What to consider if you want to give someone a puppy or kitten for Christmas

NEW YORK − Max Branch will always remember how happy he felt when his grandpa gave his family a Schnauzer puppy for Christmas in 1993. The dog was a little ball of fur that snuggled in Branch's lap and brought a beaming smile to his face.

But the Christmas gift was a complete surprise, Branch said, and if they'd picked out a pet themselves, his family would not have chosen a yappy, high-energy breed. His grandpa may have had good intentions, Max said, but "we all knew my mom wasn't super happy about it."

Now, as director of community programs for the rescue group Flatbush Cats in Brooklyn, New York, Branch said he always sees people around this time of year who want to get a single kitten to give as a holiday gift. That can be OK if the pet will be part of your household, but if the animal will be living with another family, it could be a bad idea, Branch said.

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Careful research and planning are required to figure out which pet will be the best for a specific individual or family, rescue advocates told USA TODAY. On the west coast, Emerald City Pet Rescue in Seattle told USA TODAY they see an uptick in animal relinquishments every January, when people realize they can't care for a pet they got as a Christmas gift. Roberta Westbrook, a veterinarian in Houston said even she made the mistake of gifting an adorable Cocker Spaniel puppy to her nieces a couple decades ago.

"This story is me," Westbrook said, laughing. "I did this."

With a little forethought, there are ways you can surprise your family for the holidays without bringing an adopted puppy or kitten home immediately, experts said.

"Everyone's lifestyle is very different and that's why we all choose different pets," Branch, 42, said.

Here are some ideas and options to consider if you want to give someone a pet this holiday season.

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What pet is best for me?

Growing up, Branch's mother worked as a library assistant and took library science college classes at night. His dad was an architectural engineer who owned his own firm and worked nearly seven days a week. When Branch's grandpa brought Shakespeare into their lives, both Branch and his younger sister were still in elementary school.

"So this was not a great dog for our lifestyle and it was tough to deal with an animal that, we of course loved very much, but wasn't one that had been chosen with our preferences in mind," said Branch, explaining the family was so unprepared they had to install a fence in the backyard.

It's critical to take time to figure out whether someone wants a larger or smaller dog, or one with a certain energy level, said Westbrook, the chief animal welfare officer at the Houston SPCA. If the animal does not match what the person wants in a pet, it will feel less like a gift and more like the wrong fit, she warned.

"It's kind of like you're getting an engagement ring. Your fiancé should know if you like yellow gold, white gold or platinum," Westbrook said. "When you get the ring right, you're still surprised and you're still happy."

Timing and finances are also important considerations, experts told USA TODAY, and it's important to figure out if your family has enough savings to pay for food and veterinary care for years to come.

Consider fostering first

Across the U.S., more than 6 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year, according to the ASPCA. Those animals need to find homes, Branch said, and shelters working with limited resources are strained when people return pets they realize they can't care for.

"We want to make sure that we do what we can to keep pets in homes," Westbrook said.

If it is your family's first time getting a dog or cat, fostering or fostering-to-adopt could be an excellent option to see what having an animal at home is like, he said.

"I recommend trying fostering so you can see if it even works for you," Branch said.Before she was a manager at Emerald City Pet Rescue in Seattle, Kaylee Botting grew up on a farm cleaning horse and pig stalls. The experience taught Botting about being responsible for animals and that pets aren't toys that just exist to play with, she said.

"It's not just like a gift that you get and it's entertaining for two weeks," Botting, 29, said. "It is a commitment."

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Purebred puppies are still puppies

Branch said he has run into people over the years who think that purebred animals must be better behaved than shelter animals, because they cost so much more. That's a misconception, Branch warned.

"We get people in here all the time that thought getting a cat or puppy they paid a lot of money for means they're getting an animal that's going to make that transition to their family seamlessly," Branch said.All puppies are going to require training and be challenging to care for, Branch said. If your family doesn't have the free time to dedicate to a puppy's needs, consider a full-grown animal, because they're less hyper, Branch said.

Consider gifting pet supplies

It's perfectly normal to want to surprise your family, and there can be creative approaches to earning that joyful reaction come Christmas morning, Botting said.

If you know your family wants a dog or cat, but you still need to figure out which breed or animal is the best fit, you can surprise your loved ones by putting a bag of pet food and pet toys under the tree, Botting said.

"Opt for the gift of preparation," Botting said. "If you get all the supplies for Christmas, I guarantee in January there'll be a lot more pets in the shelter, so you'll have a lot more options."

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In Texas over 20 years ago, a little apricot-colored Cocker Spaniel puppy stole Westbrook's heart when she was a veterinary student in San Antonio. Someone had dumped the puppy at the clinic and Westbrook badly wanted to keep it, but knew she couldn't given her intense school schedule. So she gave it to her nieces in Dallas, she said, who were around four and seven years old.

"I knew that my sister did not want a dog − I knew that," said Westbrook, who was in her mid 20s at the time. "But I also knew this puppy was so cute, and that my nieces really wanted it."

Because the puppy, which the nieces named Sketchers, was not a great fit for a working mom with two young kids, the family did rehome the dog with friends about a year later, Westbrook said.

Later, when the girls were in high school, the family did adopt a Chinese Crested dog from the Houston SPCA, Westbrook said. The dog, who the family named Prince Charming, arrived at the shelter with dozens of other dogs after a big animal abuse bust case, Westbrook said.

"They had Prince Charming for many years until Prince Charming died a natural death," Westbrook said. "So, it can end well."