Page 3 - Kind News, Jr. Teacher Guide November/December 2023

ANSWER KEY

Critter Clues Animal Safety Challenge

FROM PAGE 7 FROM PAGE 6

Our mystery critter is Items that are safe for dogs and cats:
the house mouse. (Colored GREEN)
Researchers say that house mice
have been thriving alongside Cooked egg
humans since they were first attracted Chicken – meat
to the grain stores of hunter-gatherers in Banana
the Middle East about 15,000 years ago. They Pumpkin
arrived in the United States after boarding ships with European Blueberries
colonists, and have been sharing our homes ever since! These
intelligent and social animals play together and sleep in groups, and Items that are not safe:
often spend their lives in warm basements and attics without causing (Colored RED)
any problems, yet some of us notice their nibbling on food. And while
they keep themselves clean — grooming themselves several times a Lily
day — like any animal, they will leave their droppings behind. Onion

Finding where mice enter a home can be near impossible since it is Cherry
often through cracks or tiny holes smaller than a dime, mostly around Grapes
pipes or wires. Mice love to snack — sometimes 15-20 times a day! Chicken – bones and skin
— and are omnivorous, loving seeds, nuts, fruits, veggies, and even Raw egg
meat. Oftentimes, larger stores of easy meals like open bird seed and Chocolate
bowls of pet kibble left overnight can keep families of house mice Whole avocados
THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: NITTY DITTY/UNSPLASH.COM; GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY/BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM; AMINKOREA/BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM;
thriving in a home.
Unlike white-footed and deer mice who are native to the US and can VISIT
KINDNEWS.ORG
survive outdoors, house mice are used to living with people and won’t for online
fare as well outside the shelter of a building. Relocating them to a shed activities!
or garage is much more humane than kicking them to the curb.
According to The Humane Society of the United States, live traps are
the only humane option for capturing house mice, and can be Where’s
purchased in hardware stores or online. If you don’t want to share your Raja?
home with house mice, opt for prevention. Keep your shrubs trimmed RAJA IS HIDING
at least 18 inches away from the foundation of your house to keep ON PAGE 7!
them from finding their way in. Clean up crumbs and keep all food
sources contained. That will often keep them from setting up house!

BOOK NOOK
GAZZAH/BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM; OKSANAVG/BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM.

Nobody's Cats: How One Little
Black Kitty Came In From the Cold
Written by Valerie Ingram & Alistair Schroff
Recommended for Grades K-4

When a boy comes upon a little black kitten among a group of cats living
around an old shed, he sees that they must be cold and hungry — and the
kitten hides from him. He talks with neighbors and is told they are "nobody's
cats." But that answer doesn't sit well, and with the help of a friendly volunteer,
he learns about community cats and finds out how to help the little black
kitty and the rest of his newfound cat neighbors. In this realistic picture book, the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return)
process is explained through an engaging story.
NOBODY’S CATS: HOW ONE LITTLE BLACK KITTY CAME IN FROM THE COLD © 2015 BY VALERIE INGRAM & ALISTAIR SCHROFF