WILL'S JOURNEY TO EAGLE
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Pet Care Merit Badge

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1. Care for Pet at Least Four Months

Present evidence that you have cared for a pet for four months.

Below are the activities required for caring for our three cats, Hudson, Hazel, and Rosie.  I split these duties with my little brother and parents.  We adopted the cats in the Summer of 2020 and we have operated on the schedule below:

Activity
Frequency
Description
Feed Cats Morning
Daily @ 6:30 AM
One can of wet cat food for each cat
Fill crunchy food bowls
Check water
Daily
Two water dishes filled and one water fountain filled
Feed Cats Afternoon
Daily @ 5:00 PM
One can of wet cat food for each cat
Clean cat box
Every two days
Clean cat box and add more litter
Shop for Cat supplies
Weekly
Buy cat food (wet and or dry) and cat litter
Clean Cat Areas
Weekly
Sweep cat litter from box
Pick up cat toys
Play and Exercise
Daily
Play with each cat
Brush cats
Exercise with laser pointer
Visit Vet
Annual
​Take cats to vet for exam and vaccinations 
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Cat box cleaning - oh what a chore
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Hudson getting his morning breakfast
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Buying food for the cats

Special Project - House for outside cat, Cloud

My grandmother has an outdoor cat at her house.  My friend, Jacob and I decided to make a shelter for the cat so she would be more comfortable through the winter.  We found a project online that creates an insulated house to keep outside pets warm.

Project build supplies:
  • One large plastic bin with removable top
  • Insulation materials to keep heat in
  • Bedding material
  • Tools such as handsaw, glue, and tape

Project cost: $25

Jacob and I met together on Jan 14, 2021 to build the project.  We spent 3 hours planning and building the house.  We delivered the final product to my grandmother's house on Jan 16, right before the big snow storm!

2. Essay About Care

Write in 200 words of more about the care, feeding, and housing of your pet. Tell some interesting facts about it. Tell why you have this kind of pet. Give local laws, if any, relating to the pet you keep.
  Having a pet is a BIG responsibility and pets need food, water and shelter to survive. In the Hendrick household we all take care of our adorable fuzzy cats. We give them daily items so they can stay healthy and strong! We must give them their wet cat food in the mornings and the afternoons and crunchy food daily. Cats must also have water, or they will grow thirsty, so we provide water in their water dish and fountain. Cats are both big players and nappers, and would be best to give them toys, beds and your attention. Not all cats have the best behavior. Our family teaches our cats that naughty behavior is UNACCEPTABLE in this house and will be squirt with water if they are being bad. Not just cats, but ALL animals must be taken to the vet once a year to get vaccinations. They may also get medications for pesky parasites such as fleas and ticks. Cleaning your cat’s cat box maybe the WORST, but your fuzzy feline friend will appreciate it (it will also help to clean it, so your house does not smell like cat droppings). Pets may be a HUGE responsibility, but you can give an amazing animal a wonderful home! 😊

Interesting Facts About Our Animals

  • All pets are Rescue animals
  • All came from my Mom’s best friend
  • All have nicknames
    • Rosie: Beast
    • Hazel: Dip stick
    • Hudson: Goofy

Tell Why you have this kind of pet(s)

​Our family loves dogs and cats and we saw my Mom’s best friend was fostering a cute kitten and our family could not resist and got Rosie. Then she fostered two more kittens and we got them as well! (obviously, there is something wrong with our family)

Local Laws for Shelby County

Sec 8-8-5: Cruelty to Animals
It is illegal to be cruel to any pets
Sec 8-16-2: Cat Rabies vaccination required:
You cannot own a cat unless it has been vaccinated after 3 months old
Sec 8-16-9: Defecation by dogs or cats
Your animal’s droppings must be cleaned up
Sec 8-16-10: Adequate food, water, shelter, care and conditions
As an owner, you are required to provide clean water, plenty of food, and good space for shelter.

Source:
https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3549/Memphis-Animal-Code?bidId=


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Rosy feels safe in her makeshift house.

3. Read a Pamphlet

Show that you have read a book or pamphlet, approved by your counselor, about your kind of pet. Discuss with your counselor what you have learned from what you read.

A visual guide to cat body language

What did I learn from this:
Since cats don't talk, this pamphlet can tell me how my cats feel, what mood they are in, and if they want interactive or not.

Source: ​Microsoft Word - Litter Box Habits.docx (hssv.org)

Using a Litter Box

What did I learn from this:
I learned that newly adopted cat must be trained to use a litter box the way we want them to.  I learned there are many litter types, but the proper type for our cats would be clay that clumps and has odor elimination.  I learned that I should check and clean the litter box daily.  The placement of the litter box is also important; the box should be located far away from the water and food sources.  I learned that when training your cat the should not be punished for elimination mistakes.

Source: ​Visual-Guide-to-Cat-Body-Language-FINAL.pdf (alleycat.org)

4. Pet Tricks

Do ONE of the following:
(a) Show your pet in some pet show.
(b) Start a friend raising a pet like yours. Help your friend get a good start.
(c) Train a pet in three or more tricks or special abilities.
Hudson is the show-off cat.  Here are some of his tricks
Hudson's spin trick - he really likes the BSA knot rope. 
Hudson can also sit and stand up 
Hudson's best trick is jumping for the rope.  He can really leap

Award

  • The requirements for this badge were completed on March 10, 2021
  • The badge was awarded on July 21, 2021

Source: ​Pets.pdf (scouting.org)
  • Home
  • Merit Badges
    • A-F >
      • 🏅 American Business
      • 🏅 Archery
      • 🏅 Bird Study
      • 🏅 Canoeing
      • 🏅 Citizenship in the Community
      • 🏅 Citizenship in the Nation
      • 🏅 Citizenship in the World
      • 🏅 Communication
      • Cooking
      • Crime Prevention
      • Electronics
      • 🏅 Emergency Preparation
      • 🏅 Environmental Science
      • 🏅 Family Life
      • 🏅 Fingerprinting
      • 🏅 Fish & Wildlife Management
      • Fishing
      • 🏅 Fire Safety
      • 🏅 First Aid
      • 🏅 Forestry
    • G - Z >
      • 🏅 Leatherwork
      • 🏅 Mammal Study
      • 🏅 Nature
      • Personal Fitness
      • 🏅 Personal Management
      • 🏅 Pet Care
      • 🏅 Photography
      • 🏅 Plant Science
      • 🏅 Public Speaking
      • 🏅 Rifle Shooting
      • 🏅 Whitewater
      • Wilderness Survival
  • Rank Requirements
    • ⚜️ Scout Rank
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  • About Me