are not crazy about each other. Here are 8 pets that kids love and nannies aren’t always crazy about.

1. Rats. Well, what more need be said? They’re rats. They may be white and clean, and kind of cute, but they’re rats. Especially if a nanny happens to be a reader of science fiction, where rats always have the potential to suddenly become human-smart. Who needs that sort of paranoia on a job that often requires sleeping in the same house as the pets?
2. Ferrets. Ferrets can be pretty good pets, I hear. I also hear, however, that some of them can be a bit unpredictable, and unpredictability in a pet is not something that a nanny wants to deal with.
3. Cats. Cat lovers may have a hard time understanding it, but not everyone loves cats. Can you imagine being a nanny and being responsible for cleaning up hairballs or litter box mishaps, when you don’t love cats? How about laying your favorite jacket or sweater on a chair for a few moments, only to find that your host family’s male cat has sprayed on it?
4. Dogs. Dogs can be sweet and lovable companions for a family, but they are often sweet and lovable only with family members. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be in a home with a dog that is antagonistic or has behavior or barking issues, especially if the nanny is not a dog lover to begin with.
5. Frogs. I really can’t blame a nanny for wishing a child in her care did not have a pet frog. They are sort of cold and clammy, and liable to escape containment at inopportune times. A nanny surely doesn’t need the aggravation of wondering if a frog might ambush her and land on the back of her neck at any moment
6. Birds. Look at it from a nanny’s viewpoint. Talking birds can be a bit unnerving, and with some, it is important to take care not to accidentally teach an unacceptable word. Songbirds can decide to burst into song at unpredictable times and for unpredictable durations, which can be a problem, when trying to put kids down for a nap or handle a phone call. And, there’s always the chance that a nanny may be held responsible for the escape of an expensive bird.
7. Lizards. Unless a nanny just happens to be a lizard lover, there is no way that she wants to come to work one day and find that the kids have acquired one as a pet. Lizards are often allowed to run free in a household, and one never knows where they might make a startling appearance.
8. Snakes. Again, as with rats, they’re snakes. Little more need be said about them. Snakes aren’t the kind of pets that many nannies become easily attached to.

I’m sure that there are other pets that kids love and nannies hate, but these were the first eight mentioned by my past-nanny friend. She even shuddered when she mentioned some of them.

Taken From Nanny Jobs