“Mom, can we get a pet?” This is a question most parents have probably heard at least once. Many agree that having a pet during childhood is a special experience; animals both big and small offer a unique kind of companionship to kids. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, keeping pets can aid a child’s development as they learn invaluable life skills such as patience, responsibility, and empathy. For our animal-themed issue, we asked Grade 3 students at Daystar Academy to write about their family pets. Students without pets were also able to get in on the fun by imagining stories about fictitious pets of their own.
My Pet Dog
by Diane Asiedu
I have a pet dog named Podi. Podi is 8 years old; that’s 56 in dog years. Podi is a police dog. I named him Podi because police dogs’ names often start with letter “P.” I was 2 when my grandma gave us Podi. I chose him from the 21 dogs my grandma has in Ghana. Podi likes to play and he is always excited to meet new people. When he is frustrated, he chases his tail. Podi likes to eat meat, just like me. I like that Podi is a police dog because he helps others; once, he ran to the other end of his street to help a blind man. These days, I’m learning to be more like Podi. If Podi could talk, he would encourage me to be brave when I am feeling weak or scared. It’s important to take care of animals because they are actually like humans. They deserve to be cared for, especially Podi. If I were Podi for a day, I would respect my owner.
Yin the Cat
by Finn Lei Thomczyk
I have a pet cat. Her name is Yin; my mom and dad chose that name because it is a good name. I was 4 years old when we found her in the cellar of our home. Yin is white and she likes to eat and sleep. She likes to eat beef jerky. Once she stole my friend’s beef jerky. I like her because she is cute. If I were a pet, I would eat and sleep the whole day. I think I will get a dog when I grow up. It’s important to take care of pets because if you don’t, they will not be happy.
Cody the Dog
by Skye McNeill
I have a pet named Cody. I don’t know what type of dog he is, except that he is a cross between a racing dog and a hunting dog. Cody is 6 years old, and he is black and skinny. We adopted him from an Australian family who gave him to us because they were going back to Australia and could not bring Cody with them. I was 7 when we got Cody. His two front teeth stick out and he is scared of Chinese men for some reason. He likes to chase cats because we have lots of wild cats in our compound. Cody likes meat and his dog gravy, but we usually give him dog food for his breakfast with some meat on top. I like everything about Cody. Even if time is tight, I still have to care for Cody and take him for walks. If Cody could talk, he would say, “I am happy in this house and compound, but why do you have to go away every morning?” If I could be a pet for a day, I would chase cats and climb trees to get them.
If I Had a Pet
by Zimo Zhuang
If I had a pet, I would get a parrot because she could sing and talk to me. If I had a parrot, we would go to the park every day. We would look up at the sky, see the kites flying, and imagine that we are flying in the sky. My pet parrot would teach me how to copy other people’s sounds. It is very important to take care of animals because they need to live, like us.
My Pet Cat
by Allen Yu
I have a pet cat called Bubble. Bubble is 1 and a half years old. My friend gave him to me and named him so I don’t know why he is called Bubble, but I like the name. I was 8 years old when I got him. His upper body is orange and his belly is white. He is really fat. He likes to eat cat food and lie in the sun while people pet him. Sometimes Bubble is really bad. Once a friend came to my house and when Bubble saw she was playing by herself, he started to scare her with his cold-blooded eyes. I am responsible for feeding and playing with Bubble. If you don’t care for animals, they will not like us. I think I will have a pet when I grow up because they are good friends. I wish Bubble could say, “I’m Puss in Boots!” If I were Bubble for a day, I would go outside and hunt.
My Imaginary Pet
by Tado Ouyang
If I had a pet, I would want a dog because dogs have very good memories. If I forgot something, she would help me remember very quickly. If I had a dog, I would take her for walks around my compound, I would play catch with her and I would take her to the park or to the beach in the summertime. My pet might say: “Thank you, Tado. This is such a good home for me. I love it!” If I were a pet, I would want my owner to give me a big hug and take me outside all day. A pet teaches you to be patient. It is important to take care of animals because they are living creatures. I think I will have a pet when I grow up. There are a lot of dogs that need a nice home, but right now we are kids and we cannot be that responsible.
“If we don’t take care of animals, there will be no animals left on Earth and we will be so lonely”
My Pet Fish
by Hortense Justo
I have a pet fish. He is 3 years old and called Red Tail. I gave him this name because his body is black and he has a red tail. He is about 8cm long. Red Tail likes to hide and doesn’t like to let people see him. Sometimes he jumps out of the water. He likes to eat crumbs and little fish. It is very important to take care of your pet, because if you don’t they might die or run away. If my pet could talk he would say, “I didn’t have my breakfast yet!” If I could be Red Tail for a day, I would make a big mess of water of water in my bedroom. Once, Red Tail jumped out of the water with a big splash. Good thing I heard it, because if I didn’t he would be dead.
My Pet Hamsters
by Yufei Huang
I don’t have pets anymore but I used to have two hamsters. One was only half a year old and the other one was 1 year old. I didn’t give them names because I was only had them for a short time. I got my pet hamsters in 2013 from my grandma’s sister. Both of my hamsters were white and pink. They were fat and round like hamburgers. They liked to sleep and sometimes they played on the wheel. I fed them hamster food and sometimes some fruit.
Dog, Bird, and Hamster
by Kylie Chen
If I had a pet, I would want a dog, a bird, and a hamster because they are all so cute and fun. I would play catch with the dog, let the bird fly in the sky and come back, and pet the hamster very slowly and carefully. Taking care of animals is important because they teach us how they grow little by little and because they are living creatures. I think I will have a pet when I grow up because I really like pets. If my pets could talk, they would say, “Hi Kylie! I’m hungry now. Can you feed me? Can we play outside? Can you pet me and put me to sleep?” If I were a pet, I would sit on my owner’s lap and ask her to pet me.
Bobby
by Susu Zhao
I have a dog, a turtle, and two birds. My dog is 2 years old. His name is Bobby. My parents and I named him Bobby because there is a legend in Scotland that there was a dog whose owner died and his dog called Bobby stayed with him until he died too. I was 6 when we got Bobby from one of my dad’s colleagues. Bobby barks a lot and he always wants to eat human food. Bobby loves our birds! He has liked to admire them since the first day we brought them home. I like to snuggle with Bobby in bed. He teaches me to be happy all the time. If I were Bobby for a day, I’d dance on my owner’s bed. It’s important to take care of animals because if we don’t take care of them, there will not be any animals left. I want to have a big pet when I’m grown-up to keep me company. I think if my birds could talk, they would say, “Hey buddy, help me get out of this cage!”
Buster the Cat
by Eva Chirnside
I have a cat called Buster. My mum named him; we chose the name Buster because he is always scratching the couch and sitting on the dinner table. Buster is 2 and half months old and he is an American Shorthair tabby cat. We got Buster in Beijing from a place called Cat Queen. He is kind, playful, and likes to be cheeky and nice at the same time. Buster likes to eat tuna and beef. If you cuddle him, he will purr and purr. I like his soft fur and the funny things he does, like sleep in my sister’s bed or when Mum dings the can of tuna with a fork and Buster comes running in and looks like he thinks he is such a handsome cat. My cat has taught me to be a nice person. It’s important to look after pets because if we don’t, they won’t look after us either. I will definitely have a tabby kitten when I grow up because I need a cat to be a witch. If Buster could talk, he would say, “I didn’t scratch the couch!” If I could be a tabby cat, I would sneak around all day.
My Pet Dog
by Angel Zhang
I have a dog named Mi Li’er. She doesn’t have an English name. Mi Li’er is a teddy dog and she is 4 months old. I got her from a pet shop in Beijing. She loves to play. If you don’t play with her, she will bark until you do. When she is very happy, she will run all around the table. I like her because she is cute and funny. I take care of Me Li’er by feeding her and cleaning up after her when she makes a mess. Sometimes getting a pet is good because there are some people who kill animals. I would like a pet when I’m grown up because if I am sad, my pet can come and play with me. If Mi Li’er could talk, she would say, “I have lots of things to say to you. When I was sick, you took me to the nurse and when I was very hungry, you made food for me. When I was cold, you hugged me and kept me warm.” If I were a pet for a day, I would play all day.
My Pet Jaguar
by Barry Zhang
I don’t have a pet but if I could have a one, I would have a jaguar because they can run very fast. I would sit on my jaguar’s back and just take a ride. If I were my pet jaguar, I would play with other jaguars. If my pet jaguar could talk, he would say, ‘’Give me some meat!” If we don’t take care of animals, there will be no animals left on Earth and we will be so lonely.
My Beagle
by Annette Berganthal
I used to have a beagle named Cody. He was 15 when I was 5. My parents named him Cody because it suited him well. He was always calm. Cody loved to eat pizza and salmon too. He knew how to relax. My favorite memory was his soft, cuddly ears. We should protect animals so that they won’t go extinct. I don’t have a pet, so it would be nice to have a new one. Ifdon’t think Cody would have spoken even if he had been able to because he hardly ever barked. He was a quiet dog. If I could be Cody for a day, I would play!
This article originally appeared on pages 46-51 of the beijingkids June 2015 issue. Click here to read the issue for free on Issuu.com. To find out how you can get your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.
Photos: courtesy of Daystar Academy
