I posted this before, but I do believe it bears repeating.
Too many innocent kittens and puppies are foisted onto little children as Christmas gifts - only to wind up later at a shelter or, worse, being surreptitiously dumped on an empty country road, or left at an animal friend's back door.
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As the holidays approach, we bring out tinsel, sprayed ornaments, dangling string, and other tempting items. Many of us also want fresh plants in our home especially during the bland winter months, such as the colorful poinsettia. All of these new additions of course have to be investigated and invariably nibbled on by our curious pets. Believe me when I tell you that ‘pre-owned’ poinsettia on a white Berber rug is not a pretty sight.
Is there perhaps a new pet in Santa’s burlap bag for you? What fun to bring a new puppy or kitten home to have it pop out of a box on Christmas morning, amidst squeals of delight, confusion, frenzy, and lots of tinsel.
Please, think again. It is one of the worst mornings to introduce your new four-legged, furry or feathered companion into a home. The animal will be understandably confused, even scared. No one else's behavior is quite normal during the holidays, nor will your new pet's be in a strange environment—sometimes with the unfortunate result that it is taken to a shelter for its supposedly unsuitable behavior.
‘Wouldn’t come out from under the bed and play with the kids.’
‘Made a mess under the dining room table. What do you mean we should have had a litter box prepared before we got the kitten.’
The decision to get a kitten or puppy, or any other pet, for Christmas because the kids would get a kick out of having a pet is a bad move.
Shelters all over the country overflow after the holidays with these ‘impromptu’ pets. Don’t let your intended pet be one of them.
For some facts on pet ownership and fun stories, first give or read to your children an informative book.
Pasha's book would be perfect, if I may say so myself.
IT'S ON SALE at Amazon!
Aww...love all animals...not snakes...
ReplyDeleteNot only did I want to be fair to all pet owners, but as you know, snakes are some of the many "dumped" pets, especially in Florida where the swamps are full of huge boa constrictors. (But for myself, I'll stick to my cats.)
DeleteWhat a great post. I wish people would really think about what they're doing before they get a pet. You wouldn't just toss a new person in the house in the middle of a party. You'd introduce them and let them get to know people first. Help them adjust--at least, that's what I'd do, for a person or a pet.
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