help with cat talk to school

[smudgley]

Tomorrow I have to give a 10 min school talk to a group of 5-7 year olds about cats protection. They have been selling biscuits & raised £7. :-D As part of their pet week project I have to go & tell them about Cats Protection. (I have actually got to talk to 3 classes - all for 10 mins each class)
Any ideas what I can say..... I'd rather have them altogether for 30 mins - but teacher wants me to do 10 mins with each class.....
10 mins is not long - what shall I tell them?

[alexgirl73]

Are you allowed to take a cat in with you Smudgley?

If not, tell them about Bluebell. That she was a little kitten who came in with her mummy and now she lives with you.(take some piccies with you). Also say to them about how important it is to make sure that if they have a cat, that it is collared and m/c'd, so that if they got lost and someone found them they could make sure they came home safely to them.

edited to say - bless their little socks for raising £7!!

[smudgley]

I could take a cat in with me & was planning on taking Bluebell, but I have to be back at work for 5pm to do an overnight duty & I won't have time to bring her home, then get back to Warwick - so no cats coming with me... I like the idea about collar & M/C. :)

[smudgley]

Anyone else?? :(

[alexgirl73]

me again!!

What about taking in some of your rescue cats pics? Also CPL leaflets, your microchip scanner (for when you talk about microchipping and collars). If you have some special cat food (ie really expensive prescription stuff) take in that and say how the money they raised will help to pay for special food for poorly kitties. If you have time, why not make up a cat wordsearch and print some copies off tonight and take that in for them to take home, and some CPL badges etc.

[smudgley]

Your on good form Alex.
Only problem is - my printer is broken.
Don't have any good photos - they're all on the PC.

Keep thinking though, you're doing well.

I've got them all a sticker, bookmark & moneybox :roll:

[dandysmom]

And you might talk to them about how to pet the cat gently, and not rub the fur the wrong way...you know what I mean; some children need to understand that pulling the cat's tail isn't funny, and if you hurt the cat she isn't being mean when she scratches you to make you stop, etc.....

[smudgley]

That's good Eileen, I think I'll use that. thanks. :cool:

[yola]

10 minutes talking is longer that you think Smudgely!!! :shock:

5 - 7 year olds are quite young so you have to keep it diverse and not too detailed!

Basics of neutering; how many baby cats can one mummy cat be responsible for in a lifetime (diagrams will help if you have time . . . some kind of 'tree' with cats multiplying alarmingly!

Question session as to why the kids think people get a cat and then decide they don't want to keep it. Again, kept simplistic this might get the message through.

The main thing is to engage them. Ask them how many have cats, what the names are etc. Kids are more likely to listen to other kids than to an adult . . . so you be the facilitator and just let them guide you where to go!

Good luck - look forward to hearing how you've got on!

[alexgirl73]

Take in some cat toys and explain that cats don't just use them for play, that they practice their hunting skills on these things. Why not try telling them about catnip and why cats use a scratching post...

[smudgley]

thankyou Yola - I knew you'd come up with some great ideas. I don't think 10 mins is that long though really.
I have done a few Guide Dog talks to same age children & I usually do a 30 min talk, then show my short Tilly Tom & Tiny meet a Guide dog DVD. That's easier because I take in a Guide Dog & show them a harness & let them "have a go" with a dog in a harness..... I think the cats are harder....
I think the message about neutering is good..
I did take a pregnant bitch into brownies once & get asked how did the pups actually get in there :oops:

[Fran]

10 minutes talking is longer that you think Smudgely!!! :shock:


I was thinking exactly the same thing!


Good luck with it Smudgley, you have been given some excellent suggestions :cool:

[smudgley]

I was thinking exactly the same thing!


Good luck with it Smudgley, you have been given some excellent suggestions :cool:

by the time I've explained who I am & asked if anyones got a cat - it'll be time to move to the next lot. - I can talk for England you know. ;)

[Mags]

Let them join in a little game by asking them to name the different colours of cats that they have seen ..........

[yola]

I did a 10 minute interview on the radio for CP once and it seemed like an eternity. You're obviously a natural ;)

[Fran]

Let them join in a little game by asking them to name the different colours of cats that they have seen ..........


Or give them the next letter of the alphabet to choose names for the next kittens?

[smudgley]

I agree Yola - I did a radio interview for Guide Dogs recently - it was a few mins - felt like hours & I hated it... but 5 year old nippers, that's different. ;)

[smudgley]

*now wishing I had done some preperation*

[Sweet]

Best of Luck with your Cat talk tomorrow - I am sure all will go well x

[dandysmom]

Yes please, do let us know how it went...bet you'll get a few funny stories out of it... kids say the darndes't things :D

[Animagus]

So how did the cat talk go at school???????

Hope they were good to you lol xx

[smudgley]

They were all good.:)
I did the same talk to 3 classes, talked about what CP is all about, that we are a charity & we rely on donations to fund the charity & how their biscuit selling really helps. We discussed the things we spend the money on. Then we talked about lots of found cats coming into the branch & how we can make other people aware that our cat belongs to us. ie collar & tag. We then discussed microchipping & I had 2 cuddly cats with me. A sad cat without a collar & tag. Then the 2nd one was a happy cat with a collar & tag & he was also microchipped :-D I showed them how we scan the cats to find a M/C & we can trace the owner. I let them have a go at scanning the cuddly cat to find it's microchip! :-D


They did tell me some odd tales though!
One girl has got 14 cats. :roll:
One girl has 20 :roll:
One boy has 20 dogs :roll:
One boys cat got chopped in half by a car door & died :roll:
One girls Dad said if that cat comes in our garden again - he'll kill it :roll:

[Mags]

They were all good.:)
I did the same talk to 3 classes, talked about what CP is all about, that we are a charity & we rely on donations to fund the charity & how their biscuit selling really helps. We discussed the things we spend the money on. Then we talked about lots of found cats coming into the branch & how we can make other people aware that our cat belongs to us. ie collar & tag. We then discussed microchipping & I had 2 cuddly cats with me. A sad cat without a collar & tag. Then the 2nd one was a happy cat with a collar & tag & he was also microchipped :-D I showed them how we scan the cats to find a M/C & we can trace the owner. I let them have a go at scanning the cuddly cat to find it's microchip! :-D


They did tell me some odd tales though!
One girl has got 14 cats. :roll:
One girl has 20 :roll:
One boy has 20 dogs :roll:
One boys cat got chopped in half by a car door & died :roll:
One girls Dad said if that cat comes in our garden again - he'll kill it :roll:
That's kids for you!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

So glad it all went off well Smudgley, I bet they loved the two cats you took with you :D!

[Animagus]

:) So glad it went so well for you Smudgely....

Kids lol some exaggeration there i think lol

xx

and congratulations on surviving.....:pom

[dandysmom]

:) So glad it went so well for you Smudgely....

Kids lol some exaggeration there i think lol

xx

and congratulations on surviving.....:pomExactly what I was going to say,,!

[Fran]

Sounds like a successful day Smudgley!

:lol: @ the children's stories :-D

[alexgirl73]

Glad it went well Smudgley! I was helping out at my daughters school today, with the reception class. I was helping one little girl make a cardboard box house, and I said to her that she would have to hurry up a little bit and finish her colouring as it was almost home time, and she goes to me 'Yeah, my mum always says that I'm a slow little bu***r!!!!!!!!!!'. Well, what do you say to that?

[Animagus]

I'm a slow little bu***r!!!!!!!!!!'. :smt103 out of the mouth of babes roflmao:smt043

[alexgirl73]

LOL@ Wendy!!