Skip to content
the grown-up commonsPlay togetherBack to room

← Every door

Pets

For the grown-up beside a child who loves pets.

The child's own door is Pets on Spark & Anvil.

There is no Whetstone tool or course for pets yet, so this page is the sideline card and your child's ladder.

The sideline card

Three numbers to notice

  1. Breaths while resting: watch the side rise and fall for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. A calm dog usually breathes about 10 to 30 times a minute, a cat about 20 to 30.
  2. The weight on the vet’s scale, in pounds or kilograms: 1 kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.
  3. The feeding guide on the food bag: an amount for each weight of pet, each day.

On the way home, ask: “What do you think our pet noticed today?”

Ask because you are curious, and let any answer stand. Print this page for a half-page card.

Numbers checked against: UC Davis Veterinary Medicine: vital signs (dogs and cats); Penn Vet Ryan Hospital: counting breaths at home (15 seconds × 4)

Your child's ladder · on Spark & Anvil

The same idea at every age

  1. Ages 3–5Count the Feet
  2. Ages 6–8Scoops in a Week
  3. Ages 9–14How Old in Dog Years?
  4. Ages 15–18The Dog Clock

Your child will meet this idea again at every age. The sideline card is the part for you.