F A M I LY
HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW? IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO GIVE A PET AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT?
A
mericans have a long tradition of giving pets—usually puppies or kittens—as gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, holidays or graduation, but there’s debate over how this practice impacts the animal’s welfare. Recently, the ASPCA conducted a survey to learn more about people who acquire pets as gifts. In the survey, 96% of the people who received pets as gifts thought it either increased or had no impact on their love or attachment to that pet. Most of these pets are still in the home (86%). The survey also revealed no difference in attachment based on the gift being a surprise or known in advance. Several studies found that pets acquired as gifts are less likely to be relinquished than pets acquired by the individual.
ASPCA POSITION The ASPCA recommends the giving of pets as gifts only to people who have expressed a sustained interest in owning one, and the ability to care for it responsibly. It also recommends that pets be obtained from animal shelters, rescue organizations, friends, family, or responsible breeders—not from places where the source of the animal is unknown or untrusted. If the recipient is under 12 years old, the child’s parents should be ready and eager to assume care for the animal. If the gift is a surprise, the giftgiver should be aware of the recipient’s lifestyle and schedule—enough to know that the recipient has the time and means be a responsible owner. The recipient’s schedule should also be free enough to spend necessary time to help assure an easy transition into the home. This is especially important during the holidays and other busy times.
IS YOUR FAMILY READY FOR A NEW PET? Discuss how a new kitten or puppy will change your family’s life, and how it will affect children—even older children. It is easy to imagine that the older a child is, the easier it will be to enlist them in the care of the pet, but older children tend to have more social engagements and may not have a lot of time to spend with a new puppy or new kitten. A pet can change a lot of the family’s day-to-day arrangements, like schedules (walking, feeding, training), sleeping arrangements (who gets to keep the pet in their room), pet safety precautions (remember that anything left on the floor is fair game to a dog or cat, especially when they are young). And then you’ll need to make sure that family members can handle the responsibility of litter box duty, potty training and cleaning up pet messes. You should also assess your finances to determine whether you will be able to pay for regular vet visits, dental cleanings, vaccinations, chronic illnesses, diagnostic tests, prescription flea and tick preventatives, prescription pet medication, dog food, cat food, dog toys, cat toys, cat litter and all of the other pet supplies you’ll need.
ANOTHER VIEW
CHRISTMAS DAY MAY NOT BE THE BEST DAY Many people feel that the most wonderful way to present a new puppy or new kitten is by surprise as Christmas pets, but the last thing you want is a frightened, cowering little animal that is overwhelmed by all of the excitement and holiday chaos, according to PetMed. You don’t want this to be their first introduction to your family. Christmas morning is especially chaotic, with everyone tearing into gifts and leaving hazardous ribbons, wrapping paper, candies and small toys all over, all of which look to an animal like good things to chew on. And loud toys can be disturbing to even the most seasoned holiday veteran. You don’t want your first night (or any night) with your new pet to be spent in a veterinary emergency room with your pet suffering from obstructed breathing or blocked intestines. For all of these reasons, anytime near Christmas might not be the ideal time to surprise the family with a new pet.
ONYX MAGAZINE 43
