Vocabulary Related to Pets

Vocabulary Related to Pets (a practical guide for English learners)

Pets are part of everyday life for millions of people, and talking about them is a common topic in conversations, social media, and even exam tasks. If you own a pet — or simply love animals — knowing the right English vocabulary helps you speak more naturally and confidently. In this lesson, you’ll learn essential vocabulary related to pets, including common nouns, verbs, and useful expressions. These words will help you describe pets, talk about their behaviour, and explain how we care for them in real-life English.

Common animals kept as pets

The most common pets are:

dogs
cats
birds
fish
rabbits
hamsters
guinea pigs

Some people also keep exotic pets, such as reptiles, spiders, or unusual insects, although these require special care.

General pet vocabulary

Domestic

Animals can be wild or domestic. Domestic animals are used to living with humans and are kept as pets or farm animals.

Dogs and cats are domestic animals.
Although some cats live in the wild, they are usually domestic pets.

House-trained

A house-trained pet has been taught not to urinate or empty its bowels inside the home.

It usually takes several months to house-train a puppy.
Most cats are house-trained very quickly.

Breed

A breed is a particular type of animal with shared physical characteristics.

A Labrador is a popular dog breed.
The Persian is a well-known breed of cat.

Puppy / Kitten

A puppy is a young dog, and a kitten is a young cat.

They’ve just bought a puppy from a local breeder.
Our cat gave birth to four tiny kittens.

Cage

A cage is a metal or plastic structure used to keep animals such as birds, hamsters, or guinea pigs.

The parrot escaped from its cage.
Small pets should have a clean and spacious cage.

Care and equipment for pets

Cat litter

Cat litter is absorbent material used in a litter box for cats that live indoors.

We clean the cat litter every day.
The kitten is still learning to use the litter box.

Muzzle / to muzzle

A muzzle is a device placed over a dog’s mouth to prevent it from biting.
To muzzle means to put a muzzle on an animal.

The vet asked them to muzzle the dog.
The dog was muzzled during the examination.

Flea collar

A flea collar is a special collar that helps protect pets from fleas.

She bought a flea collar for her dog.
Flea collars can help prevent skin problems.

Leash

A leash is a strap used to control a dog while walking.

Dogs must be kept on a leash in public parks.
He attached the leash before taking the dog outside.

Common verbs used with pets

To keep a pet

They keep a dog and two cats.
She doesn’t keep pets because she travels a lot.

To feed a pet

Don’t forget to feed the cat before you leave.
He feeds his dog twice a day.

Animal sounds

Dogs bark

Cats meow

Birds chirp or tweet

The dog barked loudly all night.
I woke up to birds chirping outside my window.

Useful pet-related expressions

to take a pet for a walk
I take my dog for a walk every morning.

to look after a pet
Can you look after my cat while I’m away?

to adopt a pet
They adopted a dog from a shelter.

Final tip for learners

When talking about pets in English use clear nouns (breed, leash, cage), choose natural verbs (feed, walk, adopt) and remember that many pet words appear in everyday conversations and exam speaking tasks

This vocabulary will help you sound relaxed, natural, and confident when talking about animals.

If you really want to learn English but don’t know how or where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us. Book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers and take a test and consultation! Tap the banner to learn more!

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