7 things you must consider before choosing a classroom pet

By Jacquelyn Elnor Johnson, author and former primary teacher

It’s exciting to get a new pet in your classroom! But before buying or adopting your new pet, here are some critical questions to answer:

  1. Do you have space in your classroom for a pet? The best classroom pets require relatively little space to be healthy and happy. Will the pet ‘fit in’ well with your classroom, or be a distraction?
  2. Are any of your students allergic to pets? You could send a letter home to parents, asking about any concerns they have about a pet in their child’s classroom.
  3. Are there liability issues? Many creatures can bite or scratch when they are frightened or feel they must defend themselves. The best pets for classrooms [link to best small pets] will enjoy, or at least tolerate, being handled by children.
  4. Is it legal to have the chosen pet in your state or province? In some places, some pets are on a local or federal restricted list.
  5. Is your chosen pet readily available where you live from ethical breeders? You need to see that the pet is healthy, active, eating well and used to people and being handled before you buy or adopt. Don’t buy an online-order or mail-order pet. They suffer in transit and can arrive in very bad condition or no longer alive.
  6. Who will care for your classroom’s pet on weekends, holidays or vacations when school is closed?
  7. What about the cost? Consider what it will cost to buy the pet (or adopt it from a pet rescue shelter), acquire all the equipment it needs (tanks, heating lamps, filters, etc.) and for ongoing expenses (food, supplements, visits to the veterinarian).

There may be a Classroom Pet Grant available in your school district to help with these expenses. Also, some vets offer lower fees or waive their fees for annual health checks for classroom pets. You can often find good used pet equipment by checking online free ads, such as yard-sale groups on Facebook and local ads on sites such as Kijiji.