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Original poster

How to let child know Santa can't bring a gift

55 replies

88Pandora88 · 29/10/2022 18:10

So my 8 year old DD has been asking for pet rats, it's £200 for the cage alone, never mind accessories etc. Then she wants 2 female rats as well.. We've been putting it off due to cost and nowhere really to have the cage as we have pet cats already who obviously wouldn't be impressed by rats.
Any way DD has now said she's going to ask Santa for a cage and 2 rats!
We've always said santa brings one gift and mummy and daddy etc buy the rest, but especially this year, santa can't afford that! How can Santa let her know this won't be possible!

I'm pretty sure a cage won't fit down the chimney either lol

OP posts:
GrazingSheep · 29/10/2022 18:13

Say Santa doesn’t bring live animals
Would that work?

Shielders2020 · 29/10/2022 18:15

Santa never brings pets !

dancemom · 29/10/2022 18:17

Nope no animals because Santa knows the cats wouldn't like that and might hurt them

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CakeCrumbs44 · 29/10/2022 18:17

Santa doesn't bring pets.

Santa also doesn't bring "big" presents in most houses. He brings a stocking/sack of small gifts and big gifts are from parents/grandparents/auntie whoever. Probably too late to implement that now though.

HappyPumpkin81 · 29/10/2022 18:17

Santa doesn't bring live animals

coodawoodashooda · 29/10/2022 18:17

They wouldn't be safe on his sleigh.

barelyfunctional · 29/10/2022 18:18

Santa doesn’t bring pets! But if it’s something you want to think about in future you should be able to get a cage second hand much cheaper than that, just clean thoroughly with a rat friendly cleaner. Accessories aren’t too expensive and you can diy a lot of them, eg make hammocks with fleece or jersey fabric from old t shirts.

CraigDavid · 29/10/2022 18:21

In our house Santa doesn't bring big presents because they don't fit on the sleigh...

Ellmau · 29/10/2022 18:22

If budget is a concern, don't forget about vet care.

Wardrobemalfunction22 · 29/10/2022 18:27

Santa can't bring rats on his sleigh, they'd be freezing and would nibble holes in all the other presents. And they'd be frightened travelling at night and then having to go down the chimney on their own.

Pets as presents come from family not Santa. There's nothing wrong with saying its too expensive just now. My 8yr old wants a puppy but we can't afford it and have told her we're saving up for it. 8yr olds understand money.

Skelligsfeathers · 29/10/2022 18:30

Santa only brings things that he knows your parents won't mind you having and YOU know that you don't have space for rats and the cat won't like them. Hence santa won't bring them.

SweetPetrichor · 29/10/2022 18:30

Santa doesn’t bring live animals. That’s what my parents used when I was wee and wanted a rabbit for Christmas!

TheChosenTwo · 29/10/2022 18:31

Ooh no, everyone knows Santa doesn’t bring pets of baby siblings!
it’s not safe and they’re too much of a big commitment to just dump on someone. Santa is very responsible in this way…
(and very irresponsible in others, flying while under the influence 🫣)

Topseyt123 · 29/10/2022 18:34

Tell her that rats can't travel on the sleigh as the reindeer don't like them and would chuck them out.

swingersnotroundabouts · 29/10/2022 18:34

He hasn't got a pet license.

shreddednips · 29/10/2022 18:36

Ellmau · 29/10/2022 18:22

If budget is a concern, don't forget about vet care.

Yes this is very true, my rat cost me a fortune in vet bills as she kept having to have lumps removed in her old age. Worth every penny but it really added up.

Santa doesn't bring live animals is a good shout 🥰

BobbyBobbyBobby · 29/10/2022 18:37

Can’t you round up a couple of wild rats from around the back of your local take away or from under a neighbours decking?

YellowRoseNoon · 29/10/2022 18:42

£200 for a rat cage. Where are you pricing that up from, Harrods?
Flipping heck, I would not be paying that much.
You can keep rats in a vivarium, quite cheap by comparison. They're rats. They aren't that fussy. Looks better and keeps the mess and smells down. We had rats, very boring pet. If you do give in and get them, make sure they're both the same sex so they don't breed. Nothing quite like the experience of having to pick the dead bodies of their babie's, that the parents have chewed the heads off of, out of the nest. Yes, that happened and I was the only one willing to do it. Gross.

Other family members has various small rodents when I was a kid. They always got bored of them very quickly. I am not a fan of these types of pet.

Tell your child that Santa doesn't have a livestock handling licence and you wouldn't want him to get arrested while he still has everyone else's presents left to deliver.

Isaidnoalready · 29/10/2022 18:46

From personal experience? Rats and cats don't go together my cat was the most placid cat my ex had a rat I said never EVER leave them unsupervised the first time the rat got away the second time she didn't my ex blamed my cat but it was HIS FAULT he didn't listen then he didn't learn

Twizbe · 29/10/2022 18:57

Santa doesn't bring animals. Simples

mindutopia · 29/10/2022 19:01

In our house, Santa only brings the stockings. And I think it’s okay to explain that Santa can’t always bring what you want (this is a good life lesson as we don’t always get what we ask for in life) or can’t bring pets. What about keeping it simple and have Santa bring a book about keeping pet rats if it’s an option in the future?

Or it’s only October, just redirect her interest on something else. A pet is a big responsibility and expense and I think an 8 year old can understand that. We got 2 rabbits for dd in the spring. Cost £80 for the pair. Within 2 weeks they’d developed an infection (possibly from the breeder, possibly from the garden as we do have wild rabbits about though they were never out free ranging without supervision). Cost me £120 to have one put down when he started fitting and another £100 for vaccination for the other plus treatment (we lost her anyway a few days later). They cost me more in veterinary care in 2 weeks than it cost to buy them. 😩

slowquickstep · 29/10/2022 19:05

Maybe you need to tell her that the letter she writes to Santa is a wish list not an order.

Goldbar · 29/10/2022 19:06

Santa's elves makes all the toys in his workshop. So no animals.

Kite22 · 29/10/2022 19:09

slowquickstep · 29/10/2022 19:05

Maybe you need to tell her that the letter she writes to Santa is a wish list not an order.

This, but also to be clear that Santa doesn't bring live animals. It is a fairly easy thing to manage.

Luredbyapomegranate · 29/10/2022 19:10

the cage wouldn’t fit in his sack

and he doesn’t bring pets because if they fell off the slay they’d hurt themselves,, 🙁

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