Dog Or Cat May Actually Be Healthy For An Infant

DENVER (CBS4) - A new study says having a pet as a baby greatly reduces the chances of developing a pet allergy later in life.

Researchers found children under 1-year-old who lived with a cat had half the risk of developing cat allergies.

Boys, not girls, who were exposed to dogs during their first year of life cut their risk of developing dog allergies by 50 percent. Researchers can't explain the gender difference.

Getting a pet as a toddler of a preschooler offered no protection.