Dr. Alexander and her daughter, Snow, petting goats at the Michigan Renaissance Festival Lyssa Alexander | ContributorNothing can hold a toddler’s attention like an animal. Whenever my young daughter sees an animal, all she can focus on is trying to get close and touch it. This desire is nearly universal in small children, but adults also crave physical contact with animals. How many times have I been to a butterfly garden and seen a father or grandmother stretch out their hand to make a perch.