Lets learn about cats - Lesson for kids
Animals are very special and we need to look after them and treat them well.
Today we will learn a bit more about cats. (also watch the videos for extra information)
If you look at all the photos and videos you find on the internet, you realize that cats are surely very popular with people. Some people are allergic to cats or say they are a 'dog person' but others say that if 'you are owned by a cat' you will never be the same again.
A cat will sleep most of the day (more than 14 hours) but they can be very active at night and also playful as kittens. Some older cats will still enjoy playing every now and then.
- Do you have a cat? Describe your cat and say what he/she is like and what you love about your cat.
- If you do not have a cat, would you like to have one and say why or why not.
A cat's body is flexible, which means it can bend in different positions and they are also very fast and make excellent hunters if they are on the prowl for some mice or rats or birds.
A group of cats and the males and females have specific names. Do you know what they are?
- group of cats = clowder
- female cat = queen (and they also act like that hahaha)or molly
- male cat = tom cat
- baby cat = kitten
Cats usually weighs 4-5kg but can be heavier depending on the type of breed, but the heaviest cat ever recorded (and this is a 'domestic' cat not a lion or something) weight more than 21kg .... wow that is what we call a 'fat cat'.
Cats can smell and hear very well and their eyesight at night is 6 times better than that of a human, which mean it is no problem for them to be nocturnal - be active at night time.
Older cats can get a bit 'grumpy' and they will fight with kittens just to show them who is boss and cats will also fight over territory. A cat does not like it if a strange cat comes into his yard. Some cats do not have a problem with this.
It is very important that if we keep cats or dogs as pets, that we neuter or spade them, so that they can not have babies - there are too many animals in this world who are not cared for. Unfortunately not all people are good to animals.
Kittens still play a lot and they like to 'mock attack' something - this prepares them to hunt when they become older.
If you have a cat, study its body language. You will see that it has different ways of moving its tail and also different sounds that it makes. These are all ways in which they communicate. Have a look at the video to learn more about this.
You need to handle a cat carefully, because they can scratch and bite you. If they are not using their nails, it is pulled into their paws. Once they want to scratch or hunt or climb a tree, it will come out again.
You do not need to bath you cat, because they clean themselves by liking their fur.
A cat will live for 12-15 years but there are cats that has lived for much longer.
- What other cats do you know except domestic cats?
- Choose any breed of cat and find out more on how you look after them, what they like, how their personalities are etc - it can be a domestic breed or a wild cat
