Episode 9 Pet School

Welcome to Pet School. Two unforgettable weeks.

-Nine pet-crazy kids...

-I'd like a dog.

-I'd really like a scorpion or a snake.

-I would like a rabbit.

..and 51 hungry mouths to feed.

But can Pet School give our nine Pet Heads the skills to become

responsible pet owners?

Sit, Kiki, sit.

When term's out, will they persuade their parents to get them

a pet of their own?

Is he going to get a pet?

You ain't going to want to miss a minute.

Previously on Pet School, Rachel and Tej had a tiff over a task.

We can't afford for you to have much longer.

I'll be two to five minutes more.

Liam, Micah and Chris had a last chance to show

they were capable of looking after a dog.

Sophie was voted best pet carer

and got to choose the final pet buddy team-ups.

You've got to think from the heart, who deserves it

and who's going to get one at the end of Pet School.

Today, those pet partnerships will be announced.

Who's going to be cheery and who's going to be teary?

It's day nine and our Pet Heads have now got just two days to

show their parents they can be responsible pet owners.

Time for morning assembly.

-Good morning, my lovelies.

-ALL: Morning!

-Tough yesterday, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-How hard was that?

-Hard.

-Hard.

-I knew you'd be feeling it.

Day nine, two days to convince your families you've got what it

takes to be true pet owners.

One person who had a really tough night last night was Sophie.

When I found out that I'd been nominated as best pet carer,

I was really, really happy.

But when I found out that I had to pick everybody's pet buddies,

I was really, really worried.

Sophie worked through those worries and made some great decisions.

A bit more about that later on. I'll let her relax for now.

We've got to get on to pet practice,

that's what we do every morning.

The animals are waiting for you to get over there and look after them.

I'm going to put you into your groups.

Giulia, Tej, Rachel,

you're going to be spending the morning with some kittens.

-Woo-hoo!

-How about that, eh? Look at that smile. Group two, exotic area.

This is a good one. We've got Liam, Sam and Ysabel.

Yes.

The corn snake has shed its skin and it needs to be fed. How about that?

Interesting morning for you guys.

At the rabbit and guinea pig area,

we have Sophie, Micah and Chris.

Listen, this is crunch time.

You've got to prove to your families, you've got what it takes.

-Make it count, guys. Are you ready?

-ALL: Yes!

Then make like chickens and run. Go!

It's pet practice nine. Can you believe it?

Every moment spent with the pets counts now as tomorrow it's

big decision time with the parents.

Ysabel, Sam and Liam head off to pick up lunch for Elvis

the corn snake.

-Right.

-Gosh, I always regret coming in here.

-Something stinks in here.

-I found the board.

-OK. Read it out then.

-Pet practice fact sheet info.

"Feed Elvis a defrosted mouse."

Poor Elvis has been off his grub the last few days

because he's been shedding his skin.

Our Pet Heads haven't been able to pick him up because of this.

Let's hope Elvis is hungry today.

-Oh, flip.

-A dead mouse.

That looks like the mice from in the furries room.

-No, the mice in there have red eyes and they're brown.

-Let's go feed him.

It's good news for our Pet Heads and Elvis. He's finally shed his skin.

Let's see if he's got his appetite back.

You better get in there, give it a wiggle.

'I'm not missing out on this.'

Wait for me, I want to see what's happening here.

Don't they grab it and suffocate it?

When the corn snake bites it, it would be best to let go

so the corn snake knows that it's killed it.

Good advice there, Samuel, I like it. Ysabel, go for it.

Feeding mice may seem a bit cruel,

but this is what these fellas eat in the wild.

Is he going to take it?

Rachel, Giulia and Tej's pet practice couldn't be any more

different.

-Aah, they're so small.

-Check out these cuties.

Oh, they're kittens!

They were taken in by a cat rescue centre and have

come along today to help the pet heads learn how to look after them.

They're so cute. They're so lovely. They're so small.

-Pet practice fact sheet info.

-Going to be a masterclass in kitten care.

They'll learn how to hold a kitten properly and groom and weigh them.

We've only got the kittens for 45 minutes

so they'll have to learn fast.

-How old are they?

-These guys are nine weeks old.

-There are ten million cats in the UK.

-Ten! Million?

Yeah.

A lot are rescues because people can't care for them.

I'm going to hold one kitten and show you how to hold it.

The way to hold a kitten is just supporting her under her chest

and her front legs like this, nice and secure round her bottom.

You can hold her close so she feels nice and secure.

-This one is so sweet.

-What do you reckon?

-So cute.

That's it, team, hold them firmly, but gently.

Time for a weigh-in to see if they've grown at a healthy rate.

Tej, do you want to pop her on? Just sit back from the scales.

Let's see how much this kitten weighs.

She's 0.6kg. Is that underweight?

No, that's fine for a nine-week-old kitten.

Ah, I think the kittens are enjoying that.

It's a good idea to weigh cats regularly.

That way you can check if they're gaining or losing too much weight.

These kittens are healthy, but they still need a flea check

and grooming from the Pet Heads.

Outside, the sun has decided to take a day off, but that's not stopping

Sophie, Chris and Micah from getting on with their pet practice.

-First job - find the clipboard.

-I see.

-The clipboard's on there.

Their pet practice will involve cleaning out the guinea pigs'

enclosure, creating some enrichment for them

and encourage them to exercise.

Tasha, Amy and Fuzzy were a bit porky before they arrived

at Pet School.

Before they came to help the Pet Heads,

they lived happily together in a rescue centre in Surrey.

But they were already overweight.

This is Fuzzy, he's three years old.

He's a little bit shy. He came to us because his owners didn't want him.

This is Amy, she's a year old,

she was a little overweight

when she came in to us.

So we've put her on a diet

and given her lots of space to run around and shed a bit of weight.

This is Tasha, she's only nine months old.

Sadly she was unwanted by her owners as well.

She's a bit shy too, so we're giving her lots of cuddles,

so hopefully she becomes a lot more comfortable around people.

They need a lot of space to run around like the runs you can

see behind me here.

They need to be cleaned out very regularly.

They do, unfortunately, make a lot of mess.

We hope that the guys at Pet School can bond with Tasha, Fuzzy and Amy.

They really are very nice little animals.

Our Pet Heads need to get these guinea piggies back into shape.

-We know what we've got to do.

-Yeah.

-Let's do it.

Micah heads off to get the stuff they need

because they haven't got a lot of time on this task.

-It doesn't look too bad, but...

-Oh, here's Micah.

-I've got the stuff.

That was quick, Micah. Good lad.

-This is what we've got to build, the enrichment.

-Right, let's do this.

Before they put new things in, they better get rid of the old poop.

-Chris needs gloves.

-Is there gloves?

-Yes, there is.

Yeah, gloves will keep the muck and germs off those hands.

Yeah, get some gloves.

-They're hard to put on.

-Yeah, these gloves are impossible to get on.

Guys, it's the second to last day of Pet School and we've still

got quite a lot to prove so we might need to get on with it.

Remember, pets have to be looked after whatever the weather.

Sophie starts on a guinea pig obstacle course

whilst the boys get cleaning.

-OK, I've done the enrichment.

-New bedding here.

-I've got the food here.

Fuzzy's the first to give the new exercise course a go. Good lad.

Water in here somewhere.

The kitten crew have moved on.

Tej and Giulia have checked for fleas whilst Rachel grooms.

I'm going to give you guys now the honour of naming these kittens

because none of them have got names.

Giulia, what are you going to name your little girl?

-I might call her Duchess.

-Duchess, OK, fine.

-Rachel, what have you named her?

-Lily Megan.

Lily Megan, that's so cute. OK, lovely. Tej?

I'm going to name it after my cousin's cat.

-I'm going to name this one Kitty.

-OK, great.

We've got Kitty, Lily Megan and Duchess.

-Well done everyone.

-Reena's kitten masterclass complete.

They've been groomed and checked for fleas.

Top marks all around, kitty crew.

-All right, gang?

-Hi.

-What's happening?

-Nothing.

-Let's move that out of the way.

-Ooh!

-Naughty boy.

I'll clean that up after, it's all right.

'Fuzzy's been out for a run, now all the guinea pigs need some exercise.'

Pick one up for me, Micah, let's have a look.

-No, they keep running away.

-What do you mean, no?

-They keep running away.

-Just go in, you've got gloves on.

-You can grab it.

-Yoo-hoo!

I can't believe you guys haven't picked one guinea pig up.

She ain't going to get no exercise here.

Taken a perfect position here, Micah.

At the back, delegating the jobs.

-I like it.

-guinea pig.

-Go, get him.

-It's in there. Block the entrance.

-You can't miss him now. You can't miss him.

-Oh! Oh!

'These guinea pigs are a bit fast.

'I don't understand how

'they put on so much weight.'

You've got about two minutes left, you've got to pick up

a guinea pig and get him to do some laps round there.

-All right? I'm off, it's raining.

-See you.

-Bye.

This is my first experience with guinea pigs.

I quite enjoyed it, even though it was in the rain.

All the guinea pigs are checking out the new exercise course

and Tasha's off. Result!

-Yay!

-Went through the course!

-I'm sure Fuzzy and Amy will follow.

Pet practice complete. Top work, team.

-I can't believe we have to clean up Aaron's mess.

-Sorry about that(!)

A bit more graft won't hurt, though.

-I'm going to put this in the bin then.

-Oh, Aaron!

-Oh, no!

Back in the exotics room,

the team are trying to feed Elvis the corn snake his lunch.

Look away if you're squeamish.

AARON SCREAMS

Woah! Let's see an action replay.

Aaron screamed. I wasn't scared of the snake, I was scared of Aaron.

'He screamed like a big girl.'

You made me scared. THEY LAUGH

What on earth?

I told you, look, it's squashing it. Look at the power, though.

The power of that snake.

The way it sniffed it and then grabbed it straightaway really fast.

There we go, he's got the head.

Oh, my gosh, look at the head,

-it's gone so big.

-It's gone like...

You can see it moving down his body.

You know what, Sam, you had the corn snake day one.

But you couldn't do much with it, it was shedding and all that.

Then day nine, it's had something to eat

-and it's exciting. Is it worth the wait?

-Yeah, definitely.

'Well, Elvis seems happy - I think he wants another mouse.'

We'd better shut that cage up. I'm going to shoot off.

I'll leave you to ponder yonder.

I think that was the best thing I've ever seen in my life.

-I'd rate it...nine.

-What? That was great!

Because it took ages to swallow.

I sort of feel sorry for the mouse because it had to be

eaten by a snake, but in the wild, they'd have to be eaten.

Another Pet practice complete.

So the kittens have been properly checked over, the guinea pigs

will get more exercise, and we've got a snake with a full belly.

Better get those hands washed then, Pet Heads.

Coming up - there's disappointment

and delight as the final pet buddies are announced.

Ysabel spends some time as a cat in the cage.

And I'll be handing out report cards for the pet head parents.

Right, it's time for the big announcement.

As best pet carer, Sophie's given a lot of thought to the final

pet buddy pairings.

Everyone is gathered eagerly in the assembly area.

There's a few nervous-looking Pet Heads.

OK, guys, as you know, Sophie had a big decision to make

and she's made it.

You're all going to be allocated new pet buddies.

It wasn't easy, but I think she's made the right choice.

Who's going to spend the right time with the right pet to

convince your families you've got what it takes?

'Sophie has given Reena the responsibility of announcing

'the buddy pairings.'

Micah, you first.

Micah's starting to make real progress from being nervous around

Molly, to being more confident,

-but there's still room for improvement.

-You've got Molly.

-This is your chance now, Micah.

-Yeah.

-Do it.

Show how much you've grown in confidence.

Chris...

Kiki.

-Oh, my days. Well done, brother.

-You wanted a dog, didn't you?

-Rachel.

-I would still really like another pet like a rabbit.

-For you, the rabbits.

-Oh, yeah!

Sophie's chosen for herself the birdies.

-Tej, you've got our gorgeous cats.

-Make it work, Tej.

Liam, ferrets.

-Yes! Not sure if Liam's overjoyed about that.

-Sam.

-Yeah.

You've got...

-the guineas.

-Yes!

Giulia.

Giulia was scared of rats when she first arrived,

but now she's really bonded with them.

More time with the rats will help her show her

parents that she can be a responsible pet owner.

-You'll be pleased - the rats.

-Wo-wo-wo, yeah! Yes!

-I can do it!

-You can do it. Ysabel.

Ysabel has become inseparable from Kitkat, and more time with

this huggable hamster will help her bond with her own at home.

-Kitkat!

-There we go.

Make it work. This is it, it's crunch time. Not long left.

Go and meet your new buddies. Do it! Bosh!

Don't all run at once.

Let's have another look at one of our Pet School cage experiments.

Ysabel volunteered for this one.

The cage is our way of giving our Pet Heads a taste of what

it's like to be a popular pet.

This is so you can find out what it's like for a poor little

pet to have a really terrible owner.

It's not going to be easy in there.

If you do at any point feel like you want to come out,

you can shout. OK?

-Mm-hmm.

-Are you ready for this?

-Yeah.

In you go.

To complete her task in the cage,

Ysabel must learn the no no's of keeping a pet.

The BPO, or bad pet owner, has kindly offered to show them to her.

12 million pets in the UK are fed fatty foods like takeaways,

sweets and crisps.

Overfeeding your pet doesn't show that you love it,

you could be killing it with kindness.

It didn't feel nice and I feel sorry for animals that are really big

because they can't do anything.

Letting your pet get fat means there's a good chance you're

shortening its life.

It's so important to give your pet regular exercise.

She's had enough to eat. Come on, how are you feeling?

Are you all right? Look at the state of you.

Of course she looks a bit of a state.

She's been given unhealthy food.

Overfed.

And left to get fat.

-Do you now know what it feels like to be an overfed pet?

-Yeah.

Good girl. You've completed the cage. Oh, yeah.

It was actually quite fun and I've learnt my lesson.

Don't overfeed any other pets.

With Sophie's big decision made,

everyone's hanging out with their new pet buddies.

It's a good chance to show off their pet-caring skills.

Sophie seems sorted with the birds.

Tej is trying his best with the cats.

Don't jump higher. Oh, gosh.

You cats are hard work, aren't you?

Hi, Ysabel.

Giulia and Ysabel are chuffed that they're both reunited

with their favourite Pet School critters.

How are you feeling about getting Kitkat?

Really excited and Sophie made an amazing choice. I literally screamed.

I'm so glad that I got her again. So glad, cos I love her so much.

-How do you feel about getting the rats?

-I'm really, really excited.

I got the rats. Oh, my gosh.

-How happy are you, Giulia?

-I'm so happy.

-You don't know how happy I am.

-I think I do.

-You really don't.

-Oh, all right.

-High five.

-I wasn't doing very well with the cats.

To be back with the rats is really good. Yeah, I really like them.

Liam's had his ups and downs with his Pet School buddies.

And he looked fed when he was given the ferrets.

But with the big decision coming up,

he's meeting Reena to say hello to Einstein and Kitts.

-Ready for ferret time?

-Er, yeah. You can go in first.

-Ah, gentleman.

-No, I'm scared it'll get out and bite me.

-Shut the door, we'll go in.

I'm going to show you how to hold them.

Oh, gosh, she's like a foot long.

The way to hold him, because they enjoy being held, is like this.

-If you hold him... You see I'm holding his front legs.

-Yeah.

-And my back hand is holding the back of him.

-Yeah.

He's nice and secure and I've got his head away from me.

-Do you want to hold him?

-Yes, please.

-Go on, my son.

-OK, so like that?

-Exactly. Perfect.

-Aah.

-Yeah?

-Oh, my gosh, he's going to bite me!

-He won't bite you.

-Give him a stroke like I just did.

-That is so cute. Aah.

I knew you'd love them.

That is just so cute.

I'm impressed, you're really showing confidence there.

-Just put your hand near him so he can sense that you're there.

-OK.

This is brilliant, but he's still got a way to go.

Nice pet care though, Liam.

Good. Well done.

Hello.

Sophie's bonding with the birdies, and Rachel pops by for a catch-up.

-Hi, Sophie.

-Hi.

-How's it going?

-Yeah, it's good.

-Ooh.

-They like to fly around.

-Yeah, I can see. I'm bonding with the rabbits.

-Oh, well done.

-Thanks for the rabbits.

-I think it will really help.

-Yeah, I hope it does.

-Thank you.

Nobody's actually complained, most of them are really happy.

Despite having issues with the bearded dragon,

Rachel's actually made a real effort with all her pet buddies

-during her time at Pet School.

-Hi, I'm your pet buddy.

Hello.

And rabbits will be great for her because that's the pet

she wants at home.

So, how's it going?

Sam looks like he's struggling a bit with the guinea pigs.

Rachel's going to give him a hand.

This is what I like to see, pet head's helping each other.

Nice one.

You just need to get used to kind of having your hand there.

-Put your hand in and wait for them to respond.

-Yeah.

-They're hiding behind this.

-You should give them names.

-Coco, Bramley and Oddsey.

-What?

-Because he's odd-looking.

-What, what, what?

-Coco, Bramsey and Oddie.

-Oddie.

-Like, odd-looking.

I don't know if Rachel realises that the guinea pigs are already called

Fuzzy, Tasha and Amy.

-guinea pig.

-Yay, we got one.

-Like that.

-Gently does it.

-Hold it.

-Why?

-Just cuddle it. Just have it in your arms.

-How?

-guinea pigs just...

Like that.

I'm rather better handling rabbits than I am with guineas.

Make sure they're supported, it helps them feel secure.

Aww.

I think Sam's going to be fine with this lot,

but with the big decision tomorrow, he needs to make an effort.

Out of all our Pet Heads,

Micah and Chris seem the happiest with their new pet buddies.

I'm really over the moon that I've got Molly again.

I'm over the moon I've got a dog.

It will improve my chances by 1,000%.

I'm going to be a lot more confident around dogs.

Around animals in general.

Yes, come on.

-Let's go.

-Yes, let's go.

Look what I got. You want a treat?

Chris has always made an effort with his pet buddies,

both the ferrets and the goats.

But Kiki is his best pet buddy yet.

I got Kiki and I was over the moon about that.

I was so happy, I could now show my dad that I can take care of a dog.

Chris is about to face the ultimate

in canine care challenges.

Kiki's just done two straight poos. I think she's going to do another one.

-Micah! Kiki's just done three poos in a row.

-Are you serious?

What has she been eating? There's one there, one there, one there.

One over there. Oh, my gosh, she's still not finished.

I can't believe you've just done that. Five poos in a row.

Chris is poop-scooping with pride. I've got a tear in my eye.

-Or is that the smell?

-One second.

You've got to have the essentials.

If you don't, then if your dog poos, you're out of luck

unless you have a carrier bag or something.

Yep, remember, not picking up poo in public places is against the law.

-How's Micah doing?

-Molly, sit. Down. Down.

Down.

Micah's story at Pet School has been all about losing

his nervousness around the animals.

I've got him. Keep your hand flat.

Oh, no, he's dropped it.

Yes, he's improved,

but he still needs to have a lot more confidence in their company.

Can being with Molly help?

I've really bonded with Molly quite a lot.

She listens to me now, finally.

Sit. Down. Up. Up. Up again. Up again.

Up again. Up again. Good girl!

I'm liking what I'm seeing,

but will he have done enough before tomorrow's big decision?

Good!

CHEERING

After two wonderful weeks,

Pet School is coming to an end tomorrow.

It's been an amazing journey for all our Pet Heads.

Get in!

Full of memorable moments of discovery.

-Some have faced and conquered personal challenges...

-Oh, my gosh!

-..others have battled with nervousness.

-Calm down.

Pet attachments that could last a lifetime have been made.

And they've all had experiences they'll never forget.

Amongst the highs and lows,

all of our Pet Heads have learnt what it takes to look after a pet.

The question is, have they all done enough?

Good girl! Well done.

-Have you had a good day at Pet School today?

-ALL: Yes!

Before you go home, because it's the last day tomorrow,

me and Reena have written up some lovely Pet School reports so

you can take them home and show your parents before the big decision.

-Micah. Rachel.

-It is a huge commitment.

I'll be very surprised if she wants a rabbit at the end of the experience.

Ysabel. Liam.

The chances of Liam getting a pet after Pet School are about 10/15%.

Giulia. Sam. Chris.

The chances of Chris getting a pet after Pet School, I would say 50/50.

Sophie. Last but not least, Tej. There you go, mate.

The chances of Tej getting a dog after two

weeks at Pet School are,

if I'm honest, very slim.

Having said that, who knows?

Oi, where are you going, you little rascal? Come here.

-You can't take her.

-Wasn't I meant to take her?

-No!

Unbelievable.

Next time on Pet School - after two full-on weeks,

our Pet Heads' journey has come to an end.

ALL: No!

Every single pet needs a final feed and clean,

-but will our Pet Heads manage it?

-Two minutes. OK, let's go.

Emotions run high with a goodbye to buddies - both pet and human.

And it's big decision time

when we finally find out which of our Pet Heads get

the pet of their dreams.

Is Liam going to get a pet?

If you've got a pet of your own, are you looking after it properly

and responsibly?

Check out the CBBC website

and click on Pet School for essential advice on pet care.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd