Pocket Pets Project

Project Description

Pocket Pets helps you learn about small hand pets and how to care for them. This is an excellent beginning project, especially if you are a younger member who wants to learn what it’s like to care for an animal. You will develop important life skills and practical skills through hands-on activities that will teach you about your pet’s needs. Pets included in these materials are ferrets, snakes and turtles, hamsters, gerbils, mice, fish, frogs and toads, lizards, birds, guinea pigs, and others.

Project Requirements

Project Book Books Required? Yes

Pocket Pets project books can be purchased here

*** Please note, if you do not attend at least one workshop in your project area during the 4-H year, you will be required to complete activities in your project book and turn it in with your record book. The number of activities required to complete a 4-H year in each project book can be found here.

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 2?

• Attend project workshops or participate in activities as noted in the Clover
• Complete 7 project activities and 3 learning experiences per year over two years
• Do at least one presentation each year at a project meeting (such as show and tell about your animal)
• Do at least one presentation per year that is not a Show and Tell

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 3?

• Attend project workshops or participate in activities as noted in the Clover
• Complete 7 project activities and 3 learning experiences per year over two years
• Give a presentation on one of the subjects listed in the Clover for level 2
• Be current in Record Book project pages and discuss at meetings

What needs to be accomplished to move to the next levels from here?

• Coordinate project activities with superintendent 
• Assist at project workshops

Project age limit? 8 and up

What should new members know?

• Actually owning a Pocket Pet is not required to do this project.
• If the 4-Her has a Pocket Pet or is frequently around one, they are welcome to bring it to a Show-and-Tell session coordinated by the project leader (arrange ahead of time).
• If it is a Pocket Pet that is not easily moved (such as fish) we could meet at the 4-Her's home or they can Show-and-Tell using photos.

Workshops

• October - No workshop
• November - Basics on selecting the pet you want and the right pet for your home and family and Christmas gift pets.
• December - No Workshop
• January - How to care for a new pet
• February - Medical care and issues
• March - Lizards
• April - Birds
• May - Talk fair entries
• June - Showmanship practice and how to be ready for the Fair and other pet showcases 
• July - Fair
• August - No workshop
• September - No workshop

Project Superintendent Information

Pocket Pets Superintendents: CJ Lassila
Contact: 406-439-5168
How you will you be contacted? Newsletter, email and text messaging

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jeff Bader, Director of Extension, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717