{"id":144,"date":"2016-12-12T16:09:06","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T21:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/?p=144"},"modified":"2016-12-12T16:09:06","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T21:09:06","slug":"giving-a-pet-as-a-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Giving a Pet as a Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-large wp-image-145\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/iStock-495786206-2000x1334.jpg\" alt=\"bulldog at the Christmas tree\" width=\"50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/iStock-495786206-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/iStock-495786206-1500x1001.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/iStock-495786206-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/>Giving a pet as a gift\u00a0is a wonderful holiday idea for the animal lover in your life. Here are some tips for giving a dog, cat or other animal as a gift this season!<\/p>\n<h3>Should You Give a Pet as a Present?<\/h3>\n<p>Every animal is a gift. During the holidays, however, people start wondering if they should give a pet as a present. Of course, when faced with a holiday gift list it\u2019s natural to try to hone in on what the recipient likes. If you have an animal lover in your midst, it may seem like a no-brainer to match them with a new pet.<\/p>\n<p>Arranging an adoption for someone else can have excellent results, but sometimes a few alternatives can better serve your holiday gift recipient.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>First Things First<\/h3>\n<p>Pet ownership is a real \u2013 and deeply felt \u2013 commitment. While giving a pet as a present can thrill and delight the recipient, it\u2019s possible that those feelings can diminish once the real tasks are recognized.<\/p>\n<p>A truly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/responsible-pet-owner\/\">responsible pet owner<\/a> understands that a pet\u2019s needs go beyond the basics (food, bedding, toys, and so on), which makes the commitment to support long-term health and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/dogs-and-cats\/pet-wellness-care-exams.html\">wellness<\/a> a must. You may absorb the initial cost of adoption, but your recipient must be able to meet all of the future needs of the pet.<\/p>\n<p>A pet as a gift may very well be the perfect idea for your friend or relative, but it\u2019s important to remember that choosing an animal can be quite personal.<\/p>\n<h3>Alternatives to Giving a Pet as a Present<\/h3>\n<p>If you see a potential for responsible pet ownership in a family member or friend, there may be \u00a0other ways you can honor that \u201cspecial spark\u201d. Instead of deciding on a live animal that you think he or she will love, consider these alternatives:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Offer learning tools, such as books, magazines, or videos that show how to care for a particular species.<\/li>\n<li>For a young person, give a plush toy that resembles the animal he or she would want or books about what that live animal would require as a pet.<\/li>\n<li>Give the necessary supplies, such as crate, travel kennel, bird cage, heat lamp, bedding, toys, food, collar, leash, litter box, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Include the individual in the adoption process. Provide a gift certificate that allows him or her to choose the perfect pet (when the time is right).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Other Joyful Ideas<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes, a proven animal lover already has a pet at home (or several), and receiving a new one as a gift can challenge an existing dynamic. In that case, may we suggest:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Making a donation to an animal shelter or rescue in your gift recipient\u2019s name<\/li>\n<li>Giving pet-safe toys, food puzzles, interactive feeders, or new gear<\/li>\n<li>Offering your help or services, such as a weekly walk or assistance with waste removal<\/li>\n<li>Providing gift cards or certificates to help with wellness exams, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/boarding-grooming\/grooming.html\">grooming<\/a> sessions, dental care, or even pet insurance costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Happy Holidays!<\/h3>\n<p>We hope that we\u2019ve helped you regarding giving a pet as a present. Another worthwhile opportunity might be fostering a pet to see if an adoption is the right choice for all involved.<\/p>\n<p>Our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/staff\/\">doctors and staff members<\/a> at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/\">Ten West Bird and Animal Hospital<\/a> are always pleased to meet a new furry or feathered friend. We hope you\u2019ll <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/about-us\/contact-us.html\">let us know<\/a> if you have any questions or concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Giving a pet as a gift\u00a0is a wonderful holiday idea for the animal lover in your life. Here are some tips for giving a dog, cat or other animal as a gift this season! Should You Give a Pet as a Present? Every animal is a gift. During the holidays, however, people start wondering if [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,78],"tags":[85,84,83,82],"class_list":["post-144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-safety","category-pet-friendly-holidays","tag-animals-as-presents","tag-gifts-of-pets","tag-giving-a-pet-as-a-gift","tag-pet-friendly-gifts"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tips for Giving a Pet as a Gift<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Giving a pet as a gift is a wonderful holiday idea for the animal lover in your life. Here are some tips for giving a dog, cat or other animal as a gift this season!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tips for Giving a Pet as a Gift\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Giving a pet as a gift is a wonderful holiday idea for the animal lover in your life. Here are some tips for giving a dog, cat or other animal as a gift this season!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ten West Bird &amp; Animal Hospital\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-12-12T21:09:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/iStock-495786206-2000x1334.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1334\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ten West Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ten West Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ten West Staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4ddce8495cc8029a1ced1cf24660c26d\"},\"headline\":\"Tips for Giving a Pet as a Gift\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-12-12T21:09:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":578,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/iStock-495786206-2000x1334.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Animals As Presents\",\"Gifts Of Pets\",\"Giving A Pet As A Gift\",\"Pet-Friendly Gifts\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Pet Safety\",\"Pet-Friendly Holidays\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tips for Giving a Pet as a Gift\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/giving-a-pet-as-a-gift\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/iStock-495786206-2000x1334.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-12-12T21:09:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tenwestvet.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4ddce8495cc8029a1ced1cf24660c26d\"},\"description\":\"Giving a pet as a gift is a wonderful holiday idea for the animal lover in your life. 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