It all starts out with great intentions, but buying a pet for someone other than yourself can have disastrous consequences.

According to Carmen Ronio, executive director of Montgomery County SPCA, buying pets as gifts is not advisable. "It's such a rushed time of the season," said Ronio, adding that Montgomery County's three shelter locations all decline to adopt animals that will be given as gifts.

Ronio encourages those wanting to buy a pet for someone to come into the shelter and purchase a gift certificate. "It's very individual," Ronio stated. "It's a personal choice and that animal becomes a part of the family"

In Ronio's 40 years with the SPCA, he has seen many animals returned. He understands that people looking for a pet to purchase as a gift will fall in love with a particular animal but that does not guarantee the recipient will feel the same.

Does the shelter see an increase in surrendered animals after Christmas? Ronio said in the past the answer would have been a resounding yes but in the last 10 years, because of the shelters' policies against adopting animals as gifts, the numbers have declined.

The shelter does, however, see a spike in animals coming in on Christmas day and New Years day. According to Ronio, these holidays are full of confusion for pets as people are coming in and out of the house more than usual.

People can then lose track of where their pets are. It's not a huge spike, he said, but a "15 percent increase is pretty high."

If you have your heart set on getting someone a pet for the holidays, Ronio suggests you bring the person with you and have them decide on which animal they want or you can purchase a gift card.

Adoption fees at the shelter are $50 for any breed dog and $20 for a cat. "We have beautiful animals here," he added.

Jeff Dodd, of Warminster's non-profit cat rescue group, Cat Tales, Inc., also doesn't recommend impulse buying or pets as presents.

   "Unfortunately," stated Dodd, "we have seen instances where an animal is adopted to be a holiday present and is returned a few months later."

Dodd also encourages people to understand potential causes of bad behavior that might land an animal back at a shelter or rescue. "Cats are much like people-they will have good days and bad days and they have their own personalities," stated Dodd.

Because animals have limited ways to communicate with us, some behaviors are mistaken for aggression when it could be fear or illness. For example, some cats might urinate outside the litter box if a child or another animal is chasing it.

"The owners need to evaluate what caused the behavior before assuming the cat is defective," Dodd said.

Educating people that animals are living creatures and not disposable items is something Cat Tales, Inc. adheres to and they have guidelines that must be met for a holiday adoption, including veterinary references and a completed adoption application.

Cat Tales, Inc. hosts an annual Pet Photo with Santa event each weekend in December at PetSmart in Warminster. Volunteers take the photos, which can include animals such as 250-pound English Mastiffs to a goldfish.

Cat Tales, Inc. also has animals for adoption in the Warminster Petsmart adoption center.

Holidays and your pet's safety

The holiday season brings cheer, but if you don't want to find yourself at the animal emergency clinic, a few simple steps can be followed.

According to Bucks County Veterinary Emergency Trauma Specialists' certified vet tech, Christine Novotny, some things we can look out for are toxic plants and making sure Christmas decorations are well out of your pet's reach.

"Cats eat strings, tinsel and hooks," stated Novotny, adding that looking at things from your pet's point of view could save his or her life.

"If it's fun and shiny to play with, put it somewhere else."  Novotny personally avoids tinsel altogether when decorating. Ingestion of tinsel, garland and strings can cause intestinal blockage.

Behavior to look out for, said Novotny, is vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or just not acting normally.

Pet safe ornaments can be purchased, including wood, fabric and non-toxic flowers.

Our canine friends also are not immune to holiday disaster. Ingesting too much chocolate or the occasionally Christmas ball tops the charts of holiday mishaps.

According to Veterinarian Sam Geller of the Quakertown Veterinary Clinic, unsweetened baking chocolate contains almost seven times more theobromine (a substance similar to caffeine) as milk chocolate.

A schnauzer consuming a few squares of dark baking chocolate could suffer from neurological problems, with the potential to be life threatening.

Do your holiday plants pass the toxicity test?

* Poinsettias

   This industrious and defensive plant protects itself from predators by creating a substance, that when ingested, causes an upset stomach and vomiting.

*  Lilies

    Commonly used in holiday floral arrangements and all varieties including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and Casa Blanca can cause kidney failure in cats. Try using artificial flowers made from silk or plastic instead.

*  Mistletoe and Holly Berries

    Holly can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy if ingested. Both plants have the potential to cause gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems.

Remember to keep your pets away from Christmas tree water. The water may contain fertilizers and stagnant water is a breeding ground for bacteria.

If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially toxic substance, call your veterinarian or the local animal hospital emergency clinic.