Can't wait to get a cute puppy for your equally cute toddler?
Not a good idea, according to the concise but nifty Kids and Pets Interaction Guide from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Very young children still are too curious, and too into pulling and touching, to properly interact with new pets. So wait a few years -- and supervise contact between toddlers and any animals already in the household. Limit childrens' contact with food dishes, litter boxes and the pet's toys.

A guinea pig is an ideal first pet, good for ages 3 to 5. But wait until about age 10 to go with dogs and cats -- a time when kids love animals and, with your guidance, can learn to be responsible pet parents.

Click here for the guide, which includes age-appropriate pet-care tasks and other tips.

So have you had an experience, either in your childhood or with your children, regarding age appropriateness and pets?

My brother and I were in early elementary school when we graduated from turtles and fish to our first real pets; twin black kittens that my mother picked up from someone who was adopting them out. We probably weren't quite ready. My mother was horrified when she found us rolling the mewling kitties down the carpeted stairs, laughing because they looked so funny. We honestly thought the cats liked it. The scolding we got was memorable, however; the kittens were unharmed and the lesson learned.

(photo from the ASPCA)