Pets (junior)

Types of pets

Here are some of the most common pets:

Dogs: Domestic (tamed) dogs are kept as companions or to work on farms.

Cats: Cats have been kept as pets for around 4,000 years.

Rabbits: Pet rabbits can be shy but can easily become tame and affectionate.

Fish: Some fish are easy to keep healthy but others can be hard.

Birds: Birds are pretty but need a lot of care to be kept healthy.

General websites

These are some great websites to start learning about pets and how to care for them.

Britannica Primary

Britannica Primary is one of the EPIC resources and it has lots of good information about pets.

• Search for 'pets'.

• Look down the page to see all the stories eg pet (animal) or goldfish.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

SPCA Kids

SPCA New Zealand is a charity for helping sick, injured, lost, abused or simply abandoned animals. They have an education website for kids.

• Go to Animal Care at the top of the page

• Choose an animal to find out how to look after it eg Dogs and Puppies or Cats and Kittens.

• You can find out what you need to do for Nutrition (food), Environment, Health and more with articles and videos.

Tips: Remember to check the About or Contact pages to find out more about the organisation behind this website.

Wonderopolis

This site has fun facts and answers on lots of different topics. It's by a non-profit organisation that helps children learn.

• Use the keyword 'pets' or a type of pet in the search bar.

• Look through the articles for something to read eg Do Pets Need Exercise?

• Or you could read How Do Animals Communicate?

Books

There are lots of books about different types of pets and how to care for them - check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Some recommended titles:

• Pets by Ruth A Musgrave

• Little kids first big book of pets by Catherine D Hughes

• Getting a pet by Harold T Rober

• 50 wacky things pets do : weird & amazing things pets do! by Heidi Fiedler.

SCIS no: 1845098