Classroom Pets

[conistonoldwoman]

Am thinking of getting a couple of guinea pigs fir my year 2 class. Any teachers already got a pet friendly classroom please advise on any other suitable choices. Thanks!

Used to have a rabbit and a guinea pig, have kept fish too.
Check with all the recent rules on animals in class and in school, asthmatics can struggle with furry things in the environment.

Most LAs have guidelines about keeping pets.

As well as allergies, there's also the animal cruelty aspect to consider.

I wouldn't do it, personally. I considered frog spawn but in London the rules are so strong that it was more effort than it was worth.

My daughter is allergic to cats and guinea pigs and rabbits - it would be complete hell for her!

As a parent can I beg you not to? Unless you will have them weekends and holidays. I am always terrified by teachers who make it a 'lovely, special treat' to look after Nibbles the guinea pig for the weekend. 'Cos the bloody thing would be bound to die on my watch .

Hamster in dd's class, we had a form to fill in to ask if she had any allergies, were we happy to allow her to handle it and if we were able to take the hamster at a weekend or over a half term.

We had a brief summary of do's and don'ts at the class introduction evening at the very start of term.

I think it is a great idea, for those who may not have a pet at home, it teaches them how to care for something, follow instructions etc.

Why woud you do that?

DS is also allergic to animal fur so would be a nightmare for us because he would be a) gutted not to be picked b) gutted to be picked and then told he can't actually have them or c) gutted to be told he's not included in the 'rota'

Ugh. More trouble than they're worth.
13 weeks' holiday.
Vets.
Allergies.
Feeding.
Cleaning out.
Hay.
Trauma from children.

I really advise you against it..... I've been there and it wasn't fun......

Have a visiting pets day instead!

I wouldn't. Obviously there's the practical issues of holidays and weekends, and kids with allergies (not just fur - hay, woodshavings etc). Who will buy the cage, food, bedding, pay vets' bills? What if (as happened to one of mine) they grt an eye infection and need drops four times a day - you'd expect a parent to do that? What if one dies whilst in a child's care? Also, guinea pigs need a lot of space to be happy - in a typical classroom you'd be unlikely to fit a suitable cage in. They are shy animals who don't like noise - a classroom environment would be very stressful for them.

Hamsters are nocturnal and grumpy, so also not a good choice. You'd be better with fish - but get tropical, not goldfish (goldfish shouldn't really be kept in tanks and are hard to keep clean) and make sure you get the biggest tank you can, with a filter and heater.

They have 2 rats in DD's class, she adores them. I wouldn't mind looking after them in the holidays, but her teacher is very protective and always takes them herself.

Interesting feedback! Thanks everyone.

We have chickens at our school.

I think it's ok if you're a bit farm school-ish and the pets can live outdoors. An independent EBD school I know of has a pair of goats, rabbits and chickens on a little sort of small holding in their grounds. Some LSAs are paid a bit extra to look after them all year round.

In a set-up like that- brilliant. In a regular classroom I wouldn't do it.

What about hatching some chicks? There are companies/ farms who send you the eggs in an incubator. You watch them hatch, keep them for a certain time and then send them back to the farm. The chicks live in the incubator but you can take them out and handle them and let them run about in a big cardboard crate if you want to. I've done this several times now and it's been really successful. It's about £100.

Yeah, chicks are great - it's all over in about two weeks! Our YR hatches chicks every year.
And butterfies.

Incubators, cage, eggs and cocoons are all available on e-bay!

RSPCA came and gave a talk about it when I was training.

Basic advice was 'don't' - though they reckoned that stick insects would be OK.

Basically, too stressful an environment for the animals - too noisy, possibility of knocks on cage / less than careful handling / teasing, lots of different handlers, traumatic trips out to different environments every weekend, either too much company or too little...

You should give the RSPCA a call before you plan it, see what they would advise.

This link RSPCA advice on animals in schools may be useful.

Stick insects in our Reception. Kids love them.

Chick hatching at ours - gets it all out of the way in a limited time frame.

I bought myself a pet hamster which used to "visit" when the children had been especially good. That made it a real treat and they loved it!

My DS3's class has a kind of pseudo pet. Their teacher has a labrador called Teddy who they hear tales of and see pictures of his adventures. He doesn't come into school but the teacher talks about him. The children see 'Teddy time' when they hear about him as a treat. The year 5/6 class have a tank of fish they care for.