March 2014
Small
animals take the spotlight this month at the BC SPCA, and we have more than 100
waiting in our shelters for forever homes.
Small
animals are often the first pet a child gets. Parents buy them as “starter”
pets. They are appealing because they are quiet, can be kept in a cage and for
many small animals, the lifelong commitment is much shorter than for a cat, dog
or – heaven forbid – an exotic animal like a snake or an iguana. Though they
may not live as long, small animals still require time, money and energy to be
properly cared for.
One
of the things that is often not well thought out when getting a hamster or
gerbil, for example, is their habitat. Pet stores sell colourful cages with
tubes and wheels for hamsters and gerbils but these cages are small, expensive
and not the best choice for the animal. They are created to be appealing to people
but, in fact, a good-sized aquarium with a secure mesh top and lots of
substrate material for digging and burrowing is more like their natural
environment than the flashy plastic contraptions.
Proper
food and bedding are also important. Though readily available at most, if not
all, pet stores are cedar and pine shavings. In fact these shavings cause
respiratory issues. Aspen shavings or CareFRESH®
(bedding made from recycled paper) are the best options to keep your pet
healthy and avoid a trip to the vet.
The
BC SPCA has small animal care guides available for rabbits,
guinea
pigs, rats, gerbils,
hamsters, and mice
and an information sheet on degus
(the care guide is in the works).
“Let’s Get a Pup!”
said Kate
by Bob Graham
Karen and her parents are ready to welcome a dog into their
family. But what kind of dog will they get? “Let’s
Get a Pup!” said Kate by Bob Graham follows the family on their visit to
The Rescue Center. Which dog will they choose? A big dog? A small dog? A
sniffer or a sleeper? A cute, brand-new pup named Dave or an old, grey dog named
Rosy?
Suitable for readers in kindergarten to grade 2, “Let’s Get a Pup!” said Kate is a sweet
book that illustrates the debate many animal lovers face when visiting a
shelter: What do we do when we want to give them all a home? How do we choose
between the boisterous puppy and the senior dog who radiates Good Intention?
And once that choice is made, how is each family member’s life improved by the
presence of an animal? Students can read “Let’s
Get a Pup!” said Kate and contemplate the answers to these and other
questions.
Read
more BC SPCA book recommendations.
Do you want to find out which small animal suits you best?
Take our small
animal compatibility test. Circle your answers on the first sheet and then
use the following answer sheet (the ones with red circles for each type of
animal) to compare to your answers. Add up the number of circles you matched
with each to find out which one is best for you.
It is important to have the right expectations when you and
your family decide to adopt a pet. This simple test will give you a better idea
of which small animals will meet your expectations. Maybe you thought you
wanted a hamster but a guinea pig is a better match.
Let us know how many
members in your club are suited to each animal by March 31st and we
will post the findings in the next e-Teacher.
Not sure about the benefits of adopting a petite pet? Don’t
let size fool you! Small animals can bring a huge amount of joy into the lives
of their lucky guardians. The BC SPCA has over 100 small animals available for
adoption. Having the right expectations by doing some research before adopting
any animal is important but when it comes to small animals many people don’t put
the time into doing this.
At the SPCA we have information on our
website created by experts who have experience with these animals, as well as
the animal welfare knowledge to provide accurate descriptions of the needs of
these animals.
Learn more about this news item and other BC SPCA
news that you may want to include in class discussions.
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