Classroom Pets: Yay or Nay?

As long as I can remember as a student myself, it seemed about every other grade there was a class pet.  Granted, this usually reflected the primary grades but I think there was a hamster of some sort around grade six even.  As a professional now, class pets are great to have, especially with those youngsters who need some kind of comfort from someone pertaining to the animal kingdom.  They're awesome teaching tools - they help with learning to be responsible and being responsible for another living thing.  Attending to their needs..such as feeding, giving attention, mainting a healthy environment.  It also teaches those life lessons of life and death.  Teaching them that yes, everything that lives, must eventually die and even though it may hurt, you don't forget about that particular thing or someone because of the positive moments you learned because of them.  Alot of people may see this however, as a con to classroom pets.  Dealing with the death itself can be traumatic for some students as they have built huge attachments with the animal.  But really, who doesn't ever deal with death and as teachers, we need to make the most of those learning experiences.  To help guide them, to help support them, and yes, you may even need to be there when they need a shoulder a cry on because they don't understand why they won't be seeing their best friend anymore.

Another con is the maintence of an animal.  Regardless of what species and/or breed, they need more than just attention in order to survive.  Food can be costly (and remembering to do it), cleaning out a tank or cage can be time consuming, and if they get sick - well, let`s be honest, vets are not cheap.  We know that just with our own personal knowledge of petcare, its responsibilities are huge.  Overall, it becomes a major commitment that may sometimes be more than you imagined.  You're then stuck with animal that became more work than you expected and you feel bad giving it away because the students got attached.  This I know, because my sister ended up taking in a guinea pig from a daycare centre I worked out.  The poor thing was too stressed out from the kids, it was either watch him slowly die because of loud noises or let him survive another year or so in solitude majority of the time.

And let's not forget about long-weekends, holidays, and summer closures.  You will be either bringing it home with you OR sending it with a student's family praying to the skies that it comes back alive and well.

I've heard of some preschools have classpets and they're dogs or cats. I'd love to know how that works..because what if there's students who have allergies? Doesn't that differ parents away from the school itself knowing their child can't attend because of animal? 

So, where do I stand in all of this?  Well, I strongly believe in having a classroom pet but I play one major factor in that decision before doing anything - what I can tolerate rather than get and hate the animal initally based on what it is.  Call me mean, but at the end of the day, if I'm the one looking after it, I'm going to be deciding what I'm willing to take care of.  And what do I care for currently?  Fish.  Not the gross goldfish who die within two weeks and never seem to stop pooping.  Just simple tetras and a small catfish.  And how successful has it been?  Extremely successful. 

They not only get fed twice a day because it's a "special helpers' duty to feed them, but they're great to help those kids who have a hard time saying goodbye to Mom and Dad and gets them easily distracted.  They've also witnessed the odd fish once and awhile die and be removed, but there's no tears.  It's a simple 'maybe he was old' or 'maybe he was sick' and that's it.  We've even had a student buy new decor for the fish, just because she wanted to.  They know they can't tap on the glass, they also know they will never get to pet them.  But one major factor that keeps fish as a favourite, the children enjoy their company and can bring them to a level of a calm.  Commonly, you will see a student walk over and just rest their head on the ledge facing the tank and watch the fish swim.  It works well as the fish are located in our reading centre which is where most kids will go if they want some quiet or alone time.  At the end of the day, not only am I happy with who our class pets are, but the students are as well.

Now, tell  me to get a hamster because they're more fun, and I will tell you to go to Hell.  That also goes for gerbals, rabbits, mice, snakes, lizzards, birds, and any other animal.  None of those are personal favourites when it comes to animals, so let alone of having it in the classroom is not going to be possible or ever happen.  And really, if you work with kids, think about the class pets you had to take care of.  Was it something you knew you can handle when it came to looking after it?  Because if you start asking people, that's exactly what happens.  Let's be honest: no one is going to go out and get an animal for the classroom even though they can't stand the thing.  It's just not realistic.  Unless your coworker plans on taking over in a situation like that, it's only because they can tolerate it. 
Just think of your own pets: if you can't stand birds, your first choice in which pet you're going to bring home will NOT be a bird. 
     
As I conclude this, here's some food for thought: if you've never had to take care of animal, do you think you're missing out?  Throughout my entire life, I have always had a pet.  It's almost like a neccessity.  Now that my husband and I are settled in our new house, I'm really hoping one day that we'll get a dog.  He's never really had a pet of his own, so he's not feeling like he's missing something as I feel I am.  One of the factors is because he doesn't want to deal with the 'final goodbye' as he knows how heart wrenching it was for me when my cat past away a few years ago.  He saw how badly it hurt and gosh, as I write this I'm remembering and the eyes whelling up.  But, are we able to apply that to our lives in general and every individual we care and love?  No, we can't.  I love my husband and he loves me.  But we both know one day, our times will come.  However, that didn't stop us from dating, being engaged, and then married.  We would then be missing out if we didn't make the inital commitment.  With an animal, sure it brings just as many hardships as it does for happiness.  But if no one felt they were missing out on loving another creature, even if it's in a classroom, then no one would have a pet. 

So, why do you have a pet?  Why do you have one in your classroom?  Is it because your promoting love?  Love for others?  Love for other creatures, especially animals?  Because heaven knows, there's not enough for our animal friends and if you are, I think that's an awesome quality hold..and teach.