Jules wrote:
>Deciding that they can get a puppy, they decide to wait til christmas
>to give it to Jr.  That's a good situation.  Not all situations where
>animals are given as gifts are bad.  A lot of parents, who have kids who
>genuinely want a rabbit, will wait until easter to get it for their
>kids.  If the family has given forethought to the animal, it is a good
>situation.
 
One of the problems with giving an animal as a gift -- even if everyone
has done their homework & is on the same page -- is that the animal the
gift-giver chooses might not be the animal the gift-receiver would
choose.  Animal companionship is a personal thing.  Two different people
can choose two different ferrets from the same litter.  So if you choose
the puppy/kitten/ferret for another person, that puppy/kitten/ferret
might be great for you, but is not necessarily one the other person would
have chosen.  Much better to give a gift certificate stating that you
will take the recipient to choose his/her own pet.
 
With children, the pet chosen should be one everyone agrees on -- because
the parents are responsible for the animal, no matter what the agreement
between parent & child (a child can feed, water, and play with animal,
but the onus of care is always on the parents -- they are responsible
for making sure the child cares properly for the animal).
 
--Mary & the Fuzz
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mary R. Shefferman and
Gabby, The Lone Modern Ferret
Ferret Information: http://www.ferretnews.com
Read my blog! http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary
Depression Information: http://www.depressionplace.com
Neat Stuff: http://www.amysdesigns.com
[Posted in FML issue 4623]