Your child tells you he wants nothing else for Christmas but a small kitten for a pet. Do you fulfill this wish?

Yes, I would fulfill his wish. I am not a huge cat fan, but I do think that pets have the possibility to be great gifts. My dog was a Christmas gift 4 years ago, and she is the best gift I have ever received.

She is the only gift I've ever gotten that makes me smile on a daily basis, and she has taught me so much. Pets can be a great lesson in responsibility and compassion. That all being said, I would lay down some ground rules regarding the pet beforehand, and if these expectations weren't being met, have a back-up plan in place.

Pets aren't toys and children need to learn that they aren't. Some people buy pets to appease others but then resent the pet. I agree with vic that if you were already willing to have a pet join the family then christmas time is as good a time to get it as any other.

But if not, hopefully the child is old enough to sit him or her down and explain that now is not the time for a pet. If the child is too young to understand then I think you can easily redirect them with one of the amazing types of fake pets on the market today. There are many toys that act like pets except they don't eat, poop, shed, or require any more care then changing the batteries occasionally.

You didn't say how old the child was or how responsible. You didn't say if you like cats. I think pets make a wonderful gift of /responsibility/ for a child, but only if you, as the parent, are willing to keep on top of them to get them trained into taking care of it.

Too many children grow up never being responsible for anything, including themselves. A pet is an opportunity for them to care for something outside themselves and to have to give up personal time to learn selflessness. If, however, the child is under the age of four, it's probably not a good idea.

Cats are fairly low-maintenance, but the catbox has to be cleaned almost daily and they need to be fed. According to the ASPCA, these are the best pets for age groups: * Infants: none * Toddlers: supervised only * 3-5 years: Guinea pig * 5-10 years: Gerbils or goldfish * 10-13 years: Dogs, cats, rabbits * 14-17 years: Fish and birds I can add that rats are great pets for a 5-year-old and up and very low maintenance. Fish will die often.

Mice are /horrible/ pets. Reptiles are not recommended for any child who has problems washing their hands regularly. Good luck!

I'm sorry in advance, but no I do not fulfill his wish. That kitten will shed, claw my furniture, eat the corners of my area rugs and ruin my silk duvet cover. No can do.

Feel free to post your own little Grinch picture below. Sounds cute though. If another family gets one, we can go visit.

In my current living circumstances, no. I like cats as much as the next guy, but you have to be practical. Sorry son, but: no.

If you are willing for a cat to join your family and know that you will have to help with the raising of the kitten then I say it is a good thing. But to give the small child a smaller kitten is asking for trouble if you are not wanting a cat to begin with. It will be involved with the entire family.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.