Content
- The responsibility involved in owning a pet
- involve the family
- Abandonment is never an option
- Before offering a pet as a gift
When the date starts to approach and we are less than a fortnight away from the big day, we may make some mistakes in our last minute gifts. Many people end up choosing this moment to bring home a new member, a pet. But is this really a good idea? Pet sales values soar at this time, but do families correctly assess what it means to have a new member in the family? Or is it just a hasty, last-minute decision?
If you have already decided that you will give a pet as a gift for Christmas, at PeritoAnimal we want to help you know what to take into account when choosing it, so you don't end up making mistakes.
The responsibility involved in owning a pet
When offering pets as a Christmas gift, you should be aware of this decision, as it does not mean just offering a tender dog to your child or someone you care about, it is much more than that.
You must choose to live with a pet, regardless of size, breed or species, as it is one of the most important decisions in our lives. We are assuming that the person receiving the gift must be responsible and take care of another living being who it will depend on its owner until the last days of his life. Depending on the species chosen, we are talking about a greater or lesser number of care, whether sanitary or hygiene, accommodation, food and their correct education process. You should think about what the person receiving the pet will do if they work hard or have trips planned and if they can give it the love and care they will need.
We cannot choose a pet as a gift if we are not sure who the will receive will be able to comply with everything what it takes. Offering a pet to a person who is not ready to receive it is no longer an act of love. Instead, we can choose a book or an experience that teaches you what it means to have a companion animal, so that later you can be sure of what it means to have an animal.
involve the family
If you are sure that the person wants to have an animal by his side and that, in addition, he will be able to comply with all the necessary care, he should also consult the other members of his family. We know that children want an animal and that at first they will promise to comply with everything they say, but it is our responsibility as adults to commit to the newcomer and explain to the little ones what their tasks will be according to their age.
The responsibility of caring for an animal implies consider the needs for each species, don't treat them as objects but you shouldn't try to humanize them too much either.
Abandonment is never an option
You must take into account that both a cat and a dog can live up to 15 years old of age, must make a commitment to life, with its good and bad times. Abandoning a pet is an act of selfishness and injustice for the animal. To get an idea, abandonment figures indicate that around 40% of abandoned puppies were a gift to their owners. So you must ask yourself what to do if this experience goes wrong and the family or the person does not want to continue taking care of the animal they offered for Christmas.
Putting on a scale, the commitments that we acquire when receiving a pet in the family, are not as high or difficult as the benefits of living with it. It is a privilege that will give us great personal satisfaction and we will be happier. But if we're not completely sure of the challenge, it's best not to try.
It's our responsibility informing ourselves well about the species that we adopt to be very clear what needs you will have. We can go to the nearest veterinarian to assess what kind of family will receive an animal and which pet advises us.
Before offering a pet as a gift
- Think about whether this person is capable of creating this species and really wants it.
- If you are thinking of offering a pet to a child, you should make sure the parents are aware that, in reality, they will be responsible for the animal's welfare.
- Respect the puppy's age (whether cat or dog) even though it does not coincide with Christmas (7 or 8 weeks of age). Remember that separating a puppy from its mother too soon can be very detrimental to its socialization process and physical development.
- if adopt instead of buy, is a double act of love and can make the family participate in the choice process. Remember that there are not only shelters for cats and dogs, there are also adoption centers for exotic animals (rabbits, rodents,...) or you can also pick up an animal from a family that can no longer take care of it.
