 People have been keeping pets for thousands of years. Dogs and cats are the most common, but there are other pets like rabbits or birds. Some people even keep exotic pets like snakes or ferrets. Don't forget to hold your mouse over the pictures to learn extra pet facts -- just don't let the cats catch it!
 People have been keeping dogs as pets for over 20,000 years. That's a long time! Many people love dogs because they can be friendly and fun. Some people say dogs are man's best friend.
Dogs can't see colour as well as we can, but they can see better in dim light. They can also see moving things much better than things that are sitting still.
Dogs can hear sounds that are about 10 times further away then you can. Chances are your dog will hear it first.
Most mammals stop playing when they grow up, but your dog will still want to play when he's an adult. Good thing because your dog grows up a lot faster than you will.
When puppies are first born, they have a hard time staying warm so they like to sleep in a big pile, all the brothers and sisters curled up with their mom.
All dogs are descended from the wild wolf. Overtime they have changes into hundreds of different kinds of dogs and they are more used to living with humans.
Irish Wolfhounds are the largest dogs, Chihuahuas are the smallest and St. Bernards are the heaviest.
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Cats are always popular pets. like dogs, they have been kept as pets for thousands of years. Even the ancient Egyptians kept cats. As of 1987, cats have become the number one pet in North America. Cats love to play and can be quite cuddly. It's always nice to make a cat purr.
Just like you, cats have five toes on their front paws, but they only have four toes on their back paws.
Don't bother feeding your sweets to your cat because he can't taste them. In fact, chocolate is really bad for cats.
A cat's sand-papery tongue helps it tear up its food.
A cat does generally land on its feet, but it will do better if it falls off a twenty-story building than a seven-story building. It takes the cat about eight stories to relax and turn to its feet.
Most of our pet cats are descended from the African Wild Cat. The wild cat still lives in Africa today.
A cat can't see what is directly under its nose. That makes it hard to find food bits on the floor.
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What's a good Pet?
Some people like hedgehogs as pets. Just make sure to pet them in one direction. Their spines could poke you if you pet them in the wrong way.
You might like to have company but a hamster would rather live alone. It's better not to put two hamsters together because they will fight.
A pregnant goldfish is called a twit! Better not use that on a pregnant person!
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln loved cats and kept four cats when he lived in the White House.
Listen careful when you pet your bunny because some rabbits purr just like cats.
Dog chew rawhide bones and other treats to keep their teeth clean. Don't you wish that you could brush your teeth with treats.
Look closely at your bird the next time it is napping. Is it standing on one foot? Most pet birds will sleep on one foot.
Give your pet bunny something to chew on or it will start chewing on your stuff.
Sssssssnakes are kept as pets. They live in aquariums like fish but without the water. Better not let the snake out or they might slither away and hide.
A cat can jump seven times as high as its tail. How high can you jump?
If you keep your goldfish in a dim room, its bright orange colour will fade to white.
Not all dogs live a life of leisure as a pet. Some dogs work as seeing eye dogs, guard dogs, herding dogs or police dogs. Can you think of other jobs dogs do?
It you feed a young bird by hand it will be easier to tame it enough so you can hold it.
When you see a new dog it's a good idea to ask permission to pet the dog. Some dogs are less friendly than others and you don't want to get bit.
Don't feed your dog too many table scraps or you will teach it how to beg and it can be unhealthy for your pet.
Parrots like to have toys to play with. They like things like bells, ladders and swings.
When the pet cat of an ancient Egyptian family died, the whole family would shave off their eyebrows because they were sad. Would you do that?!
Most rabbits don't like to be picked up, they would rather sit in your lap or beside you.
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You probably know lots of people who have cats and dogs and maybe even have one yourself, but do you know anyone who keeps a pet ferret or snake? 
Some people like to keep more unusual animals as pets. They're cool pets but they could be more work than a more regular pet.
