Stuffed Animals Provide Comfort

It is said that pets can be healing. Holding and petting them can be soothing and calming. That's good. But what if you are allergic to cats and dogs? Petting them and holding them can cause allergic reactions. But there is an alternative. Stuffed animals! They don't aggravate allergies and stuffed animals are soft and very huggable. You can get the same calming effect from hugging and petting a stuffed animal.

Consider an elderly person who is bed ridden or in a nursing home. A living pet is not an option in most cases. Being bed ridden, an elderly person would not be able to feed a pet or let a dog out for potty breaks. With a stuffed animal there is no feeding and no need for being out-of-doors. And stuffed animals can be cleaned if the need arises.

Selecting the right stuffed animal
There are so many animal types and sizes to choose from. There is so much more than just teddy bears. Of course, there are stuffed animal cats and stuffed animal dogs available in many breeds and sizes. But you can look way beyond the back yard. Why not consider a stuffed animal horse, duck, raccoon, beaver, moose or other country stuffed animal. You might want something wilder like a jungle stuffed animal such as a lion, tiger, or monkey just to name a few.

To help you select a stuffed animal, find out what the person's favorite animal is or one that brings back a fond memory for that person. If they traveled on safaris or loved visiting the zoo, you might want to choose a jungle stuffed animal like an orangutan or leopard. Did they live on a farm or love being in the country. A large stuffed animal moose, bunny, raccoon or horse might be pleasing. Did they love hunting or being in the backwoods? Select a fox, duck, wolf or stuffed animal wild bear. It is always best to select a stuffed animal that you know they will find appealing. If you aren't sure what they would like ask them. Or get them to talk of some of their past memories to find something special. Not only will you find out what they like, you will also get to know more about the person and they will surely love the conversation and opportunity to share their experience and memories.

Choosing the best size of stuffed animal
If the recipient has very limited space such as in a nursing home, a 12" or 18" stuffed animal can provide plenty of comfort and satisfaction without taking up a lot of space. If they are in a more spacious environment you can find a wonderful selection of large stuffed animals 36" to 46", giant stuffed animals 54", and even a 90" jumbo stuffed animal bear! Choose a soft posable plush stuffed animal that will bring back happy memories and give them lots of comfort.

Your thoughtful gift of a well chosen stuffed animal will bring a smile and much comfort to the recipient and much pleasure to you in giving it.

All stuffed animals mentioned are available at StuffedAnimalPlanet.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Harbin