Dogs and cats are absolutely the reigning champs for pets, but there are many other animals that people want to have as companions in their lives.
Some are even making the leap from the barnyard to the home, and as the CDC warns, it's putting people's health at risk.
In fact, there's plenty of evidence out there that they can get just as friendly as any other pet.
However, as much as getting up close and personal with chickens can be soothing mentally, it can also be dangerous physically.
Just like eating raw eggs and poultry, just snuggling up with a chicken can pass along the disease.
The CDC has noted an uptick in salmonella this year, with a total of 1003 infections and two deaths across 49 states, and it's blaming backyard poultry rather than undercooked drumsticks.
Some of the CDC's warning sounds like common sense, like not letting backyard poultry hang out in areas where food is prepared, served, or stored, and always washing your hands after touching chickens.
And then there's the unexpected line: "Don't kiss backyard poultry or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth."
If you search #petchicken on Instagram, you'll see that plenty of kids out there love their chicken snuggles, and it's absolutely adorable. However, kids are also at particular risk with salmonella, and when it's not treated with antibiotics, salmonella can be fatal.
A quarter of this year's salmonella cases involved children, CBS News reported. "Young kids are more likely to kiss, cuddle or snuggle with poultry and then may not wash their hands as thoroughly," said CDC epidemiologist Dr. Megin Nichols.
