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| Image source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-vaughn/our-pets-gift-to-us_b_8222914.html |
Any child
wants at some point to receive a pet as a Christmas gift, be it a puppy, a
kitten, a hamster, fish or a parrot. Numerous studies have shown that a child
that grows close to pets will be sociable, a good communicator, and will learn
to be responsible. Taking into account your kid’s age, you can give him or her
the long awaited pet as a Christmas gift, but only after considering a few aspects
essential to good companionship:
1. If you never had a pet before, it would
be a good idea to offer to take care of a friend’s pet, while your friend goes
on holiday. This way, you can see what having a pet in the house means.
However, note that pets are different individuals, they may behave differently
with their family and with strangers, so it is best to take care of a pet that
already knows you.
2. Your pet will have to be taken to
the vet, vaccinated and disinfested on a regular basis, in order to ensure a good
health condition both for the pet and for you. Additionally, dogs and cats will
have to be spanned or neutered when they reach the proper age, to avoid uncontrolled
increase in numbers.
3. A pet is not a toy that can be
forgotten in a corner as soon as the child is bored with it, a pet is a soul
that needs a lot of attention, care and love. That is why it is very important
that you give your child responsibilities he or she can fulfill, according to
their age – these responsibilities can be feeding the pet, taking it out for a
walk, cleaning the water if it’s a fish, or brushing their fur if it’s a mammal.
If the child does lose interest in the pet, you, the parents, will be the ones
that will have to take care of everything the pet needs, from food to grooming
and playing.
4. A pet will melt your heart with its
sweetness, will amuse you with his stunts, but will drive you nuts when it will
repeatedly break things around the house, will make a mess or a lot of noise
when it wants food, playing or attention. Consequently, you will have to train
yourselves and the little ones to have a lot of patience and to understand that
a pet does these things without intent. That there is always a legitimate
reason behind its behavior: hunger, pain, the fear to be left alone, the joy to
see you, curiosity and desire to explore, the need to consume its energy – much
as a small kid :)
5. When you leave on holiday, you must
have a plan B. Some pets travel very well, but others are noisy all along the
journey, they are sick or, stressed by the trip or by the change in their environment,
they stay hidden all the time or become aggressive once you get to the holiday
destination or back home. A good option would be to have trusted friends that
could either help you temporarily hosting and taking care of your pet at their
place, or that could come to your place and take care of the pet as often as
needed.
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| Image source: http://www.chicagonow.com |
Therefore, before taking a pet as a gift you have to consider very well
if you have the necessary financial means, the time and the availability to
take care of a pet as well, to teach your little kid how to treat your new
family member.
If the answer to these questions is a positive one, then a pet can be
the ideal Christmas gift for your little one. And if you do decide to take this
step, choose to adopt a stray animal. Thus, you will not only have the joy of
having a play mate that will love you and your kid unconditionally, but you
will also have the satisfaction of saving an innocent soul. Not to mention that
you will have a pet of unique race :)