With Christmas right around the corner, people are starting their annual frenzy of trying to get the best gift for their loved ones. While some look to clothing, toys, and electronics, some want to give a pet as a gift. While this is a good gift idea, there are some questions you need to answer to see what pet if any are practical.
One thing to look at is the person that you are looking to give a pet to. Are they younger or older? Younger children are not as responsible to remember feeding and watering requirements or proper handling of pets. You should consider low maintenance pets that mostly care for themselves unless there will be someone older to help out. Now for older people such as the elderly or for any age group actually. Will they be able to perform the basic caretaking of the pet? Some pets require a little more physical work to take care of. Some people have some physical disabilities that will keep them from performing all the tasks needed for certain animals. I would like to make sure that any animal given as a gift will be taken care of properly. Somebody might really want something, but can they take care of all its needs?
Second item to look at is the life expectancy of an animal. There are pets that are short lived and may disappoint someone when that time comes. Then there are the pets with extremely long lives such as large birds and tortoises. You are looking at animals that will live for 100 years or more. That is a long commitment to take on. So please consider this just as well.
Third, something that I believe is important is to determine what type of pet suits the recipient. If someone is a dog lover, don’t go and buy them a bird. The pet may get a warm welcome at first, but that may wane after a while because it really wasn’t the pet they longed for. Sometimes when this happens, the caretaking of the pet gets to be insufficient. Just as before, I am looking for the long term proper care of the pet.
Fourth and my last tip, will be to look into the future to how the pet will grow and change. I have seen many people get a cute puppy and watch him outgrow the house and yard. I have also seen a lot of cute little chicks or ducklings given as pets also. Remember, they do turn into chickens and full size ducks!
I want everyone to remember that the pets are relying on their caretaker. They need the love and affection that everyone would want for themselves.
Please consider all the above tips in choosing the right pet for a gift.
When looking for a pet there are shelters and rescues that are also full of great animals looking for a great home.
I hope this little guide helps in finding the right pet for the right person. Thank you and have a great holiday season!
