Pets for Christmas
by: Summer Fey Foovay
Pets for Christmas Presents
In general, pets as Christmas presents are a very bad idea. Both for the pet, and for the person receiving the pet. Adopting an animal into the family is very much like having a child. You would not just hand someone a baby for Christmas!
Christmas is a time when families get together. There is a lot of joyful chaos and people rushing here and there with many things to do. In all this, it is very easy to forget the puppy needs a walk, or there is a tiny kitten underfoot who is constantly getting stepped on. In all the confusion new responsibilities can easily be forgotten, such as walking or feeding the puppy.
Animals, and especially young animals, thrive on routine. They like to be fed at a certain time and in a certain place, and often a certain food. Holidays can be hard even on seasoned pets as strangers invade their space and special occasions disturb their daily routine.
For a young animal, this bedlam, however cheerful, can make it seem like they?ve just arrived in a very bad place. Their mother and the brothers and sisters they know, the caretaker humans who are so familiar to them, all of them have somehow disappeared and been replaced by a gang of strangers. All their familiar routines are disrupted. They have to become accustomed to a new place to sleep, a new food, new place to eat, a new time to eat, and, of course, when and where they are allowed to go to the bathroom. How overwhelming this must be for a young animal!
For the person who receives the pet, and their family it can be equally difficult. They may or may not have wanted the pet at all. It is not uncommon for a child to beg for a pet that is inappropriate or that their family is unwilling or unable to care for. If they get a puppy from Auntie for Christmas, by New Years the puppy may find itself at the Animal Shelter waiting to die, or abandoned somewhere to suffer a slower and more painful death. Never give a pet for Christmas unless you are absolutely sure that the entire family, everyone living in the home the pet is going to, welcomes the new addition.
With the best intentions in the world, a child will beg for a pet and promise to care for it. But children are not in complete control of their worlds or their time. They are still exploring their likes and dislikes, and the puppy that was so important to them last week may be forgotten this week. Playing and walking the puppy might become too time consuming once soccer season begins. Children are also not generally aware of the financial facts of life and pets need vet care, food, toys, shelter, and all of these things cost money. Money their parents may or may not have to spare.
Another problem often occurs when someone other than the family chooses a pet. Perhaps you like very hyper, happy dogs, but the family in question prefers a nice, quiet animal. The puppy you would choose is a wonderful puppy ? but not the right puppy for them! Both the animal and the family will be unhappy. The family is faced with dealing with a dog they do not like very much, or disposing of him either by finding a more compatible home - or again, off to the Shelter to die.
A special note about ponies. Every horse person, every animal shelter, has seen their share of the horrible misery that ponies endure at the hands of ignorant or neglectful owners. Ponies, and horses, take a great deal more care than smaller pets. Just because someone has moved into a new home ?with room for a pony? does not mean that they have the knowledge and funds to care for such a high maintenance animal.
For the child who is begging for a pony, I suggest that you find a local stable that gives riding lessons. The most responsible ones will also include horsemanship in their training. That is, information about caring for a horse or pony. The child will learn about shoeing, regular vet care, the importance of regular feeding and many other things necessary for the well being of a horse or pony. They will also learn just how much work is really involved! A gift certificate for several months worth of riding lessons will allow the family involved to find out just what they are getting into, and if their interest and finances are up to it.
Perhaps you have considered all of these things, and know the family truly wants a pet. Still, the holidays are a very chaotic time, a terrible time to make a new family addition. Here is my suggestion. Instead of buying the puppy, kitten, pony or ferret ? purchase one of those wonderful small plush toy versions of the animal. Pack it into a pretty package with a certificate you can draw up or print on your computer that says ?this little puppy is to hold the place in your heart for the real puppy who will arrive (and a good date you have chosen after consulting with the family)? After the holidays the entire family and the gift giver can go together to chose the pet they desire. Then the family will gain a new member who is completely compatible with them and their needs at a time when they are best able to greet this new family addition and see to the animals needs as well.
About The Author
Article copyright Summer Fey Foovay. Summer is an artist, author, and webdesigner with a lifetime of experience in loving and caring for animals both professionally and at home. More of her work can be found at http://demented-pixie.com.
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Top Ten Baby Presents - Buy Baby Gift Items That Are Needed
Top Ten Baby Presents - Buy Baby Gift Items That Are Needed
by: Isaac Rubens
It is always difficult to come up with ideas regarding what to get when you need to buy baby gift items. Baby gifts are as much for the mother as for the baby since there are many items that a mother could use but cannot necessarily afford to buy.
So, the next time a baby shower, a birthday party or a christening has to be attended, use the following list of ten ideas to buy baby gift items that will make an impression:
Top Ten Baby Gifts
Baby Toys - These are baby gifts that will never go out of style, and can be actually enjoyed by the baby instead of the parents.
There are baby toys that are specifically designed for certain age groups.
So, all one has to do is go to the market and buy a toy that is made for the appropriate age, which is put up on the cover or packing of the toy.
But the best and the most liked baby toy is...
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by: Kirsten Hawkins
If you're looking for the perfect gift for the parents-to-be, nothing comes close to the gift of a wearable baby. Years ago, the only way to take your baby along was in a stroller or pram, or to carry her in your arms. All that changed with the introduction of the soft baby carrier, a way to carry your baby and still leave your arms and hands free for other things.
Wearable babies are not a concept new to this culture. Native American women carried their babies on papoose boards on their backs, or tucked close against their bodies with a swath of deerskin. In many countries, babies are tucked into sling carriers - pleated lengths of cloth that tie over one shoulder and support the baby against the opposite hip. There's little doubt in anyone's mind that babies who are 'snugli'd' are happier and more comfortable with being put down when it's time to put them down.
Snugli, the name brand soft baby carrier...
Wearing Your Baby
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April Celebrities Share The Diamond Birthstone With You
April Celebrities Share The Diamond Birthstone With You
by: Sher Matsen
If you are still young enough to admit you have birthdays and your birthday falls in April then you already know the diamond is April?s birthstones.
Celebrities who already have a love affair with diamonds are even more apt to be seen wearing diamonds if their birthday is in April.
There are many April celebrities that share the diamond birthstone with you.
But did you know that the diamond is also deep in mystical powers from ancient times?
It is said to enhance ones competence, trust and love relationships.
Diamonds also have a long history in their medicinal qualities.
During ancient times diamonds were believed to heal illness.
Diamonds were first placed into the bed to warm the diamond to enhance their healing qualities.
It is even said that over the centuries Cupid?s arrows were tipped in diamonds...
April Celebrities Share The Diamond Birthstone With You
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The Holiday Crunch?Are You Ready??
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by: Kerry Flinders
The holidays can be hectic and stressful. But honestly, they don?t have to be. If you put an organized plan in place to help you get through the holidays you will find that you are less stressed out than you ever imagined.
For children the holidays seem to take forever to arrive. The time between Thanksgiving and all the holidays in December goes by at a snails pace. But as the parents, the adults, we know full well that the time between Thanksgiving and the December holidays flies by at the speed of sound.
Only yesterday my kids and husband informed me that this is their last week of school and work before all of them have 2 weeks off for the holiday. That means that Christmas is less than two weeks away. Unbelievable.
So, with the holidays beating down on our doors how are we to get through the entire season calmly and with a holiday spring in our step? The answer is organization.
If...
The Holiday Crunch?Are You Ready??
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Wake up Homer Simpson!
Wake up Homer Simpson!
by: Gary Durkin
It amazed me way back, and it still amazes me today. Just how many Homer Simpsons there are on the internet.
Don?t get me wrong, I love ?The Simpsons?.
I?ve been responsible for a few ?Homer-isms? in my time, especially after I?ve had a few Duff Beers!
But nothing to the extent I have seen online (and off) over the years?.. and I?ve seen a lot believe me.
Only today, I was with some friends and the conversation moved to ?making money? (as it does!). One of them announced that he had just invested in a fantastic scheme on the internet, which said he would make over $50,000 in next to no time, with a simple investment of just $250 ? and he had absolutely nothing to do.
Some of you will be thinking, ?Yeah, that?s sounds similar to the one I am with??.
Others will be thinking ?IDIOT! Not possible?
For those who think it?s a good deal - you are HOMER SIMPSON.
For those...
Wake up Homer Simpson!
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New-fangled CD Label Printer
New-fangled CD Label Printer
by: Kristine Llabres
Have you been exposed with the conventional way of having your CD labeled? Well, that old way of printing labels especially for CD?s were very labor extensive. It requires long working hours, enough man power to do the pasting and cutting plus the high cost of labeling it.
With the old method, one had to print onto the sheets first the special label paper afterwards another person should remove the labels...
Gift basket Pets for Christmas New-fangled CD Label Printer photo printers
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Unsecured Personal Loans
Unsecured Personal Loans
by: Matthew Bourne
Unsecured personal loans are personal loans designed to be undertaken without the need to secure the loans against collateral, such as a property or a car. This makes unsecured personal loans ideal for people who do not own their own home and for people who have no other type of collateral to secure personal loans against.
The extent of borrowing on unsecured personal loans is generally less than on secured personal...
Unsecured Personal Loans
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Some Great Ideas on Staying Fit
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by: Helen Murtha
Physical exercise is something that you need to do on a regular basis. If you?re looking for examples of great fitness exercises to try out, you?ll find them on our site.
A regular exercise program of either running, walking, cycling, swimming, aerobics or any other physical exercise helps to improve the efficiency of the human body in many ways. A healthy exercise regimen can help strengthen the body physically,...
Some Great Ideas on Staying Fit Gift basket
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