It would help if you considered the work that goes before and after giving someone their new best friend under the tree. Giving dogs, cats and other pets as gifts has been a holiday talk for years. For a long time, advocates feared that pets would follow the same path as that year’s blockbuster toy: They played for a bit before ultimately being neglected. A recent study by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals provided encouraging news on the subject, showing that 96% of people who received pets as gifts said it either strengthened or had no effect about their affection for their new pet. 86 percent of them still had some at home. Tanya Ditzman of the Wisconsin Humane Society says prospective pet owners do a lot of research to ensure their adoptions are sustainable.
Experts also recommend spending plenty of time at home and minimizing your foot traffic during the holidays to help you and your pet get to know each other better and adjust to the new environment.