There is often a lot of talk about Connecticut dog bites and injuries that result from them, but dogs aren’t the only animals that can cause harm to humans. There are a wide breadth of animals that are kept by humans as pets and while some of the more exotic animals that are kept by humans are illegal, such as chimps and tigers, there are others that are perfectly legal and can cause harm.
Whether you’re a delivery driver bringing packages to a home or a visitor just dropping by for a friendly visit you should know the dangers that are presented by various animals that are kept in the home.
For instance, a pet owner who has a cat as a pet may seem harmless, but overly aggressive cats can cause significant damage. A cat that has not had it’s claws clipped could cause significant cuts and scarring as well as potentially do damage to a visitors eyes and cause blindness. This is a very real possibility and is dangerous for anyone who is interacting with an unfamiliar cat.
Another animal that is often taken as a pet and can cause lasting injury is a ferret. Many believe ferrets to be safe pets, but any pet that feels threatened can become aggressive and cause injury to an unfamiliar (or even in some cases to a familiar) human. Keeping your distance from a ferret may be the only way to ensure your safety when you are in a home that keeps one as a pet.
Birds are another seemingly “harmless” pet, but when they are let loose to fly in a home, they can cause significant injury to an unidentified human. In fact, birds do not typically differentiate between a known and an unknown human and therefore are unsafe to have in your home. While they are not illegal to own (some species may be - before you purchase a bird as a pet make sure that you are allowed to by state and local legislation) they can be damaging in many ways.
Pets of all kinds can be found throughout our state and while Connecticut dog bite injuries are the most common cases that we see, they are not the only pets who can attack and cause significant injuries. If you know of someone who is keeping a pet illegal you should contact the authorities immediately. If you are interacting with a pet described above that you are unfamiliar with, keep a safe distance and proceed with caution.
