Picture Christmas morning—you can’t wait for your little girl to get up, so you can give her the new kitten you bought her, or for your boyfriend to see the dog you’ve gotten him.
Sure, it’s wonderful to see the delight on their faces, and watch as they spend time with the new addition the next week or so. But like most gifts, the newness and excitement wear off.
Pets are a lot of responsibility. This is worth repeating. Pets are a lot of responsibility. Is your child willing to commit to taking care of the new pet? Once your boyfriend has that new dog (who needs a long walk every day), will he have the time to care for it? It’s easy to fall in love with a cute furry face (trust me Critter Caretakers’ pet sitters do it all the time), but it isn’t just a cute furry face.
After the bows are put away and the wrapping paper is cleaned up, after the initial ooohs, ahhhs and how adorable, that new Christmas present now becomes potty training, playing, feeding and watering, as well as litter box cleaning, and exercising. Then, there is obedience training, behavioral training, medical care and shots. Don’t forget toys, spaying or neutering, food, bedding and vacation care.
Pets are a huge time and cost commitment. Can you be certain the pet you’ve chosen is one your gift recipient will want? Maybe your little girl didn’t want a black kitten. Perhaps she wanted a white kitten. Now what? Maybe your boyfriend just talked about how much he loves dogs because he had them growing up, but secretly he didn’t want the responsibility. What happens to the puppy now?
Truthfully, live pets generally do not make good gift ideas. However, there is a way to give a pet as a gift and have it work out well.
First, make 110 percent certain the gift recipient will want the pet and have the time to care for it. Go over all the responsible pet guardianship means by talking about the above list.
Second, discuss the needs of different breeds of dogs, and make sure it’s a good match for what the recipient is able to handle, as far as care, exercise and personality match.
Third, go pick out the pet together, so they are getting a pet they want, not necessarily something you thought was adorable. If you want an actual gift to unwrap on the big day, consider a stuffed animal.
Since your new puppy will need a mid-day potty break visit, consider calling Critter Caretakers to help you potty train your family’s new addition.
We want your thoughtful idea to be a big success, and we think the above steps will help. Happy holidays.
For more information about Critter Caretakers Pet Sitting, Where Your Pets Are Like Family, call (480) 553-0105, or visit the website at www.crittercaretakers.com.