This is the time of year when so many people are trying to think up thoughtful gifts for loved ones, the question comes up about whether it’s all right to give cats or dogs as gifts. The prevailing wisdom is that this is a bad idea because the recipient is likely not to be as attached to a pet that they didn’t pick out themselves, and most shelters and rescue groups don’t like to adopt out pets as gifts for fear of seeing them relinquished back again.
Studies of shelter statistics over the past fifteen years on the subject have actually shown that these fears are unfounded, and that relinquishment of previously-gifted dogs and cats to shelters is actually lower than from other sources. Odds of a cat being relinquished to a shelter were higher when the cat was acquired from a shelter, as a stray, or from a pet shop than receiving the cat as a gift.
A survey of animal shelter intakes found that “unwanted gift” was listed as a reason for only .04% of cats entering the shelters surveyed, compared with “allergies in family” listed as a reason for 18% of cats relinquished. Cats adopted from shelters are actually more at risk of being relinquished than pets given as gifts.
The vast majority of the survey respondents in the a 2013 ASPCA study who had received a pet as a gift said that it didn’t hurt their love or attachment to the pet, over half said that it increased their love for their pet. People actually believed they had stronger feelings for their pet because he or she had been a gift.
With shelters and rescues overwhelmed with homeless cats, does this surprising information make you wonder whether animal shelters and other rescue organizations can safely rethink their policies on giving pets as gifts?
Reference: MPDI, Should Dogs and Cats be Given as Gifts?
Photo credit: depositphotos/45arseiy
This is really surprising! Although maybe it shouldn’t be – the cat BEFORE the cat before Sparkle was a gift from a friend, and he lived with my human for 18 years (his whole life, IOW).
I think it totally depends on the humans involved and the desire to love a kitty!
Only fer the right Bein…
We think it depends on the humans and whether they wanted a pet in the first place. But these are interesting statistics.
I think gifting is a good idea… Alex was a gift and look at how loved he was….
This was surprising!
Give a animal as a gift can be a grreat idea , as long as you don´t give my mom-person a Duck 🙂
XOXO
I think it’s okay to gift a pet when you know it’s 100% wanted. Everyone I know who has received a pet as a gift has taken good care of it.
Really interesting information. When Dad worked on the weekends with his rescue group this was one thing they always thought about over the holidays and even suggested to a fer persons to rethink giving a cat-gift. This is good to know
Timmy and Dad
Interesting….though we wonder how many of the allergy returns were gifts. Under the right circumstances, we think it may be ok, but with everything else going on at holidays, our rescue still suggests buy the supplies and a gift certificate for the adoption fee and come back in after the excitement of the holidays dies downs a little (and the tree is put away – MOL).
That’s really interesting ! But we still think that shelters are right in their policies : it’s maybe thanks to it that so few cats are relinquished back again. Purrs
Very interesting article. No numbers on how many animals given as gifts don’t make it to shelters, those numbers would be impossible to get probably. Generally we think it’s a lousy idea to give us as gifts, we ain’t commodities, we are living, breathing beings. Also, gift giving times for humans tend to be noisy and stressful for all, so not the best time to give anything living a new home.
Luff
Mungo
Some people would love a pet as a gift – but not all.
Well here at my house we think a pet is a very personal gift and should be picked out by the person who will love and care for the pet.
Hugs madi your bfff
One time my brother and I got my Mom a JRT because hers had gone OTRB. I had to travelled to find a JRT breeder and all she wanted was a puppy. I was very hesitant to do this as picking out a pet is such a personal decision. But when I put the puppy in her arms it was instant love.
I’m wonderin’ how many peeps sayin’ they have allergies actually have allergies, you know? Peeps lie. Peeps lie all the time. I kinda think that maybe some peeps say they ‘have allergies’ because they think that sounds good. They’ll have a cat for ten, fifteen years and then, all of a sudden, develop ‘allergies.’ Peeps should learn to be honest ESPECIALLY around Christmas.
Purrs,
Nissy
The shelter I volunteer with is having an adoption discount all month but are very selective who they adopt to. That makes all the difference. I also have written extensively about making cats happy during the holiday.
That is pretty surprising. Still, I’d rather let a kitty choose me than for someone to give me a kitty as a gift. I always recommend that if people want to give a pet as a gift that they go with the recipient to the shelter and let the recipient choose the pet and then the gifter can pay the adoption fee. That or get a gift certificate to the shelter and allow the recipient to go when they are ready and choose their companion. 🙂
Wow, very interesting stats. We hadn’t heard this. We agree, though, that it depends upon the humans.
I’m pretty sure our local city shelter (where everybody except me and Mom come from) discourages it but instead offers a gift certificate for adoption.
Whoa! I never woulda guessed that. I bet if I was a gift from someone TW really loved, she’d love me more.
I think if a kitty or puppy is what the person really really wanted, I would want to give them a certificate for adoption fees paid, so they can pick out their own love (or have one pick them).
A pet as a gift for any reason can always be successful when everyone agrees to it. I’m just not sure the holidays with all the unusual activities is the best time for a new pet. But, people are home for the holidays and maybe it allows them to spend more time with a new addition.
This doesn’t address how many of these gifted pets end up being abandoned to the streets! Hope this statistic is super low as well. Ho, ho, ho, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo