Photo by Charles Deluvio
What if I told you I have no reason? Does that mean I’m Nuts? In order to avoid that moniker let’s call it an impulse. I made a spur of the moment decision. I wonder how many kittens, puppies, turtles, rabbits and all sorts of pets get adopted that way? It was kinda like that for me. In truth I adopted 2 cats without giving it much forethought. To that end, I firmly believe they were the precursor for the people that followed in my life.
Reason, like Seasons, Change
It worked out for me, thou I don’t advise impulse adopting a pet. Ultimately it boils down to the advantages outweighing disadvantages to both. Prior to the event it pays to have thoroughly examined reasons pro and con for pet adoption. But even with that, know that Reasons, like the Seasons, Change. Unfortunately, more people return pets because the reason for adopting them wasn’t reason enough to keep them.
No Impact on Love
Photo by Brett Jordan
However, as it turns out, pets given as gifts are another story. Inga Fricke, director of Pet Retention Programs, Humane Society, USA, states, “Animals given as gifts are more likely to be kept”. The ASPCA found that 96% of people who received pets as gifts thought it either increased or had no impact on their love or attachment to that pet. A study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science pinpointed 71 different reasons dogs and cats were returned to shelters. They ranged from “aggression toward people” to “hyperactive.” A mere .3% of dogs and .4% of cats were returned because they were an unwanted gift.”
Giving a Living Being to another Living Being
I think it speaks to the importance of gift giving. Undoubtedly, people put a much greater value on gifts given from the heart. Obviously there are a lot of pros and cons to giving a living being to another living being. Cohabiting animals and humans, interrupts the natural order of things. Moreover, however minutely, a sociological, economic and environmental trifecta of change occurs. Adopt an indoor cat for example. Thereafter, that means buying, Litter Mix, Litter Liners, Litter Containers and then contending with the litter itself! So Litter Management alone hits that trifecta.
All in all, the point of sharing gifts is to bring joy and happiness to the recipient. But an unexpected bonus to Giving what’s Living, forges a bond between the Giver and newly formed family. They’ve now a vested interest in the circle of life they initiated. You might say Giving What’s Living, albeit with the best intentions, could inevitably come with strings attached but hopefully, in a good way.
Photo by William Daigneault