Christmas Kitten

It is just too hard to get a decent picture of this kitten! He's so busy...



It is never a good idea to give a pet as a gift. Even if you know the recipient wants a dog or cat, finding that forever friend is such a personal experience. Instead of giving the actual animal, a great gift would be items for the dog or cat (leash, toys, bowls, gift certificate to a pet supply store).

What is even worse is getting a puppy or kitten for your children. Shelters across the nation show a rise of surrendered 8 - 10 month old puppies and kittens (when they grow out of the cute stage and into the teenage stage) at the end of spring. Animals can be a wonderful experience for children, but it is the parents who really need to think about the lifetime commitment involved. Do they really want that dog or cat? What happens when the kids grow tired of the animal (and, they will lose interest)? You can't expect a young child or, even a teenager, to consistently care for the pet. You will need to be the primary caretaker and teach your child how to be responsible for the dog or cat. If you are a parent of young children, do you have the extra energy to provide all the training and socialization a young dog needs? What happens if the cat gets sick and needs surgery?

Recently, my sister mentioned that maybe she'll get a dog for her 6 and 8 year old sons because they love dogs so much. They own a perfect 'dog' house, too. Spacious, close to parks with a huge yard. A dog would have a grand time tearing around on the lawn and then curling up to watch TV in the family room. But what about those Persian carpets and expensive, new hardwoods? I could not imagine my sister cleaning up after the inevitable housebreaking error or bought of diarrhea. When I gave her the list of all she would have to consider and do on a daily basis, she quickly reconsidered. "But, your dogs don't mess the house and are always so calm." She stated. Well, yes...but it took a lot of work on my part to get them to this point. They didn't come that way. So, my nephews will continue to enjoy visiting my dogs.

Now, you may think I am a hypocrite because I have gotten pets for my son. While I grew up with a dog (which later became plural), I never had a cat because my sister was allergic. As a young adult, my three large dogs kept me busy and, given the high prey drive of my husky, a cat didn't seem possible. Of course, what does my son (who was born when I had these three dogs) want as soon as he could speak? A kitten. So, in 1998, I brought home Kovu. I was working as a veterinary technician at Park Animal Hospital and someone found Kovu, a 4 month old black kitten, on the side of 580. He was bold and confident and I fell in love. Three years later we adopted Vinny, a grey tabby who was found in a Buddhist temple in Chico. So, yes, I did get the cats technically for my son...But, I was prepared to care for them while teaching Erik how to be responsible for them. Even now, as a 15 year old, I have to remind him to feed them at night and clean the litter box.

So, now our family has increased by one more kitten. We adopted HeWhoCannotBeNamed , a 4 month old flame point Siamese mix .  HeWhoCannotBeNamed is also a surprise Christmas present for Erik...

I can't tell you why I wanted a third cat. I have just been looking for the past couple of weeks. None of the kittens I met were 'mine'. As soon as I met HeWhoCannotBeNamed at SF Animal Care and Control, I knew he was 'mine'. He is friendly, outgoing, and, best of all...fearless. He has to be to live in this household. He hopped out of the carrier and strutted around the living room (most new cats slink around the perimeter), finally curling up on the couch, purring to sleep. I will anthropomorphize here that he was thinking, "Ah, I'm finally home."