Tales From the Bearpit

I have been pondering the issues of pet Advent Calendars. (These ones are from the RSPCA)

Assuming- and I think I am on safe ground here- that cats and dogs have no concept of Advent, aren't these a bit cruel? You train your pet, a creature of habit, to expect a daily treat for 24 or 25 days running, then suddenly there they are on Boxing Day looking up expectantly at you and there is no treat.. How do they make sense of that then? In what way is that preventing cruelty to animals, I wonder?

(But there are none at all for bears. Is that better or worse, this bear wants to know?)

# posted by Mary Plain @ 12:50 pm