Should You Give a Pet as a Christmas Gift?

If you walk past a pet store this holiday season can't resist those big sad brown eyes and waggy tail of, think twice before you plunk down money for "that doggie in the window." When you're tempted to buy a living gift for either yourself or someone else, resist the urge and wait until after the holidays to make your purchase. Better yet, first sit down and be certain it's a practical gift and will be warmly received. It's not that giving a pet is a bad idea, but you need to make sure you're making the right choice and presenting it at the best time.

Questions to AskBefore Buying a Pet as a Christmas Gift

· Will other people be living with the recipient? When I was a child one of my aunts surprised, me with a chocolate spotted mongrel I named "Peanuts." Only I wasn't the only one surprised. My parents, who got off on the wrong foot with Peanuts from the first day, started wondering how they could keep my new dog without losing their sanity. After a few months of watching Peanuts tear clothes off the clothesline, chew newspapers, and ruin our carpets, they secretly got rid of him, telling me Peanuts ran off to the "deep dark woods." In other words, make sure everyone else who lives with the new pet is agreeable to the adoption and is ready to share responsibility for the care of the animal.

· Does anyone in the house have allergies? It's important to make sure no one living with the pet suffers from allergies.

· Is the recipient's family financially stable? If your recipent is a child, determine if the recipient's parents are financially able to feed and care for the pet. You may have a beloved grandchild who's both highlighted and underlined a dog or a cat on his (or her) Christmas list, but if the child's family isn't able to either to either feed or pay a veterinarian for the needed shots and other medical emergencies, you're only adding a financial burden to the family.

· Does the family travel a lot? If the recipient and his family frequently aren't home, chances are a pet will be a problem.

Reasons Not to Give a Pet during the Holidays

· Family holiday gatherings--With all the holiday preparations, family gatherings, and other related yuletide chaos, a new pet may have a harder time adjusting to his (or her) new adoptive home. However, if you wait until after the holidays you'll be able to give your new addition more attention.

· Potty training.--- As anyone pet owner knows who's adopted a new puppy or kitten, it's important to start potty training as soon as your new pet arrives. Chances are, you'll be especially challenged if you start either newspaper or litter training while trying to get through the days leading up to Christmas.

Alternatives to Giving a Pet on Christmas Day

· Give money to adopt a pet at an animal shelter---Select an appropriate money card and enclose enough cash for adopting a pet at an animal shelter. After the holidays are over, animal shelters will have a surplus of new additions, dropped off as intended Christmas gifts that weren't received by everyone in a family household. Many parents buy dogs and/or cats for their children at Christmas without studying what kind of pet is best for them. Sadly, many of these pets are taken to animal shelters where their days are numbered unless they're soon adopted. Besides giving a new dog or cat to a child, why not also let him experience the joy of rescuing a doomed animal? I can't think of a better way to let a child of all ages feel like he's done a good deed, as well as a pet feeling loved.

· Give a gift certificate to a pet store---By giving a gift certificate you letting the recipient choose his own pet, which is part of the fun of adopting one in the first place.

· Give a large stuffed animal to a small child. When I was at first tempted to give my three-year-old granddaughter a doggie for her birthday, I realized her parents weren't able to care for it. So instead, I gave her a cuddly big white stuffed doggie, which she still drags around with her after more than a year. (See photo.) Maybe someday she'll be able to have the real thing, but for now the stuffed fur baby meets her need for a doggie to love.

If you do your homework before buying a pet for Christmas, not only will you be helping a new pet adapt to his new home, but the recipient and his household will also adapt better.