Rant! Pets as Presents..

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sophiew (EAGPR)

sophiew (EAGPR)

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Just looking through freeads and Preloved today and there are so many pets advertised as Christmas presents, or in this case, wanting them as presents:

"WANTED 3 baby rabbits, same sex, different colours, dwarf breeds preferred. Wanted for childrens surprise xmas presents"

And look:

"Pure belgium bred lionhead baby rabbits for sale. Quality and perfect of this amazing breed. All my rabbits come from excellent stock and have lovely temperaments. As this rabbit is in popular demand don't delay pick up phone and order your Xmas indoor companion now as going fast.... "

and

SPECIAL XMAS BUNNY - Bures

Special Xmas Bunny Offer new 4ft hutch & gorgeous baby dwarf bunny £65, very attractive colours, available throughout the xmas period, quality floppy-eared dwarf lops and cute lionhead babies £18 each, 2 for £30, new quality 4ft hutches £58 , ...

What's the chances these end up in rescue in the early part of 2009.... :0 malletheadpow-pow

Some pigs came in yesterday because they couldn't look after them any more and the child came too, to say goodbye - on seeing my Peru boy in the lounge she said 'Mummy, can WEEEEEE have a long haired one?' ! :x

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Rant over!

Sophie
x
 
It's so frustrating, rescues work all year round then to start again in December. Why don't people have any common sense when it comes to animals?
 
It gets to me (and most of us!) so much there just are no words.
 
I think a ban should be brought in on selling pets in the festive period! people buy on an impulse with out thinking of the work that goes into having an animal are local free ads paper had two pages of puppies for sale with most of them being in santa hats or something festive in the picture. Makes my blood boil come jan feb they will mostly be dumped at rescues if not worse!
 
Last Christmas the shop where I got my gorgeous Sunshine from was selling rabbits on a buy one get one free offer! rolleyes

I've not been in since.
 
Its all about money not the animal! Pet shops should be stop from selling animals should only be able to get them from a rescue or prehaps a breeder who has a licence
 
It is awful. You should have to take some sort of test before getting any pet, to make sure everyone knows whats involved.

I'm getting my fella a fish tank for xmas, but he's asked for it and he's 40, so more than old enough to look after them! :(|)

poor things won't stand a chance in a few weeks, especially if they're kept outdoors so have to go out to be fed.
 
My pets a home is choc full of rabbits, baby guineas and chinchillas-makes me so angry that I can't go in there until after Xmas pow-powpow-powpow-pow
 
Hey people have the attitude that rodents are well I'll try and if I don't like then I'll just bring it to a rescue place....My b/f and I have rescued may rodents...The only time we do buy from a pet store is one is in a tiny plastic box because it attacks or is being attacked...We bought a hamster once that we all bit up.The pet store said it was old bit...but we know differ. Shadow only lasted less then 24 hours but at least he wasn't being bitten anymore for his last hours of his live R..I.P
 
It's always been the case though - and always will be.

I'm just as worried about the number of animals that get dumped over the summer break - people can't afford kennels so they dump the animal in rescue. Next year is going to be awful with the way the economy is going.
 
I got my little boy 2 guineas as an Easter present ( I didn't want him to have chocolate as he's rather Chubby) I did loads of research before hand to make sure they would be suitable as he's asthmatic but we absolutley adore Coco & Smudge they are probably the two most spoilt Guineas in the World.I spend more on those two than on my self!!They were going to be outdoors all year round but I've bought them in for the winter & we have so much fun watching their antics.I can understand your feelings about buying animlas as presents but not everyone is a bad owner
 
No, not everyone is. But unfortunately there are many parents out there, who under pressure, have bought their kids animals without thinking it through properly. I don't think a lot of people understand the loving and care that is required and that animals can't just be left to get on with it themselves they need us to feed/clean them. I did thorough research before getting my cats and guinea pigs to make sure I would be able to give them the right kind of care.
 
These people seem like they can't get into their thick head lol sorry but it's true that buying animals for christmas ain't just for christmas, you have to look after them to the end of their lives. grrrr
I am sure that the people who will get those animals will only want them for a couple of days after christmas then they'd put them into a rescue
 
I don't know about the pet stores here, but I know the local SPCA won't adopt out kittens or puppies at all in December, and the adoption process for any animal is a lot more rigorous during the holiday season. And as soon as someone tells them they're adopting for a gift for someone (whether it be holiday, birthday, etc.), they'll refuse to adopt out to the person at all. Tell them to come back once they've discussed the issue with the person who they're adopting the animal for, and bring that person with them. A very wise move on their part, I think. I just wish they had guinea pigs for adoption, but when I phoned and asked (before I got my Pigglywink), they told me that they only get two or three in a year, usually... which makes me wonder what's happening to the unwanted guinea pigs:...
 
i agree guinea pigs for presents isnt good. However i feel its mainly the pet shops doing than the parents. When i was younger my mom and dad brought me and my brother a guinea pig and rabbit each. The guinea pig and rabbit were housed together. The pet shop had helped my mom pick and said they are better together than 2 piggies. My mom thought she was doing the right thing (if she couldnt trust a pet shop who could she trust is how she saw it). Well she looks back and regrets it. In the end my rabbit (who was evil lol) attacked my piggy, luckily i was there and grabed him. My dad made extra cages after that and split the rabbits up and put the girl piggies together. However me and my brother were to young to own pets. I regret having them more than anything. I never wanted to clean them out and one night i left the piggy in the run all night :( I just wasnt old enough to cope with it. My parents threated to take them away to the RSPCA all the time but never did. i wish they had. I still cant sleep sometimes thinking about it and I'm trying to make up for it by treating mine so great. I dream that i go there now and there still there in filthy cages and I'm fighting to get them clean but everything i do makes it dirtier.
It took me a while to get the guts to buy a guinea pig as the nightmares came back of how i treated them. My mom says it wasnt my fault and i need to forget and that she would go out at night and clean them out without me knownin.
Still i wont forgive myself. Them pigs and rabbits deserved much more than i gave them and ill never forget that.

sorry for the long post
 
it is terrible. i had a family wanting to get a piggy for the 2.5year old kid.needless to say it did not happen
 
It was kind of funny... when I went to get Pigglywink my son was with me (he's ten)... the lady asked how old was the person that this guinea pig was for. Put my head down and muttered "31". People always assume I got her for my son, but I didn't...:))
 
Even here in Australia the fate of many four-legged Christmaspresents is already decided.

Our long summer holidays start straight after Christmas and that's where the kennels are booked full up and no-one is interested taking an animal on holidays with them. Most places won't even allow the animals.

So what do they do with the 48 hour Christmas presents....they get abandoned by the side of the road or worse killed because they don't fit into the holiday plans.

Thankfully not all "Presents" end up that way, quite a few are well loved and looked after. Mostly by people who really wanted the pet and made a commitment to it and a sacrifice about those holidays.
 
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