Pets Add Life (PAL) Children's Poetry Contest

Each year the folks at Pets Add Life (PAL) encourage bloggers to share the joys of pet ownership. In the past I’ve written about the benefits to humans of having a multiple pet home, the joys of foster pet parent hood and even published a guest post with ten reasons having pets is good for your relationship!

This year I’m promoting the Pets Add Life Children’s Poetry Contest, currently in its 5th year. Because what could be better than encouraging children to recognize and celebrate the special relationships they have with their animals?

The contest is open to all children grades 3-8. All they have to do is write a poem about the joys of having a pet. And even if they don’t have a pet now, they can write about why they would want one, or how they might imagine life if they had one. Entries accepted through January 31, 2013.

Winners receive:

$1,000 scholarship for their classroom
$250 gift certificate for pet products
A “by·line” in a nationally circulated magazine!

I figured we can’t let the kids have all the fun so I took a stab at writing a kitty poem inspired by the holidays. It doesn’t qualify (I’m too old – shocking I know) but hope you like it and perhaps it will inspire some 3rd – 8th graders (ha!).

Bad Kitty

by Tamar Arslanian

Bad kitty in the Christmas Tree

Why don’t you come down to me?

Bad kitty there’s no food up there.

Yet you just sit there and stare.

Bad kitty.

Feel free to try your hand at some pet poetry in the comment section of this post. Can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!

You can go check out the entries submitted by kids to date, but here are few I hand picked about two cats, a rat and a hamster to share with you.

My Cat Mary

Sierra – Grade: 3 – Third Grade – Loveland CO, CO

I wish my cat had long hair,
But she doesn’t and I don’t care.
My cat is crazy cause she hangs with a fox,
By dangerous train tracks in the rocks!
I wish my cat would be more safe,
She’s out all night she thinks she’s brave.
But all I know is she’s a cat
And I’m a child,
There’s nothing I can do about that!

my hamster bambster

David – Grade: 3 – Third Grade – Portland, OR

i have a hamster.
it’s name is bambster.
i love it so.i love it
when it fills its chuby
cheaks.and when he will
go.he makes me laugh.he
makes me cry.he makes me
sing a lalaby.oh me oh
my his lalaby is so
beautiful.i love my
hamster.and i hope
will to.

My Cute Baby

Samantha – Grade: 4 – Fourth Grade – Sparta, IL

My cute little Sebastian, you bring light to my heart.
You are spunky and furry and a very cute rat.
You make me feel better when I am angry,
You cheer my heart when I am sad.
When I see your face, I hope you know, you make me super glad!

My Cat Named Boots

Kaitlyn – Grade: 7 – Seventh Grade – Winfall, NC

I have a cat, named boots,
but one time, I heard him hoot.
I wonder how he made that sound,
but somehow, it helped him get found.
He was one, little lost cat,
but easily recognized by his hat.
I sometimes wonder, how that can be,
all he was doing, was hiding in a tree.
I saw his leg, hanging out,
but I left him up there, which made him pout.

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership. All opinions are those of I HAVE CAT.