When giving a cat as a gift to someone, it is important to understand first, that giving a pet is not the same as any other gift, comprising a physical object. There are several things that need to be kept in mind, for example:
Top 7 Considerations for Giving Cats as Gifts?
1. Check the health condition:
Just like checking for a fault or scratch in any decoration piece you might decide to give as a gift, make sure you confirm that the cat or kitten, you want to gift, is in good health. Most signs of a disease are not that obvious and might become apparent with time. You don’t want to give your friend a diseased cat. Although inconvenient, you must get the cat checked by a vet, in order to ensure that the cat does not have any hidden illness.
2. Give it to a responsible person:
If the person, whom you are trying to gift the cat to, is very careless by nature, and does not know how to take care of himself/herself properly, chances are that he/she won’t take care of the cat properly too. He/she might even sell the cat to some third party. In other words, you would be giving a useless gift to him/her. Keeping a pet carries a huge responsibility with it; you have to feed it, wash it, groom it, keep it safe from danger, play with it, and so on and so forth. If you think that the person, whom you are trying to gift a cat to, does not have the time to undertake this responsibility, don’t gift the cat to him/her.
3. Give the person some additional stuff:
Just like watching a television is inconvenient without the remote controller, keeping a cat is difficult too, without the appropriate tools necessary to take care of it. You can give a cat scratching post, along with the kitty, so that the kitty does not destroy the furniture, curtains or carpets in house. You can also give some cat hair-combs, so that it is easier for your friend to keep the cat groomed. This is necessary in order to make sure that the gift does not turn out to be a burden for your friend.
4. Are there other pets in the house?
If the person, whom you want to gift a cat to, has dogs in the house, it won’t be a good idea to gift a cat to him/her in this case.
5. Give the right type of cat:
Some cats are very energetic and frisky, while others are more accustomed to sitting quietly at one place. You may want to consider your friend’s house interior carefully, before giving him/her a cat, as you don’t want your gift to be wreaking havoc in the house.
6. Try to know if your friend has any allergies:
Many people are allergic to cat fur or whiskers. It is better that you somehow find out if your friend has any similar allergies. Don’t ask him/her directly; you don’t want to ruin the surprise.
7. Not all people like cats:
‘Cats are cute’, is a stereotypical statement; those, who hate cats, find hard to believe. What seems cute or cuddly to you may seem gross to the other person. It is best to know the preferences of your friend before giving him/her any pet.