A cuddly puppy sitting snugly under the Christmas tree is every
child’s dream and would make any parent a hero in their child’s
eyes. But pets are a lot of work and last long after the holiday
season is over.
For anyone thinking of making a pet into a Christmas present
this year, there are many things to consider before making that
purchase.
A cuddly puppy sitting snugly under the Christmas tree is every child’s dream and would make any parent a hero in their child’s eyes. But pets are a lot of work and last long after the holiday season is over.
For anyone thinking of making a pet into a Christmas present this year, there are many things to consider before making that purchase.
“What happens is, (parents) will bring their kids in and the kids are real excited about something,” said Rainforest Pet Shop manager David Beretta. “They’ll say no, we can’t afford it, and then it ends up under the Christmas tree.”
As exciting as it may be, the buyer must be fully aware of all the responsibilities that go along with different animals before they take one home, Beretta said.
Asking a lot of questions about the care and supervision of an animal should be something everyone does when they purchase a pet, Rainforest employee Shannon Stephens said.
“If a parent picks out an animal, and it’s an animal that’s going to be too much responsibility (for the child), are they going to be willing to take care of the animal too?” she said.
While a parent may want to teach their child responsibility by learning how to take care of a pet, they still have to constantly supervise to make sure everything that needs to get done does, Beretta said.
“Parents should know better anyway,” he said, “But we do make sure to let them know, because some of them don’t realize.”
If a child is dead-set on having an animal, a parent shouldn’t buy one without making sure they know exactly what the child wants before they buy it, Beretta said.
Guessing that a child will like a certain animal is risky, because they may become tired or unhappy with it shortly, thus shirking the responsibility.
“If the kid’s not happy with it, he’s not going to take care of it,” he said. “But if you find out what he wants then he has a lot of fun – it keeps his attention.”
If a pet is bought as a present and it’s decided that it’s just not going to work out, the pet can always be returned or exchanged, Beretta said.
“We don’t like to do a Blockbuster exchange – you can’t rent an animal for a few days,” he said. “But if they can’t care for it, they can always bring it back.”
One of the best things to do before purchasing an animal is to research it, said Pet World manager Chris Buck.
“Do your research before, and then when you take it home even more so,” he said.
An animal is like a child; it takes a lot of work and responsibility, he said. A buyer needs to think long and hard before they decide to surprise someone on Christmas, especially because Pet World’s store policy is that the animals are not returnable, he said.
“We don’t want people buying these (animals) on flukes,” he said.
