Please don't buy pets as presents this Christmas unless you are sure the pet will be properly cared for as long as it lives.
Pets bought on a whim as presents usually end up dumped and dead. The purchase needs careful and humane consideration because a creature's life can be at stake.
Sure a pretty kitten or playful puppy is initially a big hit with a family but they can also become a nuisance when it comes to cleaning up after them or repairing the damage they can cause in a home.
Who is actually going to care for the pet – clean it, clean it's mess, walk it, feed it, tolerate its howling and most of all love it? Who is going to be its carer for all the years it lives?
I mention this because Christmas time is one of the worst for animals. Once the novelty wears off many pets are simply dumped by their new owners. They usually end up in animal shelters and if nobody buys them after a certain period they are killed.
Others simply roam the streets and get run over by traffic, starve to death or get captured for laboratories to experiment with.
Pets are not toys. They are living creatures with needs and feelings. A proper relationship with a pet is a long term one and needs a responsible and humane approach.
Think of all the love and devotion a pet gives you , whether its a animal or a bird. A pet will bring you companionship and happiness and you can give it the same, plus your protection.
Please don't let them be like silly presents that are dumped when a child gets bored with them.
