Holiday gifts for pets: How far do YOU go?

I go all out for my pets. I am one of the BIGGEST animal lovers you may ever find. Like many other pet mom and dads, my pets are a huge part of my family. Around the Holidays, I traditionally hang stockings for my fur-babies on the mantle right next to my own. Red and fuzzy, these little sacks of joy get filled with yummy little pet treats, small toy gifts, and those little ‘must haves’ that make the day just a little bit brighter. I’d say that my little fur-babies are always on Santa’s “Nice List” because those little sacks are just HEAPING on Christmas morning.

So what do YOU DO for your little fur-baby(ies) around the holidays and just how far do YOU go? Do you include them or leave them out? Although it’s Holiday “game on” at MY house, whatever you believe or practice, you can involve your pets. It doesn’t have to be just because of Christmas. This is a great time of celebration for many religions and giving back could just be to volunteer at an animal shelter or even give a charitable gift to an animal rescue in your community. Let’s reflect on all of the good in our lives and be thankful by sharing that good with others. So why not share back with your pet. They are no less a member of your family and they celebrate all of the highs and lows of life right there with you… by your side.  

Here are a few of my favorite things to do for my pets that might spark a new tradition or two with you. These little ideas help make fun-filled, surprising, and merry days for those little critters in the family and these ideas won’t empty your wallet.  

Treats:

I typically buy a box of Milkbone dog biscuits, jerky treats, or puppy cookies for the dogs and some kitty treats for the cats. They don’t have to be expensive. They just need to be a little something to give them a taste of something new and different. Your pet WILL NOT be upset NOR will they differentiate between the cheaper treat that you got them versus the gourmet treats online. However, please be careful NOT to overdo it. New treats and too MANY treats can upset their little tummies. You know that feeling and you’ve been there… it’s that pain in your own stomach that you get from overeating that Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner feast.

So do try to:

• Match the size of the treat with the size of the pet.
• Limit the number/amount of treats you give.
• Purchase treats from a reputable company (such as Chewy.com) or manufacturer (Purina).
• Mix your treats in with some of their regular kibbles to keep their bellies settled.
• Reduce the amount of regular kibbles you feed to account for the increased amount of treats given – in other words… DON’T OVER FEED THEM.

Toys:

In with the new, out with the old…

Now is a good time to throw out those old, worn, torn, and un-safe toys they have been playing with and give them something NEW to keep them entertained. I typically get the dogs a squeak toy and a tug toy. They just get so excited with a new toy. When you give it to them, name it. If you’re buying that new bunny, tell them it’s bunny… You’d be surprised months later when it’s lying on the living room floor that when you tell them to pick up their “bunny”, they head straight for it. I can’t say they’ll learn to pick up their toys, but they will be happier knowing they have pleased you by understanding.

Good toys:

• Are size specific for your size pet – Don’t let your big dog choke on a toy made for a smaller dog and your parakeet might not play with something made for a Macaw.
• Are sturdy for tugging and chewing – The most wisest and most noteworthy choices for dogs come from KONG.
• Make you pay attention – If you KNOW that toy had a squeaker or a bell in it and it stops making noises, take the squeaker/bell out (if you can’t, throw the toy away). These parts are a choking hazard and the pet can still enjoy the toy without them. Safety first!

Cats NEED to shed the outer layer of their claws to keep them clean and sharp. This is instinct and you can’t stop it. Get them a scratching post so they can shed this layer on a post and NOT on your furniture. (Yea… sure you can get them declawed but that is basically amputating their fingers at the first knuckle. They will certainly stop clawing the furniture at the risk of back and health problems later in their little kitty lives… Therefore… I don’t suggest this practice. – I’ll post more on this subject later… You won’t believe how awful it is ☹)

Bedding:

This won’t stuff their stockings but new bedding is a great holiday gift choice. The dander from the pet’s skin matts the bedding and needs refreshed once in a while. Washing helps if you use an un-scented detergent. Think about it… Dog’s sense of smell is extremely keen and better than our own. Their sleeping in a bed with scented detergent and fabric softener is equivalent of a human snorting a bottle of the STRONGEST perfume you have ever smelled on that old lady in the elevator. Makes your eyes water and their noses burn.

Great choices:

• Match the size of the bed to exactly the size of the pet. Not too big or too small… Just like Goldilocks said… It’s gotta be “Just right”.
• Is not too plush. It needs to let them roll from side to side without engulfing them in a pile of fluff that they can’t crawl out of. This could smother them and raise their temperature too high that they won’t sleep in it anyway.
• Can safely be washed in case an accident happens (and they do). Just remember from above, UN-SCENTED DETERGENT.

Wrapping:

I wrap Hunter’s presents (my Yellow Lab) but I DO NOT wrap Allie’s (my Chihuahua). Hunter LOVES ripping the wrapping off. He tugs and spits it out, tugs and spits it out. He just DOESN’T SWALLOW. Write their name with a Sharpie to deter them from eating the paper. If you wrap the gift and see that your pet is trying to eat the wrapping, take it away. Help them unwrap. Wrapping paper doesn’t digest well and can make them very sick. Allie is so small it’s a choking hazard for her so with smaller dogs you can play “Peek-A-Boo” with them to spark their interest instead of wrapping.

Important “Do Nots…”:

Do not use foil or tissue paper. The foil is hard to rip and tissue paper is colored with a dye that is not good for pets. Use plain paper wrapping and we will typically stop unwrapping ours to watch their excitement (and monitor their unwrapping for safety). You can always go back to your own unwrapping once they are playing with their new toy. It keeps them occupied and OUT of that box of new underwear your mom just gave you.

Do NOT use these choking hazards on a gift for your pet:

• Ribbons
• Strings
• Bows
• Bells
• Tags

Additionally, monitor your OTHER presents so that you pet doesn’t remove and choke on that bow from your sister Sally’s gift.

Something little on Christmas Eve:

Traditionally I give my pets one small toy or treat on Christmas Eve. I attribute this tradition to the hopes that I had back when my son Josh was younger. As a mom, I used to dream that if he could get really excited with that ONE gift the night before, that maybe…just maybe… he’d be so tired, that he’d let me sleep in on Christmas morning. Well, it didn’t work then and Hunter won’t let it happen now, but I still have that tradition of giving something little on Christmas Eve.

Purge old toys:

This needs repeating. Toys can get old, worn, tattered, and UN-SAFE. Use this time to purge out the old, stinky, and worn out toys for the new ones. If you are honestly going to re-stitch that favorite little bunny toy, then go ahead and do it. I will do this myself with heart-felt intentions… but it doesn’t end up happening. I get busy and after months of putting it at the bottom of my priority list… I’m still stuck with a stinky toy that needs stitched. I know how much it is their favorite toy… but who really is more attached to it… them… or is it you? Just how happy do you feel when you see them playing with it? Fix it or toss it.

Why?…

Pets play such an important role in our lives. They are family. We spend the best and worst moments of our lives with them right by our side. They give us joy with their playfulness and unconditional love while conversely they take little pieces of our hearts with them when they leave.

Please give just a little bit more love this holiday season and remember to show your pets a little love back. Although their love is unconditional and their impact on us is huge, their time with us is NOT guaranteed.