November 29, 2009

Dear Obie,
I was thinking about getting my friend a kitten for Christmas, but I've heard a lot of people say that giving someone a pet for Christmas, or any other holiday, is a bad idea. What's your opinion of this?
Signed, Martin
Shaw, Oregon

Dear Martin,
There are several reasons why I am against the idea of giving an animal to someone as a surprise gift. And one of my main reasons is because I believe the selection of a pet has to be a personal decision. A human needs to select a cat, dog, ferret, bird, or whichever animal they choose, based on their own emotions and wants. You may pick out the cutest Siamese kitten you've ever seen only to find that your friend has always wanted a Calico. Oops!

I have heard several knowledgeable people say that choosing a pet for someone else is a little like arranging a marriage. For either relationship to work, there has to be genuine attraction. Without that initial spark, and a developing love, it will never work out!

Certain people are drawn to certain animals, just like certain people are drawn to certain other people. For a successful and long-lasting relationship to develop between a human and an animal, the human needs to select the animal that best suits them.

My second reason for disliking the idea of giving an animal for a holiday gift is that the holidays are crazy and hectic. People are coming and going, there is a lot of activity and confusion, and to bring a new pet into chaos is never a good idea. Remember, when a cat or dog or any animal enters a new home, it is a scary time for them. Everything is new, and strange. There are new people, new smells, new sounds, and even new animals. It is frightening!

When a new pet is brought into a home, there needs to be a time of bonding. The new pet needs to learn about its new home, including the rules and routines of the house. It needs to settle in, get comfortable, find its rhythm in the larger sphere of its surroundings. And the human needs to be able to give attention and love to the pet, helping it to settle into its new home. The holidays, with all of the hustle and bustle, is not the right time for calmness and serenity, and in many cases, the end result is behavioral issues that the humans don't have time to deal with.

Did you know that the busiest time of year at animal shelters across the U.S. is in the days and weeks right after major holidays? That is the time when all the animals given as gifts are dropped off at shelters because "it didn't work out." That's really sad!

Third, and most importantly, it has to be the right time for your friend to take a new animal into his or her life. They have to be fully prepared, emotionally and otherwise, to make a commitment to a new animal that could last for two decades! They have to be ready to take full responsibility for the health and welfare of that animal.

If you feel that your friend is ready for a new pet, instead of buying them one as a surprise, arrange a trip to a local shelter or reputable breeder. Offer to help with adoption fees as your gift, or buy bowls, toys, etc. But let your friend choose the animal. Your friend needs to be fully involved in the selection of their pet for it to work for both of them.

An adorable puppy or cute kitten is a really neat surprise on Christmas morning, but so is a stuffed bear or a good book! And if your friend decides to take the bear or book back to the store, it won't create an emotional trauma for the bear or book, or for your friend!

So, please, don't give animals as gifts unless the recipient is fully involved in the process.

Your friend,
Obie

*****

I am really proud of my human daddy! His fourth book, "Never Cross the Everglades with an Angry Howler Monkey," is being released in January 2010, and he has just been hired as a Cat Caregiver at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. My sister, Meeshka, claims she taught him everything he knows about cats, but we both know he really learned it all from me! Congratulations, dad!