Don’t Forget Your Pets — 10 Gift Ideas for Your Furry Friends

Are your pets part of the family? Mine definitely are, and that means they’re included in just about everything our family does–even celebrating Christmas. My youngest son loves to pick out gifts for our pets, wrap them, and put them under the tree. Even if we pick out something small, we include the pets in our gift-giving.

Whatever the size of your holiday budget, there is definitely a gift just right for your pet in this list.

1 & 2. Dog Toys and Cat Toys: Our dog always appreciates a new toy. She loves to play tug-of-war with rope toys, goes wild for anything that squeaks, and although she’s not a puppy anymore, she still loves to chew.

Most cats like the “fishing rod” style of cat toys, and your cats might like catnip. Any toy you can hide a treat in is fun too. 

3. Pet treats for your cat or dog are a nice little gift. The holidays are a good time to splurge on the “gourmet” pet treats. There have been recalls lately, so do your homework, and I recommend buying USA-made treats.

4. A new dog collar or leash is nice, but you’ll probably appreciate these gifts more than your pet will. I like the collars and leashes with reflective material on them for those early evening walks. There are styles to fit every dog (and owner’s) personality.

5.  A cat tree is a perfect gift for your cats. They love to climb and sit in high places. Put the cat tree in front of a window for bird-watching, and give your cats a new perspective. Some cat trees come with scratching posts as part of the design. Otherwise, a scratching post on its own is a good gift for your cat too.

6. A  self-cleaning litter box is something I’ve been thinking about getting for awhile. They save you from having to scoop dirty litter, and your cat will appreciate using a litter box that’s always clean.  This would really be a gift for both you and your cat!

7. A comfy new pet bed is a great gift for a dog or cat. There are styles to match your decor, and you can find everything from basic beds to memory foam.

8. Another gift I think I’d love as much as my dog would is a doggy door. If you spend all day letting your dog out and back in again, a doggy door will solve this problem. Some come with a device that attaches to your dog’s collar, so that the door will only open for your dog, keeping any other animals from getting into your house. 

9. Here’s a practical gift that your pet may not appreciate as much as you do — a pet “seat belt.” This is an inexpensive way to keep your pet safe in case of a car accident. It fastens your pet’s leash or harness to the seat belt in the backseat. That way, they can’t interfere with your driving, and if you’re in an accident, they aren’t thrown out of or around the car. They will also stay with the car in case something happens, and not be able to run away or into traffic.