There seems to be a lot of discussion lately about finding a bouncy sweet puppy or kitten under the tree on Christmas morning. Every ad and every Facebook post seems to feel this is the ideal Christmas experience. Well, like everything in life there are pros and cons.

Pros: Puppies and kittens are fun and sweet. They get into mischief and we laugh. You develop a life time relationship with your new family's BFF. The love they share is without restriction. What could be the down side?

Here are the cons: After the newness wears off, who plays and takes care of the little critter? Who is going to training she/he? Housebreaking? What happens when the new sweater from Aunt Betty is shredded or the new iPhone is chewed up?

Acquiring a new pet around the holidays can be a joyous occasion if planned. I mean planned in advance. First, have a family pow-wow about the new puppy or kitten. Are you going to get it from a shelter, rescue, breeder or a friend? Make sure you research what is involved in raising a kitten or a puppy, especially if you have a family with children. It can still be a surprise if you do your homework months in advance and under the tree instead place a wrapped box with a STUFFED toy kitten or puppy. After the Christmas chaos and the normal family routine is back, then go pick up the new family member.

Here is an excellent article that goes into more detail of why the Christmas puppy is a bad idea, more for the puppy than the family.

http://www.petrescue.com/petlibrary/pet-rescue/no-christmas-puppies-please/