Helena Sung

Is it ever a good idea to give a kitten or puppy as a holiday gift? Most experts wave the red flag at the idea of holiday pets, but if the animal in question has been a long-considered family addition, it isn't always a bad idea. Here are some things to keep in mind when thinking of gifting a new pet this month.

The Wrong Way
"Never surprise anyone with a pet as a gift. It's not an inanimate object. It's a living, breathing being that's going to depend on [that person] for food, water, exercise and attention -- for at least 15 years," says Sandra DeFeo, director at the Humane Society in New York City.

"Every year, people get a kitten or a puppy for someone as a present and the person receiving it isn't ready for the responsibility," says DeFeo. Pets given as gifts start trickling into the Humane Society soon after the holidays have passed, but most are surrendered in the spring, DeFeo tells Paw Nation.

Bright pink flamingos are the first things you see upon entering the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, Calif. Dozens of the leggy birds are wading in a lagoon ringed by tall, leafy trees. Some are being trailed by their young offspring, who are small and gray.

"Those are baby flamingos," explains Christina Simmons, the Zoo's Public Relations Director. "Their feathers haven't changed color yet."

One of the most progressive zoos in the country, the San Diego Zoo shows its animals living in "bioclimactic environments." "Before, zoos grouped animals taxonomically, meaning, for example, that all cats were shown together in one part of the zoo," says Simmons. "We took a new approach of replicating prehistoric bioclimactic zones that shows different species of animals living together in their natural habitats."

There's an exhibit showing how elephants, jaguars, lions and the California condor co-existed long ago in the area that is Southern California. In another section, a sloth lives in an enclosure with a Kirk's dik dik, an adorable little antelope that is no bigger than a beagle. "It's a way of exhibiting the animals, but also talking about extinction and conservation," says Simmons.

Show cats are born, not made. A kitten that possesses the physical perfection and personality to compete at cat shows is coddled like the rare and precious creature that it is. "You treat the kitten like it's a live jewel," says Donna Isenberg of Catsafrats Cattery, who has been breeding and showing Persian cats for 32 years.

Star Rose, a tortoiseshell Persian kitten that Isenberg currently is showing, displayed championship qualities almost immediately. "When she was born, we knew there was potential," Isenberg tells Paw Nation. "Until 4 months of age, you hope the kitten is healthy and viable and is as gorgeous as you think. You keep all circumstances around it wonderful."

Pampering starts at birth. "We make sure she has bottled water," says Isenberg. "She is combed every day. Her eyes are washed. Her ears are cleaned. She is bathed once a week beginning when she is 8 weeks old. When she starts being shown, she gets bathed three times a week, Wednesday nights and Saturday and Sunday of the show."

Cool as ice. When flying to cat shows, Isenberg carries Star Rose in a soft-sided pet carrier that she lines on the bottom with a large, rectangular ice pad covered with a towel and mat. "It's cool, but not cold," explains Isenberg. "Some of the planes' cabins are very warm and dry during the flight and [the ice pad] makes her comfort level much higher."

It was the "awwww!" heard 'round the world when a pair of baby panda twins made their debut at the Madrid Zoo & Aquarium on October 7. The tiny black-and-white panda cubs dozed in an incubator as cameras captured how they wriggled around, snuggled up to each other and scratched at their noses with their tiny claws.

The month-old pandas, who were born on September 7, have set several records with their birth. They are the first ever twin pandas to be born in Europe, reports ITN News, and the first pandas born from artificial insemination outside of China, reports AOL News. Additionally, they are the first panda bears to be born in Spain since 1982, and only the third litter to be born in Europe, reports the (U.K.) Guardian.

Bottle-fed since birth, the twin pandas weigh just two pounds now. According to ITN News, veterinarians at the Madrid Zoo have determined that one of them is male, while the gender of the second panda is yet to be ascertained. We'll also have to wait a little while longer to learn their names. In keeping with Chinese custom, reports AOL News, the twin panda bears will not be named for 100 days. For now, we may have to refer to them as cute and cuter.



Anne Bowes has been breeding Pembroke Welsh corgis for 41 years. "I'm what you call a 'breeder-owner-handler,' which means I both breed my dogs and show them in the ring," she told Paw Nation. Bowes has bred 74 champion dogs, and in 2007 she was named the AKC "Breeder of the Year" for her group. "I love Pembroke Welsh corgis," Bowes said. "They can pick their owner out of a crowd of fifty."

Steve Gladstone is president of the Cardigan Welsh corgi Club. He has been breeding the lesser-known Cardigan Welsh corgis since 1974, producing dogs who have garnered over one hundred AKC titles. "The Cardigan Welsh corgi comes in a small package, but it has a big mentality," Gladstone told Paw Nation.

Though both are called corgis, the Pembroke Welsh corgi and Cardigan Welsh corgi are actually two separate breeds. How much do you know about these storied dogs? These two experts are putting us to the test!



Learn more about your favorite breeds at the upcoming Meet the Breeds event in New York City on October 16th - 17th. For more information, visit MeetTheBreeds.com.