Need ideas for a cool classroom pet

Pets in the Classroom Grant

Check out the website www.PetsintheClassroom.org. It is a grant program called Pets in the Classroom that provides up to $150 to K-8th grade teachers for the purpose of purchasing a classroom pet and/or pet supplies. The website has great information on different pet options.

[QUOTE=Rachelv;6316785]
Check out the website www.PetsintheClassroom.org. It is a grant program called Pets in the Classroom that provides up to $150 to K-8th grade teachers for the purpose of purchasing a classroom pet and/or pet supplies. The website has great information on different pet options.[/QUOTE]

THANK YOU!!!

Chinchillas really need a large cage and need out of cage time. They also require dust baths which a) coats everything with dust (even with one of those dust houses) and b) is TERRIBLE for allergies or people with asthma… If you have any kids with asthma or allergies they will have a really hard time handling that. My dad is asthmatic and he can’t be in the room for 5 minutes with them because of the dust without triggering an asthma attack. I don’t have asthma but if I spend more than 30 minutes or so in their room I literally can not breathe because of allergies. Just something to think about.

If you can’t take the animal out for socialization, I wouldn’t recommend rats then. Mine are very social creatures and love human attention. One will sit on my shoulder and chill while I walk around… the other climbs all over me as soon as the door to their cage is open. My guys actually have been known to not eat if I am not here to play with them… or even just simply talk to them as I come in or leave the room (sounds silly, but it’s true). I went away for 3 days of training last year and had my roommate refill their water but she wouldn’t play with them. I got home and they hadn’t touched their food.

I also discourage rats since you can’t interact much with them… they’re too friendly and social.

My 7th-grade teacher had two small tortoises, and they were great classroom pets. He had a big open wooden box built for them and they’d just hang out all day.

Now that I see this Pets in the Classroom site, I kind of want to submit a request… but my principal would probably not be a fan of my having anything in my room. I’m happy when he lets me bring my dog in sometimes. (:

You could think a little outside the traditional box of classroom pets and raise a service puppy. I took our Guide Dog puppies to school successfully. Students (and staff) had to be respectful of do’s and don’ts and everyone did, just takes some teaching up front and as you go. Of course you would have to accept that everyone starts referring to the pup as “our guide puppy.”
Fabulous community service project! Also made classroom management easier, interestingly enough as kids would behave so pup could be successful and would work to earn special privileges with puppy. Also built bridges as kids worked together for the pup and taught each other proper puppy handling skills (think jigsaw puzzle teaching where they share info). The pups were calming when a student was stressed or was having a meltdown. I even saw staff come in to get a puppy fix and hug as needed. I knew a number of teachers in the PNW who raised at various school levels.

I raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind based in California and absolutely loved the organization and puppy raising. If you’re interested at all check some of the organizations that provide puppies in your area. Guiding Eyes and the Seeing Eye come to mind as possibilities. There’s also a Florida-based organization. Also, you could check into Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). I loved raising (10 pups so far) and will raise again at some point.

[QUOTE=spotnnotfarm;6316666]
I agree, that is why I do not have them on my list. I have been researching Spiny Mice and they seem cool! They are legal in Ga! DO most petstores sell them?[/QUOTE]

I know some pet stores especially exotic ones can get them in for you. Some keep them in stock some don’t. I’d personally try contacting a local exotic pet store.

I did find these sights

http://www.altpet.net/rodents/GA.shtml

http://www.fancymicebreeders.com/phpBB3/search.php

Mice do make fantastic classroom pets I got my first after my 5th grade teacher had several.

I found this FB page maybe they could point you to them

https://www.facebook.com/carrolltonfish

Beta fish.
They are way cool and really fun and interactive.

In my 1st grade classroom we have an iguana, my rabbit I got when I was 14 from my grandmother (I’m 22 now) and a chinese water dragon. The iguana cannot be handled by my kids but both the rabbit and the chinese water dragon are student favorites!

the CWD is very easy to take care of and you can usually find one at your local petsmart

[QUOTE=Sanely Eccentric;6318262]
You could think a little outside the traditional box of classroom pets and raise a service puppy. I took our Guide Dog puppies to school successfully. Students (and staff) had to be respectful of do’s and don’ts and everyone did, just takes some teaching up front and as you go. Of course you would have to accept that everyone starts referring to the pup as “our guide puppy.”
Fabulous community service project! Also made classroom management easier, interestingly enough as kids would behave so pup could be successful and would work to earn special privileges with puppy. Also built bridges as kids worked together for the pup and taught each other proper puppy handling skills (think jigsaw puzzle teaching where they share info). The pups were calming when a student was stressed or was having a meltdown. I even saw staff come in to get a puppy fix and hug as needed. I knew a number of teachers in the PNW who raised at various school levels.

I raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind based in California and absolutely loved the organization and puppy raising. If you’re interested at all check some of the organizations that provide puppies in your area. Guiding Eyes and the Seeing Eye come to mind as possibilities. There’s also a Florida-based organization. Also, you could check into Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). I loved raising (10 pups so far) and will raise again at some point.[/QUOTE]

I would love to do that but our county has a no dog policy in the classroom. In the previous county I taught in, I was allowed to bring my dog and it was wonderful! However, the county where I teach now, had a child bit by a classroom dog so they are not allowed!

I have narrowed it down to a turtle or spiny mouse. Another teacher in the building has a turtle and I am going to see how she cares for it while I contact a few pet stores abotu the mice. Thanks Hackin for the link! I will let everyone know what I pick! I am still open to other ideas.

It sounds like birds are off the table, but just wanted to share this –

My son’s 1st grade classroom had two parakeets, who were beloved. One weekend the power went off, the building had no heat and the birds died.

I would not pick an animal that is so sensitive to temperature as a result. Though in Georgia this may be less of an issue.

[QUOTE=SMF11;6318838]
It sounds like birds are off the table, but just wanted to share this –

My son’s 1st grade classroom had two parakeets, who were beloved. One weekend the power went off, the building had no heat and the birds died.

I would not pick an animal that is so sensitive to temperature as a result. Though in Georgia this may be less of an issue.[/QUOTE]

This is a very good point. Hedgehogs, chinchillas, etc all have very specific temp requirements. Hedgehogs require temps in mid 70’s and can go into hibernation and die if their cage temp gets below that. Chinchillas are the opposite and require temps in the mid-upper 60’s. Anything above 69-70 is really too warm.

True-ours have done fine with very cold temperatures (no drafts, but cold temps) but we lost two at once to a leaky gas water heater. I also lost one in college when my evil landlady sprayed my apartment for bugs while I was at class-without telling me-and didn’t take my bird out first. :no:

I lost a betta to cold temps once too, or so I assume. When we were out of town in the winter the pet door in the back of the house blew apart in the wind and let a -30 blizzard in the house-my plants and fish didn’t make it.

Guinea Pig ``` Very FUN!!!

Guinea pig `` very fun and easy to care for !

Wonderful pets !

In fourth grade we incubated and hatched ducklings. At the end of the year the ducks went home to the teacher’s house and pond. We were the coolest class in the school because we had ducks in the classroom.

If you are unable to provide ducks for your students how about a large lizard?

I’m not allowed to have classroom pets other than fish! District too afraid of allergies, liability etc. I am not even allowed to bring my dogs into the building after hours. Silly when I bring so much of their hair in with me every day!

It seems like you dont have a great situation for the students to bond with a “pet” I might be tempted to go with an ant farm. Cool to watch and nobody gets too attached.

I did do worm composting in my room at one time. Kids enjoyed watching the stuff turn to “dirt”.

I’ll suggest Gerbils.

I have mice, and they’re my FAVORITE of the small pets, but they’re most active at night. Plus, they’re very sensitive and don’t live longer than a couple of years. And most petstores don’t have well-socialized, well-bred mice. They have inbred, factory-bred mice that explode in terror when they come across your hand in their cage. Not saying they don’t make good pets, as none of my mice are well-bred specimens. When I look for mice, I look for the ones with laid-back, friendly personalities, and there are a fair number of those out there. Males can be stinkier (they give off a sort of fritos aroma), and they have to live alone (and thus will be happier if they can get regular attention), but females don’t smell hardly at all and can live in groups. Since they live in groups, they don’t care too much about people, preferring to stick with their sisters, so you don’t get that bond that you can get with males.

I also have Guinea Pigs, and I absolutely CANNOT suggest them as a classroom pet. They need a massive cage, and need to live in groups of at least two. They poop a LOT, are LOUD (seriously, every time someone rustles a piece of paper, the pigs will be screaming and raising a ruckus), cost a LOT of money (for a proper diet, you’ll be looking at around $20 a week in veggies, which adds up to at least $900 a year. No kidding.), and they live a long time, up to 10 years. They’re great pets, but they aren’t beginner pets. They require a lot of work, money, and time.

Now, Gerbils are a good choice. They’re active pretty much at all hours, and just like mice, they look really cute when they sit on their haunches and munch away at some morsel of food. They’re cool to watch when they’re digging their tunnels. They’re desert animals, so they don’t drink much and that’s why their cages don’t need as frequent cleanings as mice and guinea pigs. They can be skittish, but they’re also bold little guys who have no sense of self preservation (mice are afraid of heights, whereas Gerbils will walk right off your hand and tumble to the floor). My mice have to be encouraged to step onto my hand, and they’ll keep hesitating and stepping off, stepping on, stepping off, then finally climbing on with all feet in my palm. My Gerbils, they’ll come right up to my hand, sniff, jump on, sniff, jump off, then around and climb on again, jump off and find something else to do. If they’re sleeping somewhere in their tunnels (I have them in a 20gal tank that’s filled halfway with aspen shavings, and they use their desert animal instincts and create a labyrinth of tunnels), I just have to lift the lid and ask if they want “nummies” or mealworms, and they both come peeping their heads out of the bedding. They LOVE their mealworms. They’re agreeable brothers, but if one has a mealworm and the other doesn’t, a chase is on, even if I’m frantically trying to dish out a 2nd mealworm. They’re funny boys.

Gunniea Pig or Beta Fish. If you get a Beta Fish the students will have so much fun decorating the tank and it will be a fun interactive project for them. Then you could have some sort of contest each day for who feeds the fish (if they’re still young enough to get excited by that!) or whoever’s birthday it is, or anything really.
Gunniea pigs are completely adorable. I had one when I was a kid that was the cutest little thing ever. I miss him to this day…RIP Puddles. He was like a cat and would almost purr when you pet him, I would bring him in the yard when I would play and he would just chill, eat grass, etc. I was so upset when he died, he was my first “real” pet…as in didn’t die in 6 months! I don’t remember him ever “popcorning” though.

Poison Dart Frogs

If you don’t have to worry about students handling them, etc. PDFs would be pretty neat. You could also work them into lesson plans about rainforests, venomous animals, etc. if you wanted to do so regardless of the childrens’ ages.

You also wouldn’t have to worry about any children with allergies if you get PDFs over a mammal