LPT: If you want to gift someone a pet for Christmas, make sure to ask them beforehand to see if they really want it and so they know to do research before getting it.

Submitted by Flat_Weird_5398 t3_zvm9mz in LifeProTips

Ideally ofc, an animal shouldn’t be given as a present since that’s a lifelong commitment, but since people do that anyway, I wanna say something different. If you really are deadset on gifting someone that pet you think they’ve always wanted, make sure to ask them and give a heads up first. Sure, that might ruin the “surprise” factor of the gift, but a living animal is not a toy, ornament, or gadget, it’s a life meant to be taken care of. For pets like fishes, lizards, snakes, etc. their enclosures also need to be prepped beforehand.

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autoposting_system t1_j1pwamy wrote

Dude wtf

Don't buy people live animals

That's just obviously a bad idea

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Flat_Weird_5398 OP t1_j1pxf9v wrote

I literally state that as my first sentence lol but the rest of what I’m saying is just me being pragmatic because I know that won’t stop other people from gifting their loved ones pets.

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autoposting_system t1_j1q1hfl wrote

How about "If you want to gift someone a pet for Christmas, you're a moron. Don't do that"

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Flat_Weird_5398 OP t1_j1q5aak wrote

It’s case by case. My uncle is gifting me a baby iguana in a few days, but he’s not a moron because he asked me beforehand and I’ve also got years of experience in taking care of reptiles and have 3 other pet iguanas myself. I also gifted him a ball python a few days ago and made sure to ask him beforehand as well, and never really had anything to worry about because he’s got a lot more animals than I do (I have 22, he has an entire private zoo in his home) and has been keeping reptiles before I was even born.

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monkeybawz t1_j1pszzv wrote

Useful LPT yesterday!

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Flat_Weird_5398 OP t1_j1pt6nz wrote

Well it’s still the Christmas season, and some people are known to give gifts all the way up until New Year’s haha

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DivvySUCKS t1_j1pvvm9 wrote

Someone got a puppy they didn't want yesterday.

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Flat_Weird_5398 OP t1_j1pxc55 wrote

Nah, but I do have 22 pets, soon to be 23 since my uncle is giving me an iguana in a few days - which gave me the idea to make this post since while he’s technically gifting it to me for Christmas, he made sure to ask if I wanted one (I have three other iguanas and been taking care of reptiles since I was 7 so I was down).

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Sethor t1_j1pxxt5 wrote

Pets and animals are not gifts or presents

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MycologistPutrid7494 t1_j1rekpn wrote

When my daughter was 5, I "gifted" her a cat. She'd wanted one every since she could understand what a cat is, but I made her wait until she was old enough to handle a cat gently. We went to the animal shelter on her birthday and she was matched to a kitten that fit her personality and energy level.

The two of them are laying here on the couch with me 10 years later taking an afternoon nap. They are inseparable at home, and he's been a great comfort to her over the last decade.

I think "gifting" a pet can go right.

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keepthetips t1_j1psxqj wrote

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Ninerogers t1_j1pu60r wrote

100% this. Great advice.

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Catspaw129 t1_j1qm0m7 wrote

I'm thinking that even the giftee is agreeable to having a pet as a gift from you (because you've pre-cleared this), then your should let the giftee pick out the individual critter since any particular critter can have such a unique personality.

(unless, of course, you are being "crafty" and hoping the giftee will give the critter back to your in short order so it can become your pet...)

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