Pros & Cons Of Pets As Christmas Gifts

While the videos of people receiving a puppy, kitten, or older pet as a Christmas present are heart-warming, the reality is that there are plenty of pros and cons of giving pets as Christmas gifts. Gifting a pet comes with far more responsibility than a sweater or a present that can be returned to a store, or re-gifted to someone. With that in mind, this article examines the pros and cons of giving pets as Christmas gifts.

The PROs Of Giving Pets As Christmas Gifts

Here’s a list of the more common pros of gifting a person with a pet during the holiday season:

Joy & Companionship: Pets can bring joy and companionship to people – especially those who live alone or for whom family is far away, or nonexistent.

Provide A Home For A Homeless Animal: Providing a pet as a gift, especially a shelter pet, potentially provides a forever home for an animal that’s been abandoned, abused, or found as a stray.

More Exercise: Pets require movement and activity. Pet owners typically get more exercise, whether it involves taking a dog for a walk, or engaging in an energetic play session inside the home.

Develops Care & Compassion: Pets can teach people the comfort of caring for another living thing and help them to develop empathy and compassion.

Teaches Responsibility: When children are involved in receiving pets as Christmas gifts, the new pet can teach children new levels of responsibility by participating in walking, feeding, grooming, and playing with their pets.

Improves Social Skills & Increases Social Interaction: Having a pet helps children build confidence. On walks, it’s common that fellow pet owners will say hello and start to socialize.

Reduces Stress: It’s common knowledge that pets can help keep people in high spirits and reduce stress. Interacting with pets is proven to increase our endorphin levels (the happy, feel-good chemicals in our body) and reduce cortisol levels (i.e., stress).

The CONs Of Giving Pets As Christmas Gifts

Here’s a list of the more common cons of gifting a person with a pet during the holiday season:

Financial Responsibility: Pets require ongoing care, including food, medical expenses, and potential medical emergencies. Those considering a pet as a Christmas gift need to ensure that the recipient can handle all the financial requirements of owning a pet.

Time Commitment: Pets need consistent time and attention. The burden of caring for a pet ultimately falls on the adults in the household. If you get a pet as a Christmas gift, especially for children in the household, adults need to be prepared to provide the bulk of the pet caregiving. Adults who want to provide pets as Christmas gifts for their children need to ask themselves if having a pet is manageable for them.

Allergic Reactions: New pets in the house can sometimes lead to allergic reactions. One cannot always predict how people in the recipient’s household will react to a new pet, from a health perspective.

Travel Complications: People who travel frequently for personal or business reasons will be facing kennel bills, or caregiver bills, to care for pets while they’re traveling.

Children May Lose Interest: Children may lose interest in a pet after a short while.

Holidays Can Be A Chaotic Time: When pets join a new household, they need time, space, and quiet to get acquainted and become comfortable with their new owners and surroundings. The holidays can be a chaotic time that’s not conducive to having a new pet relax and become comfortable in their new household.

Potential For The Pet To Escape: With the frequent comings & goings of guests in the house, the holidays are a time when a new pet can escape because doors and fence gates are left open.

Some Gifted Pets End Up At The Already-Crowded Animal Shelters:  If the gifted pet was not wanted by the recipient, or if it’s just not the right animal for them, gifted pets can end up at already-crowded animal shelters.

How To Ensure The Intended Recipient Would Welcome Pets As Christmas Gifts

Before you give a pet or pets as Christmas gifts, ask (and get answers) to the following questions:

1. Are you sure the person wants a pet? If so, what kind of pet is wanted and/or what species?
2. How active is the recipient? i.e., Can they handle a young pet with high energy?
3. What are their work hours? Are they gone at work for 8 hours or more, and will the pet be happy all alone at home for extended periods of time?
4. Can the person handle the exercise requirements of the potential pet?
5. Can the person handle the responsibility of caring for the pet?
6. Can the recipient afford to care for a pet? Does their budget allow them to handle the costs of pet food, vet bills, beds, crates, collars, toys, and training?
7. Does the recipient have space for a pet in the house or apartment, and do they have a 6-foot fenced yard?
8. What pet breed is the best fit for the person?
9. Does the recipient have time for a pet? Are they willing to make the pet a priority?

Pet Gifting Quick Tip:

When gifting, NEVER put the animal in a sealed wrapped box – this can lead to suffocation.

Tips On Gifting A Pet at Christmas (Or Other Times Of The Year)

1. Never put the pet in a sealed box. This can suffocate the animal.
2.  Tell the recipient you’d like to gift them with a pet. If they agree, then include the recipient in the search process.
3. If you’d like to have a physical present for the recipient before the right pet has been selected, here are 2 ideas:

• Stuffed Animal To Represent The New Pet: Buy a stuffed animal version of the pet the recipient wants plus a card that states you’ll gift them with a pet of their choice; or
• A Gift Box With Pet Supplies That Will Be Needed: Create a new pet package that includes supplies the recipient will need once they take custody of a new pet (Actual items or gift cards to pet stores to buy collars, leashes, brushes, combs, pet feeding bowls; and more).

4. If it’s discovered the gifting a pet is not feasible, here are 2 alternatives for Christmas gifts for animal lovers:

• Donate to an animal rescue, or sanctuary, in the recipient’s name; or
• Set up a sponsorship of a pet or animal at an animal shelter or sanctuary. In most cases, when a person sponsors a pet or animal at a shelter or sanctuary, they get lively and fun updates on how the animal is doing.

The bottom line is that there are many pros and cons of giving pets as Christmas gifts. Follow these common-sense guidelines to determine if gifting a pet to someone at Christmas is the right course of action…or not. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recommends only giving pets as gifts to people who are able to care for them responsibly and have expressed a sustained interest in owning one.

Need to get a pre-adoption health check on a pet that might become a holiday gift? Contact Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital to schedule a pre-adoption health check.