--- title: Choosing a pet: the questions to ask first — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Choosing a pet: the questions to ask first», a lesson of the biology course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: It is a living animal that needs food, care, company and a vet for many years, often for most of your school life and beyond. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/) / Choosing a pet: the questions to ask f… # Choosing a pet: the questions to ask first Lesson 325 of the biology course of Mova's primary school: 17 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/). - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/1/) — It is a living animal that needs food, care, company and a vet for many years, often for most of your school life and beyond. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/2/) — Wise families sit down before getting a pet and write a list: who feeds it, who cleans up, who walks it, where it goes on holiday, how long it is alone and how much it all costs. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/3/) — Picture a boy who dreams of a husky in a small flat while everyone is out all day. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/4/) — A husky was bred to pull sleds for hours in the snow, so it would be bored and lonely there; a pair of guinea pigs or some fish might fit his life far better. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/5/) — The right pet fits the home and the family's life, not just a cute video. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/6/) — Wild animals like monkeys do not belong in homes, and a puppy should be met with its mother, or found at a rescue centre. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/7/) — A dog usually lives about 10 to 13 years and a cat about 12 to 18, so a pet is a promise for many years. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/8/) — Before getting a pet, a family should agree who feeds it, cleans up, walks it, looks after it on holiday and pays for it; skipping these questions is why many animals end up in rescue centres. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/9/) — Dogs are pack animals and should not be left alone for more than about four hours; some dogs left too long bark, howl or chew out of worry. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/10/) — Pet allergies come from tiny bits of skin and spit, not really from fur, and no breed is truly allergy-free, so spending time with a pet first is a good test. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/11/) — Big, energetic dogs like huskies need lots of space and hours of running every day; a husky was bred to pull sleds for hours in the cold. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/12/) — Rescue centres take in lost or given-up animals, and staff help match each one to the right family; many older animals are already trained and calm. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/13/) — Guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and budgies are social and get lonely alone; guinea pigs have no tail you can see, and Switzerland has a law saying guinea pigs must be kept with a companion. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/14/) — Food, vet visits, vaccines, insurance, toys and beds cost far more than the pet itself, and over its life a dog can cost many thousands of pounds. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/15/) — Hamsters are night animals that sleep in the day and may bite if woken, and a fall from a small child's hands can badly hurt one. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/16/) — Monkeys and other wild animals need groups, space and food a home cannot give, often become unhappy and bite, and in many countries keeping them as pets is banned or strictly controlled. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/325-choosing-a-pet-the-questions-to-ask-first/17/) — Some cheap puppies come from puppy farms where mothers are kept in poor conditions, and such puppies are more often ill or scared; good breeders and rescues let you meet the puppy with its mother. - ← previous: [Falcons, hawks, kites, ospreys and vultures](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/324-falcons-hawks-kites-ospreys-and-vultures/) - next →: [A puppy at home: the first weeks](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/326-a-puppy-at-home-the-first-weeks/) - ↑ back to [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/)