Evil kitty?

I've been meaning to visit my uncle's place to take a look at this cute little guy for quite a few days now but I could do so only today. I was absolutely enchanted with this kitten. (not that it's tough to impress a die- hard cat lover like me) He had the silkiest fur and the cutest face ever.. But I didn't fawn over him quite as much as I would've a few years ago. I held him for just a few minutes and washed my hands very, very carefully after. All of these precautions were taken thanks to a scary article I'd read a few years ago about all the dangerous, icky, painful diseases one could catch from household pets. The article did its job well alright.. I haven't kept any pets since then and handle any that I come in contact with very gingerly :(

The awareness of these dangers have made such an impression on our minds that when my little cousin picked up the kitty to play with it, my parents as well as her mom made her put it down immediately and told her not to play with it too much. Even though I knew the adults meant well, the child inside me felt bad on seeing that kid deprived of the simple joy of playing with a kitten, a joy that all of us present there had experienced in our childhoods since we were not so scared of germs then. 

As a society we are more protective of our children now.. Overprotective rather.. Is it because parents want to protect their children from the 'dangers' they were exposed to as children? Is it because every second ad you see on the TV is for a product that promises to wage a war against GERMS, of whatever kind? Whatever the reason, children today are missing out on their childhood and its simple pleasures..