BEFORE YOU READ
Gavin Maxwell lives in a cottage in Camusfearna, in the West
Highlands in Scotland. When his dog Jonnie died, Maxwell was too
sad to think of keeping a dog again. But life without a pet was
lonely... Read what happened then, in Maxwell’s own words.
Activity
1. Do you have a pet? If you do, you perhaps know that a pet is a
serious responsibility. Read in the box below what the SPCA —
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — has to
say about how to care for a pet.
Owning a pet is a lifetime of commitment (up to ten years or
more if you own a dog or a cat) involving considerable
responsibility. The decision to acquire one, therefore, should
be made by the whole family. Without full agreement by
everyone, the pet could end up unwanted. Puppies and
kittens are so adorable, it is easy to understand why adults
and children alike would be attracted to them. Unfortunately
their cute looks are often a disadvantage, because people
purchase them without consideration and the knowledge on
how to take proper care of them. The basic points you should
keep in mind before adopting a puppy are:
• an annual dog licence in accordance with government
regulations
• its annual vaccination against major diseases
• toilet training
• regular grooming and bathing
• obedience training
• don’t forget you should feed your pet a balanced diet
• socialisation (many dogs are kept confined in cages or tied
up to stop them from dirtying the garden or from chewing
on shoes — this is wrong) is very important
• a daily dose of exercise, affection and play.
Reprint 2025-26
, Reading up on the subject beforehand is another
important requirement and will guide you towards being a
responsible pet owner. Selected pet shops and major book
stores provide books on the care of various breeds/pets.
2. Imagine someone has gifted you a pet. With your partner’s help,
make a list of the things you need to know about the pet in
order to take good care of it. One has been done for you.
(i) The food it eats.
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
3. Otters are found in large numbers in the marshes (i.e. wet
areas near lakes, rivers or seas) near Basra, a town in Iraq.
Imagine you wanted to bring an otter from Iraq to London,
as a pet. What special arrangements would you need to
make for your pet otter? You would need to find a place 81
with lots of water, for example. What other points should
you think about? The information about Iraq and London
given below may help you.
Iraq London
Mijbil the Otter
Iraq has mostly broad plains London has a large
and marshes along the population and is a very busy
Iranian border in the south, city. In addition to multi-
with large flooded areas. A storeyed buildings, however,
large part of Iraq’s land area it has many open spaces or
is desert, so it has cool parks. It has a temperate
winters and dry, hot and climate (i.e. it is neither very
cloudless summers. The hot, nor very cold), with
mountain areas near Iran regular but generally light
and Turkey have cold winters. rainfall or snow throughout
There is heavy snowfall there, the year. The warmest month
and when the snow melts in is July, and the coolest
spring, it causes floods in month is January. February
central and southern Iraq. is the driest month. Snow is
not very common in London.
Reprint 2025-26
Gavin Maxwell lives in a cottage in Camusfearna, in the West
Highlands in Scotland. When his dog Jonnie died, Maxwell was too
sad to think of keeping a dog again. But life without a pet was
lonely... Read what happened then, in Maxwell’s own words.
Activity
1. Do you have a pet? If you do, you perhaps know that a pet is a
serious responsibility. Read in the box below what the SPCA —
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — has to
say about how to care for a pet.
Owning a pet is a lifetime of commitment (up to ten years or
more if you own a dog or a cat) involving considerable
responsibility. The decision to acquire one, therefore, should
be made by the whole family. Without full agreement by
everyone, the pet could end up unwanted. Puppies and
kittens are so adorable, it is easy to understand why adults
and children alike would be attracted to them. Unfortunately
their cute looks are often a disadvantage, because people
purchase them without consideration and the knowledge on
how to take proper care of them. The basic points you should
keep in mind before adopting a puppy are:
• an annual dog licence in accordance with government
regulations
• its annual vaccination against major diseases
• toilet training
• regular grooming and bathing
• obedience training
• don’t forget you should feed your pet a balanced diet
• socialisation (many dogs are kept confined in cages or tied
up to stop them from dirtying the garden or from chewing
on shoes — this is wrong) is very important
• a daily dose of exercise, affection and play.
Reprint 2025-26
, Reading up on the subject beforehand is another
important requirement and will guide you towards being a
responsible pet owner. Selected pet shops and major book
stores provide books on the care of various breeds/pets.
2. Imagine someone has gifted you a pet. With your partner’s help,
make a list of the things you need to know about the pet in
order to take good care of it. One has been done for you.
(i) The food it eats.
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
3. Otters are found in large numbers in the marshes (i.e. wet
areas near lakes, rivers or seas) near Basra, a town in Iraq.
Imagine you wanted to bring an otter from Iraq to London,
as a pet. What special arrangements would you need to
make for your pet otter? You would need to find a place 81
with lots of water, for example. What other points should
you think about? The information about Iraq and London
given below may help you.
Iraq London
Mijbil the Otter
Iraq has mostly broad plains London has a large
and marshes along the population and is a very busy
Iranian border in the south, city. In addition to multi-
with large flooded areas. A storeyed buildings, however,
large part of Iraq’s land area it has many open spaces or
is desert, so it has cool parks. It has a temperate
winters and dry, hot and climate (i.e. it is neither very
cloudless summers. The hot, nor very cold), with
mountain areas near Iran regular but generally light
and Turkey have cold winters. rainfall or snow throughout
There is heavy snowfall there, the year. The warmest month
and when the snow melts in is July, and the coolest
spring, it causes floods in month is January. February
central and southern Iraq. is the driest month. Snow is
not very common in London.
Reprint 2025-26
