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Chattahoochee Animal Clinic is open and ready to serve you and your pet during the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that pets get sick and they need our care. CAC does not currently have restricted hours and know that we remain committed to providing that care.

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Chattahoochee Animal Clinic
Menu
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Pet Portal
  • New Pet Patients
    • Online Forms
    • What To Expect
    • Veterinary Resources & Links
    • Payment Options
  • Hours
  • Chattahoochee Animal Clinic Blog
  • About Us
    • Veterinary Services
    • Meet Our Veterinary Team
    • Take a Tour of Our Facility
    • CAC Videos
  • CAC Clinic Specials
  • Camp CAC - Dog & Cat Boarding
  • Testimonials
  • Specialty Referrals
  • CAC Community Happenings & Outreach
  • Local Business Recommendations & Links
  • Professional Grooming
  • Ask The Animal Technician
  • Veterinary Topics
    • Pet Health
      • Chronic Conditions
      • Digestive and Oral Health
      • Diseases and Viruses
      • Pests and Parasites
      • Orthopedics
    • Today's Veterinarian
    • Choosing Your Pet
      • Finding Your Pet
      • Cats
      • Dogs
      • Exotics
        • Amphibians
        • Birds
        • Reptiles
          • Lizards
          • Turtles
      • Small Mammals
        • Ferrets
        • Rabbits
        • Domesticated Animals
          • Prairie Dogs
        • Pocket Pets
          • Chinchillas
          • Guinea Pigs
          • Hamsters
          • Hedgehogs
          • Rats
      • Livestock
        • Cows
        • Donkeys, Horses & Mules
        • Goats
        • Pigs
        • Poultry
        • Sheep
    • Living With Your Pet
      • Bringing Your Pet Home
      • Children and Pets
      • Providing Care
      • Travel
      • Saying Goodbye
    • Newsletter Library
      • Tips for Pet Owners
      • Seasonal Topics
      • Nutrition & Food
      • Recognizing Illness
      • Visiting the Vet
      • Equine
      • Cats
      • Keeping Pets Healthy
      • Fleas & Parasites
      • Pet Dangers
      • Behavior & Training
      • Newsletter Archive
        • Fun with Pets
        • Unbelievable Pets
    • Video Newsroom
      • Health Topics
      • Technology and Science
      • Other Interests
    • Client Survey
    • Pets4Kids
  • COVID-19 CLINIC UPDATES
  • Telemedicine
Chattahoochee Animal Clinic

Puppies and Kittens as Holiday Gifts?

  • Created in Video Newsroom, Other Interests
Image of puppies sitting in a room.

Christmas time advertisements often picture a happy family with a bright eyed, ribbon adorned puppy licking the children's faces. But, is giving a pet as a gift likely to create a winter wonderland or a potential blue Christmas?

It may be an honored and even adorable holiday tradition, but animal experts and animal lovers alike all agree that puppies and kittens should not make an ideal gift for the season.

Although giving a pet as a present is often portrayed in movies, art, and literature as a thoughtful, even romantic gesture, groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and even many veterinarians point out a variety of reasons why animals do not make good gifts.

Animal behaviorists point out that a crucial socialization period for puppies and kittens often happens between seven and twelve weeks of age. Fears and avoidance behavior learned at this time can be difficult to overcome. It is easy to see that the chaos of holiday noise, seldom seen relatives, and even, irregular hours for the family could potentially be a scary situation for a new puppy recently removed from his familiar mom and siblings.

Besides the effects on the pet, animal experts point out that the Christmas season provides many other detriments to giving a puppy or kitten as a gift. Limited hours by many veterinarians, weather related concerns, and even the short attention span of some children can all have a negative effect on the pet and its relationship with the family. Statistics quoted by humane groups show that a large percentage of holiday pets will not live to see a second Christmas.

Choosing to give a pet as a holiday gift is a tradition that many animal groups would like to see disappear.