Vetspeak: A pet is for life, not just for Christmas – and never a toy!
Maisie was was a beautiful grey, nine-week-old tabby kitten bought as a present and brought into her new home on Christmas Day.
She was terrified of all the commotion around her, wide eyed and hissing, she quickly ran off to try to find a safe, quiet place.
She was found curled up and hiding in a corner among the presents under the Christmas tree, shaking and petrified of all the strange noises, new faces and smells.
Maisie did not feel like eating and just wanted to feel safe again with her mother and all her other siblings. It would take some time to coax her out and to settle her into her new home.
It used to be commonplace to buy pets, such as puppies and kittens, for the family at Christmas. Bringing a new addition into the home late on Christmas Eve and presenting the new pet with a bow around its neck to the excited children on Christmas morning.
For the animal-loving child, it would be hard to imagine a more thrilling gift to receive. However, the fact of the matter is, for the new pet this was sadly no fun at all.
Pet rescue homes and shelters receive thousands of unwanted and abandoned animals each year, and these are often the result of an ill-considered decision and often at this time of year.
Introducing a new animal into the home can be incredibly stressful for a young puppy or kitten, and for any adult animal. It is advised, and is best, to do this calmly, gently, and gradually. After the whole family have had the chance to learn about their potential future pet, and on how to care for, handle and look after it well.
It would not be in the pet’s best interests, and would be considered highly irresponsible, to simply carry home a puppy and a couple of tins of food and present the new pet to the children without first spending a significant period talking about caring for a dog and how to keep it safe and happy.
Additionally, Christmas and new year is a period of much celebration, rowdiness and excitement for families, usually with constant upheaval going on in the household and the normal routine of day-to-day life suspended, with additional stress to all. Sensibly then, this is not the appropriate environment to bring in a new pet and will certainly have a detrimental effect on how the animal settles down into the household and gets on in his new home in the future.
It is not a good idea to buy or adopt a pet at any time when you know there is going to be any potential significant change made to the household routine before the animal has had a chance to settle in fully.
If your children are really wanting a new pet, or you are considering getting one, do not rush into it. It takes time to learn about dog ownership and make an informed decision as to whether a new pet is a good idea for the household and the extended family.
Take the time to learn the things you will need to know, do your own research, and educate your children on how to deal with any new pet as a family addition. Taking a protracted amount of time to do this is fine, and even recommended.
Pet ownership is a responsibility, not for the short term, not for the wow factor, and most certainly not as a substitute toy.
Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a Senior Consultant at Crown Vets in Inverness.