The Importance Of Class Pets

A great class pet for 1st graders must be relatively small, somewhat quiet, able to live by itself on the weekends, and cannot be venomous or aggressive. With that in mind, I think that a chinchilla, hedgehog, or hamster would all make great class pets. All of these animals are friendly and have cages that can either be put in corners or on top of counters, so they won’t take up too much space. Also they don’t require constant care, so you could leave them at school on the weekends as long as they have plenty of food and water.

These soft, furry animals need cages that are a minimum of 2ft by 2ft and must be relatively tall. They need tall cages so they can climb around like they would in their natural habitat, the Andes Mountains. Their cages also need a soft bedding for the floor, multiple levels (again, so they can climb), and an exercise wheel so they can run around. Chinchillas are nocturnal, but they will happily wake up if they are getting attention. Their diet should consist of alfalfa hay and chinchilla food pellets, as well as occasional treats, like dandelion drops. They also require a drip bottle filled with distilled water. Their food bowl should be refilled around every 3 days. …show more content…
In my opinion, I think that a chinchilla would make the best class pet for 1st graders because their cage is taller than it is wide (it takes up less floor/ counter space), they enjoy affection more than hamsters and hedgehogs, and they don’t require constant care (the food, water, and cage should be changed every week). Chinchillas also have the softest hair out of all three animals, which the students would definitely enjoy. Finally, chinchillas love to be put in exercise balls and explore the areas around them, so they could be outside of their cage during class hours and not have to stay locked up all