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Pet's CornerThese brisk autumn mornings lead to the most joyous and special time of the year, Christmas, and a time when we are consumed with the excitement and passion of giving. The holiday rush is upon us and the kids often request a puppy or kitten. Since you put so much thought and care into "that" special gift please give as much thought and care to the welfare and health of a cherished pet and new member of your family. Please DON'T give live pets for Christmas. Instead give a gift certificate for a puppy or kitten to be picked up from a local shelter AFTER the holidays. The idea of a cute fuzzy pet popping out of a box with a big red bow around its neck on Christmas morning is great for TV commercials but not in real life.
The holidays, and especially Christmas Day, are extremely hectic for us, and for a new pet it can be terrifying. These babies have often just been taken from their mothers and need to be introduced into their new home under normal and more peaceful circumstances. They will need lots of undivided attention so they can learn the proper house rules and also get a positive start to house training. With company coming and going, gifts being opened and enjoyed, dinners to fuss over and sometimes overnight travel, the new pet can get lost in the shuffle and forgotten. They don't realize that they should not chew on light cords or play with the Christmas tree ornaments. They forget that they are not supposed to have "accidents" on the floor, regardless of the fact that no one has come to take then outside because they were busy with other things.
So if you are considering a new pet, please wait until after the holiday rush. Give the new baby every chance to be all that you want it to be. Put a stuffed animal or a photo of the new pet in the box instead of the real thing and make a family day outing after the holidays to go and bring home the new baby. And please consider adopting your new family member from a local shelter or rescue organization. There are both purebreds and mixed breed pets that really need a chance at a loving, forever home. And remember, Pet Stores sell puppy mill puppies and kittens and the health of these animals are not always the best. After all, they were bred for quantity and profit, not for quality. If you have your heart set on a purebred, check out the purebred rescue organizations, as there are several for almost every breed. Please do not add to an already over-bred Mama Dog's misery by making another litter profitable.
Each year many pets are abandoned or returned to local shelters after the holidays and the simple reason given is, "It just did not work out". Animals should not be considered property and a decision to get an animal should be made only by the person who will be the primary caretaker of that animal. Please make sure that the commitment is there to care for this animal for possibly the next 15-18 years. Remember the last thing that a rescued animal or new baby needs is for someone to take him in, give him hope for the future, and then throw him into a system where he may or may not survive, simply because it did not work out. The failure is not the pet's, but rather the person who chose to simply give a "gift" without putting any REAL thought into the decision to get him in the first place.