Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Help - Santa said no!!

57 replies

samwitwicky · 20/12/2021 12:05

My DS has asked for a pet this year and unfortunately it isn't going to happen.

He's written to Santa and I thought maybe I'd write back to him explaining why he hasn't got a pet. Only I'm awful with stuff like this and have no creativity skills at all.

Anyone have any ideas?

OP posts:
Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow · 20/12/2021 12:08

I just always told mine that father Christmas only brought things that he knew your parents didn't mind you having. It was my way around consoles and mobile phones.

Retrievemysanity · 20/12/2021 12:09

We used to say Santa didn’t do live animals at Christmas because so many children ask for them and then don’t look after them so we said they could ask but not to expect one and to put a back up request in!

LutherRalph1 · 20/12/2021 12:09

Santa has to travel all
Around the world with a sleigh full of gifts, it wouldn't be comfy for a pet!

RJnomore1 · 20/12/2021 12:11

Santa does not give pets as gifts. It would be very irresponsible as not everyone would take care of them. TBH he’s a bit like ebay, nothing with DNA. I thought everyone knew that - he’s a big animal lover (with all those reindeer) and he won’t do it.

gonnabeok · 20/12/2021 12:11

Could you maybe suggest in the letter that there are other ways to care about animals - maybe sponsoring an animal etc. where he gets pictures and updates. That he can't deliver live animals because it is too cold on his sleigh perhaps.

HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 20/12/2021 12:16

No pets is one of Santa’s rules, because they’re not toys/things, they can’t be built. And Santa loves animals so he doesn’t believe in giving pets for Christmas because that’s not the responsible thing to do.

Justhereforthechristmasthreads · 20/12/2021 12:31

Adopt him an animal (preferably a local centre who will really appreciate the funds and you can then go and see) Or book him a mini zookeeper experience. Just explain santa doesn't ever deliver anything that is alive

Deepfriedbrie · 20/12/2021 12:34

Santa doesn’t bring livestock. We’ve had to use this line a few times over the years.

Lovemusic33 · 20/12/2021 12:36

Santa doesn’t deliver pets because they don’t like travelling in a sleigh 🤔, also Santa only gives children toy, pets are not toys.

I’m pretty much against pets for Christmas’s and birthdays but kind of broke that rule this year but dd is almost 18 🤣

BrieAndChilli · 20/12/2021 12:39

i think its a pretty standard response that father christmas doesnt bring pets. it would be irresponsible for him to gove out pets nily wily to kids that asked for them without doing the necessary home visits to make sure its suitable etc. plus he cant make live animals - same reason why he cant bring baby brothers an sisters!

WoMandalorian · 20/12/2021 12:42

Santa only delivers toys his elves can make in Santa's workshop. They can't make an animal and it would be too cold for the poor animals up in the north pole.
Santa would be happy to have his elves build him a toy though 🙂

Hope478 · 20/12/2021 12:53

I would use this opportunity yourself to sit down with your child and explain why pets are not presents. They should be well thought out new members of the family, if suitable. Explain why some families have pets and some don't. Explain why they're hard work.

I personally wouldn't have santa explain this. I would as mum.

Original poster
samwitwicky · 20/12/2021 12:53

Thank you all. I'd completely forgotten about the toys being made in the workshop. Told you I'm not good at this.

Thank you so much you've really helped me out x

OP posts:
PeppaPigWorld · 20/12/2021 12:56

Yes, definitely - the 'no live animals' rule. However you can get toy pets, which might work, depending on the age of dc? Little life animals or whatever they're called?

Lavanderrose · 20/12/2021 12:58

As others have said explain in your letter from Santa that only toys are made in his workshop in the North Pole. Maybe you could get him a little pocket pet like a teddy or robot dog, or perhaps sea monkeys.

RedCandyApple · 20/12/2021 12:58

I definitely think Santa shouldn’t be bringing animals, my son wants a turtle, not going to happen!

Mybalconyiscracking · 20/12/2021 13:07

Santa bought two kittens in two years.. which I know is not helpful!

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 20/12/2021 13:11

Pets can’t be given for Christmas? I’d say something like that!

stingofthebutterfly · 20/12/2021 13:13

Can you imagine what would happen if Santa had a dog, a cat and a mouse in his sack? It simply isn't practical for him to bring them on his sleigh.

TallulahsCurse · 20/12/2021 13:13

Pets should never be given as gifts. So much so that many pet shelters will not give pets to families after mid December & will re open again in the new year in order to make sure that the animals aren't being given as presents.

toastofthetown · 20/12/2021 13:18

Rather than getting into what Father Christmas does and doesn’t bring, surely explaining to him that it’s a wish list and he is not guaranteed anything/everything on the list is the most sensible solution. It will still work when he’s fifteen and wants an iPhone, a PS5, a drum kit, and £500 Gucci T-shirt.

Rocketpants50 · 20/12/2021 13:34

There is a Christmas book about a boy who asks for and gets a penguin for Christmas, maybe called 'Osbert'. It doesn't go very well.

WhoppingBigBackside · 20/12/2021 13:41

If he is young enough to believe in Fsther Christmas, he will be too young to have resposibility for a pet.

It will be you looking after the pet.

tiredanddangerous · 20/12/2021 13:50

Santa doesn't bring animals. I've had to remind dd2 about this every year for about the last 6 years because she always puts a puppy at the top of her list Hmm

Drinkingallthewine · 20/12/2021 13:50

I helped a colleague draft a letter from Santa explaining why live animals aren't allowed as gifts from him but that he told them a secret - that their parents were planning to bring them in the new year to the local shelter to adopt a dog but they weren't to spill the beans.

Kids were thrilled knowing this 'secret' and the parents had lots of fun pretending that they just randomly bought a lead, dog bowl etc for 'no reason' and the kids were bursting with the excitement of pretending they didn't know what was going on.