Quote Originally Posted by CagneyDog
Honestly, I'd prefer that nobody had classroom pets. It stresses the animal out to know end with all the loud children in the classroom. Most of the animals either get too much attention, or very little.
I think you are very right there. Class pets isn't such a big thing over here, so i don't know too much on this subject. But i totally agree with you. I've seen programmes of schools with class pets and basically i think the animal (in this case a hamster) was scared out of his wits. The thing is with a lot of young kids is that they like to pet and admire and hold a pet for a while, but soon lose interest. If this is definitely not the case for a class, then there's not really a problem, but there will always be kids like that. Also, kids like to crowd around animals, bang on the cage to wake the animal up and shove a mass of hands towards the pet in an attempt to stroke it. And i've heard of kids taking home class pets during the holidays, well, unless that child can be FULLY trusted to care for the pet throughout the whole holiday without getting bored, that's a really bad idea. I'm sure many class pets die in the hands of those kids. Sorry to put a bad name on kids here, and of course there are kids who would put 110% into looking after the pet, but some just wouldn't. Animals don't float everyone's boat unfortunately.

But, icedtea, if your class is disgusted by animal cruelty, then it should be OK. And i was talking more about younger kids. In a high school then it wouldn't really be so much of an issue.