NATIVEUK.COM LESSONS
August 8th • Pets & Culture
International Cat Day
A day to celebrate the most popular pet on the planet. From ancient Egypt where they were worshipped as gods, to the modern internet where they are the masters of viral content. Today, we debate the psychology of our obsession with cats, the ethics of purebred breeding, and whether cats are actually our pets or if we are just their staff.
Speaking Discussion
- Are you a cat person or a dog person? What do you think your choice says about your personality?
- Why are cat videos the most popular type of content on the entire internet? What is the psychological appeal?
- In ancient Egypt, killing a cat was a capital crime. Do you think modern laws should be stricter regarding animal welfare?
- Why do cats have a reputation for being aloof and arrogant compared to the loyalty of dogs?
- Do you think it's ethical to keep animals like cats strictly indoors for their entire lives?
- If cats could speak for just one hour, what do you think would be the first thing they would say to us?
Activity 1: The Cat Influencer
The Task: You are a Social Media Manager for a cat that has just become famous. You need to design a brand strategy for this cat.
What is its personality? What kind of products will it sell?
Activity 2: Rapid Fire Whiskers
Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.
- "The best thing about having a pet is..."
- "Internet culture would be boring without..."
- "Cats are smarter than dogs because..."