Pets For Christmas: Everything You Need To Know

Pets For Christmas: Everything You Need To Know

Pets can be a fantastic Christmas gift for everyone, however, giving the gift of a pet has often received a lot of controversies, you know the saying a dog is for life not just for Christmas’ right? And this is because over the years people have notoriously given up their dogs just days after Christmas. According to the Dog’s Trust in the UK, in 2016 they received a shocking 3,596 calls from people looking to give up their dogs in the weeks after Christmas. It was one call every five minutes. The trust cited some of the worst reasons for giving up a dog: 

  1. Winning a free holiday and being unable to take the dogs with them
  2. Being a vegetarian and the dog only wanting to eat meat
  3. Getting him as Secret Santa present
  4. The dog was too friendly and wanted to greet every dog and human they met on a walk
  5. The dog was panting too much
  6. He didn’t like playing dress-up
  7. She slept in her own bed all night and didn’t want to sleep in the owner’s bed

These seven reasons alone show that not everyone understands what a big decision and a commitment it is to have a dog or any pet in fact getting a pet is not just something you should do on or whim or give as a gift to someone without discussing it with them at length first. 

Pets For Christmas Everything You Need To KnowThere are definitely some positives to getting a new pet over the holiday season, for example, you will have more time to settle them into your home and start forming strong bonds as you and your family will be off work and school. It’s also good to have the whole family involved when you first get your new pet and make sure everyone gets their cuddle time as well as knows their responsibilities. 

There are a number of pets you could get for Christmas or any time of year, and each one will require its own unique set of needs and research prior to bringing it home. If you do choose to get a pet over the Christmas period you need to remember that it might be harder to get to a vet if you need to or a pet shop. So, aside from the basics such as food, water, and a place for your pet to sleep, what else do you need to know so that you’re not alarmed when you bring them home?

Reptiles

Pets For Christmas Everything You Need To Know

There are some amazing types of reptiles that make perfect pets (*affiliate link)for those who like them and luckily, they are actually great pets to get for Christmas as the wrapping paper and Christmas dinner won’t bother them. You’ll need to be prepared though with everything you need and you’ll need to do your research so that you’re not frantically googling on Christmas day ‘Why Is My Bearded Dragons Beard Black?’ Reptiles have a quiet and calm nature and make wonderful pets, just make sure you’re prepared for one before you bring it home. 

Rabbits

Pets For Christmas: Everything You Need To KnowRabbits make excellent beginner pets (*affiliate link) and if you’re thinking of getting one for Christmas then you’ll make your child’s day. Just bear in mind that it is winter and you’ll need to keep your rabbit somewhere warm. Rabbits are also among the quietest pets to own and won’t bark or meow at you to demand your attention. However, they are very sociable and friendly animals and they will be cheeky and ask for attention and treats. You can also teach them to do tricks. Just remember on Christmas day, there will be lots going on and wrapping paper and fairy lights for them to chew, so if you are going to introduce a rabbit to your home on Christmas day itself then be gentle with it and keep a watchful eye on it. 

With so many animals, it’s difficult to go through them all but if you are certain that you’re going to get a pet for Christmas then go with a small pet that is easy to look after. If you’re adamant that you want to get a cat then it might be a better idea to wait until after Christmas. The reason for this is that there is so much going on at Christmas and it can actually be a dangerous time for them. They could eat the Christmas decorations, chew through the fairy light wires, get scared when you have visitors over, get ill from eating chocolates, and generally find it difficult to settle. 

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