Think Twice Before Giving Animals as Gifts

The gift-laden winter holidays are here and many of us are thinking about the perfect gift to give someone special.  Many of us prefer gifts that will be relevant and enjoyed the whole year through.  We often consider giving a cute kitten, cuddly pup, or other adorable baby animal to the people we love.  It might be a good idea to think twice before giving animals as gifts, though.  You can't just slip them on and off like a new sweater or bracelet.  There's no place in the toy box for them and their batteries never wind down.

No matter how well you think you might know a person or understand the inner workings of his or her household, you really don't, especially when it comes to the giftee's interest or ability to provide the appropriate year-round home for an animal.  The presence of other pets in the household isn't necessarily a sign there's room for another, either.  Sometimes enough is enough and that's a decision only the members of a family can make.

My favorite dictionary says a pet is a domestic or tamed animal or bird kept for companionship or pleasure and treated with care and affection.  No matter how cute that animal looked to you at the store, shelter, or wherever it is you saw it, the receiver of your generosity may prefer to care for diamonds or pearls, may show more affection for video games or chocolates.  Others may feel more affection for a new set of golf clubs than they'll ever feel for a new pet.  And there's just no pleasure to be found cleaning up after, feeding, and tending to a pet when a pet wasn't really wanted in the first place.

Pets are wonderful gifts but only when the pet is going to a home where it will be appreciated as much as the pet appreciates the home.  Many animals find new homes during this last month of the year but shelters experience population booms in the first few months of a year, thanks to those furry, fuzzy, or feathered holiday gifts.

If the need to give a pet as a holiday gift is just too compelling to deny, make sure that pet goes to a home where you know it will be treated with all the comforts and affection it deserves.  Give it to someone in your own household.  And be prepared to become its primary caretaker once you do.

Gotta Pet? This Ain't News

Is yours one of the 63% of American households that's home to a pet?  If so, you'll probably not understand what's newsworthy about the results of a study published today in the journal, Family Process, that concludes with the findings that the animal-human bond is generally undervalued where our mental health is concerned and that living with an animal companion (no, not your little brother!) meets many of the psychosocial needs of us human animals (yes, your little brother).  Why isn't this newsworthy?  Because you probably knew it already.

Nevertheless, Dr. Froma Walsh's study makes it official:  pets reduce our levels of stress; provide us with companionship, comfort, security, and affection; and give us an abundant dose of unconditional love in the process.  All these nice things our pets do for us improve our health, both mentally and physically.  They also just might keep us alive longer than if we lived without them.  Walsh is a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Chicago's Center for Family Health.  She oughta know.

Living with a beloved animal companion may seem perfectly natural to us but we know that other people, even some with pets, may think we animal-lovers have issues with human interactions, are dysfunctional, maybe even rather strange but Walsh's study dispels those assumptions.  It also highlights the fact that our grief over the loss of a pet is trivialized by society in general and that many of us prefer our animal companions to our human ones.

Even more enlightening is the Walsh study's conclusion that people enjoying strong animal-human bonds are compassionate, empathetic, and have an immense capacity for love.

Betcha knew that too!

Ride a Cowboy, Save a Horse

That's just one of many nuggets of animal-loving wisdom you'll find in Kinky Friedman's latest book, "Kinky's Celebrity Pet Files."  Being the human companion to a whole slew of unique and unusual pets just isn't enough to satisfy Kinky's love of animals.  He's the "spiritual leader" of a no-kill animal shelter in Kerrville, Texas.  He helped Willie Nelson and the mayor of Kaufman, Texas, to shut down a couple of slaughter houses.  And he's written a book all about the animal companions of people rich and famous the world over.

Here in Texas, we know Kinky as a musician, humorist, author, and politician.  He's got stage performances - music and musings - lined up in Philadelphia, New York, and Alexandria, Virginia, all happening next week.  He'll be in Washington, DC, on November 17 to promote his book.

I don't usually do volunteer book reviews, especially when I haven't even read the book yet, but I couldn't wait to write about this one the minute I learned of it myself.  I'm such a big Kinky Friedman fan that I'll endorse anything he does on faith alone.  I can't wait to read this one and I hope you'll read it and enjoy it, too.  Having read Kinky's other books and enjoyed his music and performances through the years, I know this book will be jam-packed with laughs, wisdom, and entertainment from cover to cover.

And, hey, y'all.  Get out there and vote.  That's what I'm going to do.  I'm voting for Kinky Friedman to be the next governor of the soon-to-be-again great state of Texas.  And it's a vote I'm delighted to cast.  Won't you think about doing the same?