The Best Pets to Gift for Christmas
Christmas is a beautiful time of the year. It is about spending time with loved ones, eating delicious food, and of course, the excitement of gift-giving! No matter who you're buying a present for, sometimes it can be difficult to decide what would make the best Christmas gift.
We've all seen heartfelt videos of people gifting pets for Christmas: a child becoming giddy as a gigantic box with a bow on top starts moving, or someone placing an adorable puppy in their partner's arms. Animals are human's best friends, and they make amazing gifts for someone who has been thinking about getting, and is ready to take care of, a new pet.
Of course, placing an animal in another person's care is a big deal, so it is important that you first do thorough research into the animal you are gifting them, make sure that they have done their research as well, and be confident that they are fully prepared to take care of the type of animal you are gifting them.
If you're looking to adopt a pet to gift to a loved one, this article can help you decide on the perfect animal to choose. Whether you are looking for a low-maintenance, easy pet, or if you know your friend or family member is ready for the challenge and exciting journey of a bigger animal, this article can help you decide on the best pet to adopt for Christmas!
The animals suggested here range from most high maintenance to easiest to care for.
The Best Dogs to Gift
Dogs make amazing gifts for Christmas, and they're a classic choice. If the person you're buying a gift for is ready for a bigger commitment, or if they've been wanting a dog for a long time, you can be the one to gift them their Christmas dog!
Rescuing a dog is always a great option; you can adopt a dog at stores like Petco, or at animal shelters. You can both save a dog's life and give someone you love a new companion! Bonus points for including dog toys in your gift.
Labrador Retriever
Though any breed of dog would make an amazing gift, a labrador retriever could be a great option for your gift recipient.
Labradors are not very high maintenance: they require less grooming and shed less due to their short coat, they generally have fewer health problems, and they train easier than other dogs. However, since they are medium dogs, not small dogs, they do need 1-2 hours of daily exercise.
Personality-wise, Labradors have good temperaments and are usually friendly and loving dogs. Plus, they make adorable puppies! Labs make great family dogs, so they are a fabulous option if you're a parent who is buying a puppy for your child, or if you are gifting a new puppy to a family.
Cavalier Spaniel
Cavaliers, or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, are a great choice if you're looking to gift a smaller dog! They make great additions to a family with children or for someone who either lives in an apartment, or just has a smaller living space. They are perfect family dogs and are great dogs for the elderly because they're not too demanding or hyperactive.
Like Labradors, Cavaliers are also considered easy dogs to take care of, but they do need about an hour of exercise each day. They also have a soft, long coat that needs to be brushed multiple times a week, otherwise it may become matted. These dogs have good temperaments, they're extremely affectionate and lovable dogs, they're very social, and they're generally easy to train.
The name "Cavalier King Charles Spaniel" comes from King Charles II of Great Britain. His supporters were called "Cavaliers," and he was so fond of his spaniels that these cute dogs were named after him!
Cats as Christmas Gifts
Coming in close second to dogs in popularity, cats also make great pets to adopt for Christmas and give to families, friends, or the elderly.
Varying by personality, cats can be as cuddly and affectionate as dogs, or they can thrive off minding their own business, but they're a little easier to take care of than dogs. This is because cats use the bathroom in a litter box instead of outside or during walks, where it needs to be picked up. They also don't need to be trained in the same way dogs do, and they don't need daily exercise – they can be perfectly happy hanging out in the house!
Cats vary in personality, but they all need basically the same kind of care: they need a litter box, they need to be groomed (daily for long-haired cats and weekly for short-haired ones), and of course, they need food and water daily. Because cats like to scratch things it's a good idea to get some kind of scratching post for a cat. This can make a great addition to your gift!
Since cats are relatively independent creatures, they make good pets for busy families, people who live in a small space like an apartment, or elderly people who would love a furry companion but can't take a pet outside every day in the way a dog would need.
If the cat becomes an outside cat, they may bring gifts – in the form of dead animals that they hunt for! This just means they love their owner and want to show their appreciation.
If the person you're adopting for is a cat lover who is ready for the commitment of owning a new kitty, then consider rescuing a cat or adopting a kitten for them this Christmas!
Hamster for Christmas
Straying away from the most popular Christmas pets, another great choice of pet to gift is a hamster. There are many animals who live in a cage or a tank, but hamsters are some of the more low-maintenance ones. You can watch a hamster hang out and play in their cage, or you can take it out to cuddle it and let it crawl around – under supervision, of course!
There are multiple types of hamsters, including tiny dwarf hamsters, golden hamsters, or the most popular hamster for children, the Syrian hamster.
Hamsters are rodents, so they're nocturnal and are mostly active at night. Personality-wise, hamsters are generally calm and friendly. They're solitary creatures who need their own space and can be aggressive towards other hamsters, so it's best to only keep one in the cage.
To care for a hamster, you need a cage, some form of bedding, a bowl for hamster food, a water bottle that hangs on the cage, and an exercise wheel. The wheel is how hamsters get all their energy out! They will also have fun with little toys, like tunnels and climbing structures. These are things to consider when buying someone a hamster – you should definitely include at least the cage, bedding, water bottle, and wheel to set the gift recipient up for success!
Hamsters need their bedding changed once a week, and they should be fed daily – their uneaten food should also be removed daily. Besides this, not much else needs to be done to take care of them, so they make great pets for children or anyone who does not have a lot of free time for a high-maintenance animal.
A fun addition to your hamster Christmas gift can be an exercise ball that the hamster can be put in to run freely around the house!
Sea-Monkeys as Easy Pets
Finally, the most low-maintenance and easy pets to gift someone for Christmas are Sea-Monkeys! Sea-Monkeys, which first became popular in the 60s and 70s, still make perfect gifts for children, especially young children who don't have the capabilities to actually take care of a pet. They are virtually maintenance-free and live up to two years! They're a great first pet for a young child.
Though called "Sea-Monkeys," these little friends are actually brine shrimp that get their name from their monkey-like tails. To buy them as a gift for Christmas, it's best to buy a Sea-Monkey kit that comes with everything you need, including the tank.
If you already have a tank to give, you can buy brine shrimp eggs, aquarium salt, and "growth food," which is just yeast and spirulina. You can find instructions on purifying the water online to send to the person you're gifting them to.
The kit will come with instructions, but essentially, you fill the tank with water, add the water purifier, add the eggs 24 hours after purifying the water, and add the growth food after 5 days. The shrimp will hatch in a day or two, and you get to watch them grow and swim around! After this, not much needs to be done, making them an extremely easy pet.
If you're looking for a pet to gift to a child, or just someone who doesn't have time to take care of an animal, Sea-Monkeys are a simple option that can still bring some Christmas cheer to your gift recipient!