Ranting, one day present pets

[punk-a-doodle]

<rant> Usually these sorts of things don't get to me as, by far, most people I know are responsible pet owners. Plus, the one or two irresponsible pet owners I know are irresponsible any day of the year, not just for Christmas. These two online local ads just killed me though. Both were posted on Christmas day.

(Keep in mind this post is about Holland lops.) "Cute bunnies that we just got our kids for Christmas, but they are a bit too big for my young ones.
Both males, they are about 4-5 lbs.
Friendly...I got them from a gal that had kids and held them everyday.
Come get them!"

"Hi I got my daughter a rat for Christmas ,but I dont think I can handle dealing with a rat right now . She is white and 4 or 5 months old. She is very nice and friendly. She loves to be out of her cage . I just think right now my daughter is to young. I think I may wait tell she is older. text if u r interested. Comes with cage,food ,bedding,toys and ect.
NOT A FEEDER RAT! ONLY A PET"

I guess what irks me especially, is in both cases, the people who bought them are the ones trying to rehome them, and because pet rats are some of the most inexpensive (well, unless the females get mammary tumors) and easy to care for pets around. </rant>

 

[MaryMouse]

Very legitamit rant!!!

 

[Alicia G]

I completely agree

 

[Imp]

It's too bad for the animals that they didn't find their forever homes, but at least the adults recognised it within hours of Christmas and are rehoming them.
Would be far worse if the kept them, or dumped them.

Imp

 

[punk-a-doodle]

It's too bad for the animals that they didn't find their forever homes, but at least the adults recognised it within hours of Christmas and are rehoming them.
Would be far worse if the kept them, or dumped them.

Definitely. I'm actually pretty supportive of rehoming...just have to question the brain activity power level upon purchase in these cases.

 

[Oregon Blues]

That's my biggest objection to giving animals as pets. You rarely know whether or not the recipient actually wants a pet, and there is no way to know if the recipient and the pet will jell together. People who genuinely want an animal should pick out their own pet to make sure personalities match.

So, the kids weren't thrilled with their Christmas animals. At least they won't be left neglected in a cage to starve because no one wants to take care of them. My preference is to not see anyone giving live animals as gifts. But the second choice is to see the animals swiftly re-homed when they aren't wanted.

My first rabbits came from a family that had the stupid idea that rabbits would be adorable pets for a couple of hyperactive toddlers. It took months for the rabbits to get over being neurotic and convinced someone would hurt them. But on the positive side, at least the people had the decency to get them into a good home and were careful about it, not just handing them over to the first caller.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Aye, again, my issue is not rehoming when something doesn't work out (again, I'm fairly supportive of rehoming), it is with the original purchase and thought put into it.

Both cases were the original purchasers expressing their concerns, with no input if the children actually did not like the animals (or are old enough to even show like and dislike). I have seen people buy rabbits and rats for babies before, so I am purposefully not weighing in on what the kids thought of it all.

Ie. If your daughter is too young to handle a pet, don't buy a pet you feel you can't possibly handle yourself. Even if the kid does like it, the adult needs to be resposible for their purchase and living animals within their home. Hopefully that clarifies my post more.

 

[dainerra]

I wouldn't doubt that they will give them away to the first person who agrees to take them.

I hate pets given as gifts as well. Of course, Singe was a gift from my husband, but I did all the legwork myself and the breeder made the match of what dog was best for us.
The weeks leading up to Christmas was a mess at Wal-Mart with the parking lot always full of people selling puppies out of the back of trucks - labs, mutts, -doodles of all sorts. Positively revolting.

The same thing happens every Easter with bunnies and baby chicks, most of which don't live long enough to find new homes. And let's not forget the people who think it would be better to just turn the unwanted bunnies loose in the wild

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I'm actually cool with pets as gifts if they are either:
-in the form of am I-owe-U coupon or pet supplies and the person recieving the animal gets to pick it out (my husband got his ringneck dove from me in this way)
-if the person recieving the animal absolutely, no question about it, will love it and/or be responsible for it. (ie. as a kid, I recieved a guinea pig, and I was the type of kid who would have looked after him even if I didn't actually get along with him. Thankfully though, he was an awesome pet! I also recieved a weird beetle that way that the sender thought was dead, and some stick insects! I learned everything I could about them since I wasn't expecting them, but I also know I wasn't a typical or normal kid, haha).

But I definitely agree that letting the reciever pick out the animal is by far the smartest move, and only as a non-impulse buy.

Oh man, releasing them drives me nuts too. Especially when you see angora rabbits and such released who get so matted they die if not found, or alternatively, animals who do very well and pose problems for native wildlife.

 

[MaryMouse]

All the above, plus the not so obvious. Children learn by example. What example is the parent teacheing the child? My father had a sling of real doozie live in girl friends after the divorce with my mom. He had a child with one of them. (my 1/2 sis) Anyways they had a repetitive cycle. Get a kitten, always female of course, have 2-3 litters, keep 1 female of course, ditch the rest on area farmers etc., that female has 2-3 litters keep one, female, ditch the rest, yeah I think you all get the idea. This no responseability method is not a good lesson for the kids. It is teaching them pets are disposable and no, you dont have to be responseable after we get them. Rehoming is way better than keepping them and then neglecting them.