Animal Pets

VHS cover

Animal Pets is the seventh episode of the second season of Amazing Animals. The plot revolves around Henry using a computer to try and work out what pet he should get, and learning what makes an animal a good pet. It first aired on the Disney Channel on 27th May 1997.

## Episode

### Episode outline

Click here for the full transcript for Animal Pets.

The narrator greets Henry, who is at a computer looking at different pictures of animals. When the narrator asks what Henry is doing, Henry responds by saying he wants a pet and is using a computer service to find his best companion animal. While Henry wants something exotic, considering a boa constrictor, a giraffe, a hippo, a chimp and a shark, the narrator says that a better option would be a domestic animal such as a cat, dog, rabbit or goldfish.

#### First cartoon

* Rooster is walking with his Chicks when Dog comes up to investigate them. The Chicks want a pet and so Rooster brings home Rhinoceros. The Chicks throw a ball to him, which pops on his horn and frightens the Chicks behind Hen. Rooster then tries to get Rhinoceros to do tricks, but he fails to sit or beg and when instructed to roll over, Rhinoceros flips onto his back and smashes the floorboards. Hen sends Rooster and Rhinoceros out of the house.

The narrator recommends that Henry try and have a dog as a pet. At first Henry thinks they are too much work, but on seeing a golden retriever puppy thinks it may not be such a bad idea. Henry is shown a line-up of different dog breeds including a Great Dane, a Yorkshire terrier, a poodle, a Shar Pei and a Puli, but identifies something off-screen as being the dog for him. When the narrator has a look, he realises that Henry has chosen a wolf and tells him that although wolves are the ancestors of dogs, they are not domestic pets. The narrator shows Henry that wild dogs such as wolves and African hunting dogs share some behaviour with domestic dogs, and tells him a pet dog is a lot of work. Henry reconsiders having a dog. The narrator now reminds Henry about his Special Report, which is supposed to be about why hamsters are so popular. Henry says that they are so popular because they once saved the world – the first two hamsters had hundreds of babies that loved running in wheels so much that they accidentally burrowed down to the centre of the Earth and sped it up, making things fly off it. The hamsters saved the world by gluing everything down and slowing down in their exercise wheels. The narrator says that the one thing Henry got right is that all pet golden hamsters are descended from just two animals. The narrator tells Henry that the reason why hamsters are so popular is simply because they are so cute.

#### Second cartoon

* Rooster brings home Gorilla as a pet for his Chicks. They dress him up as a baby and give him foul-tasting medicine, while Rooster laughs at their antics. The angry Gorilla leaves. He grabs Rooster, dresses him as a baby and bounces him in a pram, while the Chicks gather around to give their father medicine.

Henry is annoyed with his pet wolf, which drags him around and has eaten his sofa. The narrator suggests Henry try a cat instead, and he gives it a go. He rejects the shorthair cat, because it is white and would be impossible to see against the white background. He then settles on a black leopard – he tries to pet it but gets chased away. While the narrator says that big cats have some similar behaviours to pet cats, they are not suitable as pets. Henry and the narrator briefly discuss how some people have kept big cats as pets but released them into the countryside when they get too aggressive. They then look at an African wildcat, the ancestor of all domestic cats – the narrator says that even pet cats can be independent and, in some ways, need more looking after than a dog does.

#### Third cartoon

* Rooster brings home Crocodile as a pet for his Chicks, who licks his lips as he comes around the garden hedge. The Chicks run and hide at the first sight of him. Crocodile bites Rooster on his leg and arm when he tries to throw a stick for him. He then tries to show Crocodile how to balance a bone by putting it on the end of his beak. The Chicks flinch as a biting sound is heard. The cartoon then cuts to the doctor’s waiting room, where Rooster sits next to Gibbon, Rattlesnake and Elephant, with Crocodile still attached to his head and laughing to himself.

Henry still hasn’t found his ideal pet – when he says he wants a big impressive animal that doesn’t cost much to look after and doesn’t need too much attention, the narrator says he is not surprised as Henry isn’t being realistic. The narrator says he isn’t sure that Henry would look after his pet properly, and says there is a lot of time and expense needed in caring for an animal. Even apparently simple animals such as guinea pigs and goldfish need specialist items to care for them, while some pets such as budgerigars need company of their own kind in order to be happy. But the main thing that the narrator says that pets need is a lot of love and affection.

#### Fourth cartoon

* Rooster brings home Tyrannosaurus as a pet for the Chicks. When she sees how much they like him, Hen allows him to stay. Rooster then throws a stick and Tyrannosaurus runs to fetch it. He accidentally knocks down the house. Hen chases Tyrannosaurus and Rooster away with a rolling pin.

Henry now does the Golden Gecko Awards. The bronze medal goes to the golden hamster and the silver to the cat, but the Golden Gecko Award is given to the Great Dane, the world’s largest breed of dog. The Great Dane filmed in the studio is shown living at home, sitting on the sofa and watching Amazing Animal Mothers on television. Henry considers getting one, but the narrator reminds him that he is both too small to really care for it and the dog eats more in one meal than Henry would in a week. Going back to the main episode, Henry rides around on a pony, before falling into the basket of a Border collie. He has decided he wants a pet that can do work for him. The Border collie runs off and herds of flock of sheep to Henry. Some hard-working animals are shown, including sheepdogs and elephants which help to haul timber. Henry tries out a pet elephant, but finds it very difficult to keep in his house. Finally, the computer program has identified the ideal pet for Henry – a cactus. The narrator says it is perfect for Henry and there are some amazing pets out there, it is just a matter of finding the perfect one for you.

## Animal species filmed for the programme

### Studio footage

* Domestic dog, *Canis familiaris*
* Domestic cat, *Felis catus*
* Common goldfish, *Carassius auratus*
* Grey wolf, *Canis lupus*
* Golden hamster, *Mesocricetus auratus*
* Leopard, *Panthera pardus*
* Budgerigar, *Melopsittacus undulatus*
* Domestic horse, *Equus ferus caballus*
* Domestic sheep, *Ovis aries*
* African bush elephant, *Loxodonta africana*

### Stock footage

* Domestic dog, *Canis familiaris*
* Domestic cat, *Felis catus*
* Domestic guinea pig, *Cavia porcellus*
* Masai giraffe, *Giraffa tippelskirchi*
* European rabbit, *Oryctolagus cuniculus*
* Hippopotamus, *Hippopotamus amphibius*
* Chimpanzee, *Pan troglodytes*
* Blue shark, *Prionace glauca*
* Grey wolf, *Canis lupus*
* African hunting dog, *Lycaon pictus*
* Golden hamster, *Mesocricetus auratus*
* Jaguar, *Panthera onca*
* Serval, *Leptailurus serval*
* Lion, *Panthera leo*
* African wildcat, *Felis lybica*
* Common goldfish, *Carassius auratus*
* Domestic sheep, *Ovis aries*
* Asian elephant, *Elephas maximus*

## Credits

* Henry - Eric Meyers
* Narrator - Tom Clarke-Hill
* Writer - Alastair Swinnerton
* Script Editor - Jennifer Lupinacci
* Music - David Poore
* Director - Anne Neale
* Graphic Designer - Kate Beldon
* Graphic Design Assistant - Emma Rigney
* Production Co-ordinator - Esta Porter
* Post-Production Co-ordinator - Liz Lewin
* Production Secretary - Vivienne Mackay
* Production Team - Steve Cronick, Pauline Davis, Sam Evans and Dominic Weston
* Camera - Andy Shillabeer and Graham MacFarlane
* Computer Animation - Ricochet 4 and Daniel Pearson
* Computer Animation Director - Henry Lutman
* Cell Animation - A for Animation
* Cell Animation Director - Mark Taylor
* Sound Editor - Paul Fisher
* Dubbing Mixer - Andrew Wilson
* Editors
	+ Offline - Vince Pipe
	+ Graphics - Sue Land
	+ Online - Sharon Stiles
* Producer - Jessica Wootton

## Home media releases

The VHS for Slimy Animals released in 1998. The cover shows Henry standing with a red collar and lead on, and he is accompanied by a domestic dog, a budgerigar, a goldfish and a Mongolian gerbil.

The blurb on the back cover of the VHS reads:

Which dog is no taller than a pencil? Why could a lick from a friendly lion skin you alive?

**“CAN’T I HAVE A PET RHINO – PLEEEEAAAASE?”**

Henry is out to find the coolest, biggest pet he can. But he soon learns that it’s better to have a cute cat or dog for an AMAZING ANIMAL PET than to bring home one of their cousins from the wild.

**Cartoon Characters**: \* Eagles • Tyrannosaurus • Rattlesnake • Tiger • Squirrel • Lizards • Elephant • Bat • Fish • Camel • Gorilla • Caveman • Mole • Bear • Stickman • Chicks • Hen • Rooster • Owl • Chameleon • Tortoise • Crocodile • Frog and Toad •
• Parrot • Porcupine • Mouse • Whale • Rhinoceros • Beavers • Snail • Rabbit • Dog • Skunk • Spider • Octopus • Vulture • Woodpecker • Flea • Dung Beetle • Butterfly • Gibbon • Fly • Mosquito • Bee • Beetles • Crab • Pigeon • Carnivorous Plant • Lamb

**Voice Actors**: Eric Meyers • Tom Clarke-Hill
**Season One**: Tropical Birds • Animal Disguises • Nighttime Animals • Animal Appetites • Animal Survivors • Animal Senses • Animal Weapons • Animal Builders • Armoured Animals • Mini-Beasts • Animal Babies • Poisonous Animals • Animal Journeys
**Season Two**: Birds of Prey • Desert Animals (Amazing Animals) • Scary Animals • Animal Records • Animal Colors • Animal Mothers • **Animal Pets** • Seashore Animals • Animal Families • Endangered Animals • An Animal Year • Prehistoric Animals • Monkeys and Apes
**Season Three**: Animal Hunters • Animal Talk • Slimy Animals • Rainforest Animals • Animal Acrobats • Underwater Animals • Animal Neighbors • Giant Animals - Creepy Crawly Animals • Farm Animals (Amazing Animals) • Animal Changes • Extinct Animals • Animal Eggs
**Season Four**: Around the World • Polar Animals • Clever Animals • Underground Animals • Animal Helpers • Woodland Animals (Amazing Animals) • Mountain Animals • Backyard Animals • Tiny Animals • Animal Partners • Scaly Animals • River Animals • Animal Flight