Sharing information about cats is important, but it is equally important that the information that is shared be correct. We highly recommend these books as excellent resources:

Cat Crafts
by Linda Hendry
Includes directions for making a photo album, a treat container, a picture frame, a switchplate cover, jewelry, a child’s accessory organizer, bookends, a lampshade, and more. Cat Crafts also has instructions for a catnip fish sewn from an old sock, a spider cat toy, and a doorknob cover.

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
by Judith Viorst
A book to help younger children (ages 4-8) cope with the loss of a pet. In an attempt to overcome his grief, a boy tries to think of the ten best things about his dead cat.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular cat books for youngsters of all ages. Each is available through amazon.com.

Kitten’s First Full Moon
by Kevin Henkes
Age: Baby-Preschool

Slinky Malinki
by Lynley Dodd, Mallinson Rendel
Age: Baby-Preschool

Little Spotted Cat
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Age: Baby-Preschool

That’s Not My Kitten: Its Ears Are Too Soft
by Fiona Watt
Age: Baby-Preschool

So, What’s It Like to Be a Cat?
by Karla Kuskin
Age: 4-8

Who Loves Me?
by Patricia MacLachlan
Age: 4-8

Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan
by Eric A. Kimmel
Age: 4-8

Gullah, The Nawleans Cat Meets Katrina 
by Nancy H. Murray
Age: 6-12

The Flying Flea, Callie and Me
by Bill Wallace, Carol Wallace
Age: 9-12

The Stranger Next Door
by Peg Kehret
Age: 9-12

Shape-Shifter, The Naming of Pangur Ban
by Fay Sampson
Age: 9-12

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
by T.S. Eliot
Age: Young Adult

Cats are a part of everyday life for many children. Pictures, images or photos of cats, as well as books with a cat as the main character, and even cat puppets can be easily incorporated into a wide variety of teaching aids and lesson plans. Here are links to some sample lesson plans to give you ideas:

• • Cats! Wild to Mild – Teacher Curriculum (Los Angeles Natural History Museum).
  • Cat Bulletin Board (TeacherVision.com)
  • Guided Reading:
    • The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess. See amazon.com, (Ages 4-8)
      • LessonPlansPage.com
      • Lesson Bank – Teachers.net
      • AtoZteacherstuff..com
      • TeachingHeart.net
      • The Cat in the Hat Maze (Suessville.com)
      • Connect the Dots with The Cat in the Hat(Suessville.com)
      • Doorknob Hanger (Suessville.com)
      • Printable hat with space to write words | Blank Hat
        Small hats (PDF) (AtoZteacherstuff.com)
      • Dr. Seuss WORDO game (Lesson Bank – Teachers.net)
    • Cat on the Mat by Brian Wildsmith. See amazon.com(Ages 4-8)
      • Lesson Plan [WORD doc to be downloaded] (The University of Chicago Center for Urban School Improvement).
    • Cat’s Colors by Jane Cabrera . See amazon.com (Ages 4-8)
      • Lesson Bank – Teachers.net
  • After School Cats – an 8 day program about cats, Iowa 4-H After School Program (Iowa State University)
  • Home Fires: Be Ready 1-2-3 – learn fire safety with “Cool Cat” (WNED Thinkbright and American Red Cross)
  • Vanity License Plate Project to Promote Neuter/Spay(Humane Society of Georgia, Inc.)
  • Cat Related Lesson Plans – links to 100+ lesson plans that incorporate a cat (Lesson Planet.com – paid membership required)
  • Pets Lesson Plan – full 5-day plan (Everything Preschool)
  • Pet Week Lessons for Every Grade – 5 lessons for teaching about pets (Education World)
  • Pet Lesson Plans (ASPCA)
  • Responsible Pet Care – lesson plans for preschool through Grade 6 (Kind News Online)
  • I Wear My Genes Inside Out: The Genetic Characteristics of Animals – an extensive unit on animals, including cats. Appropriate for Kindergarten to Grade 5. (Francine C. Coss, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute)
  • Basic Animal Behavior in Domesticated Animals – Through a series of observations, lectures and applied activities the students of an animal science/veterinary tech class learn about the behaviors typical of dogs and cats as companion animals. Recommended for Biology and Vocational Agriculture, grades 10-12. (Kimberly J. Workinger, Yake-New Haven Teachers Institute)
  • “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs” – 1) creative writing and art project (Commonwealth of Knowledge); 2) teaching idioms in a creative way (Education World)
  • Cat Themes – Cat related book list, songs & fingerplays, arts & crafts, in the kitchen, games, and theme ideas. (Step by Step Themes)
  • Is That How Cats Really Are? – about general cat care and cat behavior (ASPCA)
  • Calico Watercolor Cats – how to draw a cat using geometric shapes, learning and applying wet-on-wet technique of watercolor painting, and using crayon to create area surrounding cats. (LearnNC.com)
  • Classroom Instruction for A Rhyme a Week – “There Once Were Two Cats of Kilkenny” [PDF] (The Curry School of Education, University of Virginia)
  • Hunt for the Black Cats – Math Lesson (Teacher Vision, Family Education Network)
  • Drawing Lessons:
    • Let’s Draw a Cat Cartoon (Cartoon Connections)
    • Cat: Side View | Angle View (TRSE Drawing Tutorials)
    • How to Draw a Cat (Chunkey Monkey Fan Club)
    • Learn to Draw a Cat (Billy Bear’s Playground)
    • How to Draw a …. Cat (Creature Features)
    • Draw Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (PBS)
    • Create with Conni (Conni Gordon)
    • Pencilling the Perfect Pet [advanced] (Susan Y. West, The Artist’s Magazine)
  • Cat Anatomy (College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University)

    The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has developed a series of presentations for grades K-12 to explain veterinary careers in the classroom. Presentations are available for grades K-3, 4-6 and 7-12.

  • Recommended sites to join for additional lesson plans available to members only:
    • TeacherVision.com – The 24/7 Teacher’s Aide
    • LessonPlanet.com – Over 30,000 Teacher Reviewed Lessons, Teacher Tools and More
    • Teacher’s Pet Publications – Useful source for resource materials

Learn more about CFA’s new Youth Feline Education Program

Learning About Cats – includes history and anatomy of the cat (Purina)

4-H Cat Activity Page – 2 pages of activites (The University of Tennessee)

Discover the Uniqueness of Cats – 4-HCCS curriculum outline for youth and volunteers (courtesy of National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System, Inc.). Individual unit and purchase information here.

Cats! Wild to Mild – An excellent site that traces the history and evolution of the wild and domestic cat. (Los Angeles Natural History Museum)

Cat Themes – Cat related book list, songs & fingerplays, arts & crafts, in the kitchen, games, and theme ideas. (Step by Step Themes)

Disaster Planning

• • • Preparing for a Disaster – Numerous links to ways to prepare for a disaster, how to create a family disaster preparedness plan (be sure to include pets!), etc. (FEMA)
    • Your Disaster Planning Guide – A Plan for the Family – Emergency contact sheet, plans for people with special needs, don’t forget pets, etc. (PDF) (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Cat Activities for Kids – Ideas for arts & crafts; games, science and math; group time; and dramatic play. (The Activity Idea Place).

Cat Theme Crafts – preschool activities and crafts (First School)

Cat Crafts – cards and puppets (EnchantedLearning.com)

Cat Activity Ideas – arts and crafts; games, math and science; group time; dramatic play. (The Activity Idea Place)

Cat Graphics – Free cat icons and graphics (Blue Cat’s Graphics)

Haiku – Cats make excellent topics for Haiku. (A Haiku lesson plan from EDSITEment)

How to Create a Mummy – Cats were often mummified by ancient Egyptians. (Mummy Tombs)

C.A.R.E. Pet Loss – How to deal with children and the loss of their pet. (College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

How to Create Flash Cards – Creating your own flash cards showing the different breeds of cats, or various stages of cat care, are a great way to enourage children to learn about cats. (Widgit Software)

Three Cats in a Row – Cat in the Hat Tic-Tac-Toe game board and cutout game pieces (Suessville.com)

Cat’s Meow – explanation of why cats meow and purr (Science Netlinks)

Cat Drawing Lessons:

• • • Let’s Draw a Cat Cartoon (Cartoon Connections)
    • Cat: Side View | Angle View (TRSE Drawing Tutorials)
    • How to Draw a Cat (Chunkey Monkey Fan Club)
    • Learn to Draw a Cat (Billy Bear’s Playground)
    • How to Draw a …. Cat (Creature Features)
    • Draw Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (PBS)
    • Pencilling the Perfect Pet [advanced] (Susan Y. West, The Artist’s Magazine)
    • Create with Conni (Conni Gordon)

Cat Coloring Pages:

• • Preschool
  • Silly Cats Coloring Book
  • Cats Coloring Pages
  • Online Coloring Book