A Christmas Present for Your Pet?

I make my cats' food. Does that answer your question?

We'll get a box of treats for our dog...maybe a new squeaky toy (which she will immediately shred into pieces to extricate the little squeaker thingie).

Well... of course.

And they have stockings stuck up around the fireplace, too.

Naturally. Every cat gets a new mouse, a whole can of num nums for their individual consumption, an annual collar (Biscuit, the little princess, gets the one with the bling) and an afternoon catnip romp in the den.

Plus the ribbons, of course.

Nothing. I can barely afford to buy for the humans on my list, and the cat won't appreciate it anyhow.

I know people think of their pets as kids, and I do love my pets, but if it comes right down to it, I'm not going to buy stuff for an animal who doesn't know what Christmas is and can't appreciate the extra stuff. I'd rather, if I had the money, donate it to a charity that buys presents for needy kids, who do understand, and understand too that they're left out of the fun.

All my birdies get a new toy except for the gray cheek, Junebug, who doesn't play with toys much, save for one he has that looks like a mop. Instead, he gets a package of his favorite treat, sugar cane sticks.

The dog gets presents from my family and the pet resort which looks after him when I'm off on book signing trips. I don't like giving or receiving presents anyway so I definitely don't give one to the dog. I hate the waste of Christmas, birthdays etc. Perhaps I'm strange.

I am currently pet-free, but no, I never gave my kitties Christmas presents. At least I don't remember doing so. I just never saw the point. Perhaps if I hadn't been buying for five kids, five nephews and nieces (now six) three grandmothers, a couple of grandfathers, a husband...

joyce said:

I was wondering if you buy your pets presents for Christmas. I'll fully admit I'm insane and buy something for my two dogs, as well as the grand-dog. Usually it's a bone or a toy and I wrapped them up and put them under the tree. Then we take pictures as the dogs rip open their presents on Christmas. Is anyone else as sick as me?

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This year, two of mine are getting a 10 hour flight and a 4 hour flight from Seattle to Japan so they can finally come live with us. They'll be thrilled, I'm sure.

It just might be a LATE Christmas present.

I'm not that religious so Christmas doesn't mean that much to me, and it means even less to my cats. I get them treats and cat toys now and then, but they don't care if it's December 25 or August 18.

Of course, when I put up the Christmas tree and all the ornaments, they think I've just given them a huge slew of cat toys, self-serve!

No. I've never understood the point of buying the pets christmas presents. They don't know it's Christmas nor what the deal is with the whole gift giving thing. And it doesn't seem like a good idea to teach the dog or cat to rip open wrapped gifts. I can't teach a cat the difference between a tree that they can climb and the Christmas tree that they can't. How do you teach a pet which ones they can rip open and which ones they can't?

I am getting a kitten maybe? My cat is very lonesome since my other cat went. He's 15 and don't think he would take to a big cat.

We buy our dogs presents every year - Santa leaves chewy snacks, toys, etc. Last year Santa brought each of them a new bed. My mother-in-law bakes doggie bones and sends them up for their stockings. Yes, my doggies have stockings with their names on them for Santa to fill.

They don't get the unwrapping part, they just look at us like we're stupid, so we unwrap them for them.

Mine gets a marrow bone the day before, because we travel to places with small children and nervous parents, and she gets stuck in the kennel for most of the day, poor thing. The bone keeps her occupied.


I don't really need a holiday to get Her Dogginess a present anyway: she's showered with squeaky, chewey, fluffy and meaty offerings monthly, and considers it her due.

My wife does that. I think she's nuts. The dogs have no idea what the hell day it is.

My dog is a member of the family. She gets excited Christmas morning too. She can feel the vibes. This year we got her a stocking from Superstore...it has 5 or 6 soft toys (her favourite), a couple balls and a couple hard toys (she doesn't bother with the hard ones).

Superstore also has Christmas dinner for dogs. We get that. It's the only time of the year we give her a special meal. It's actually Christmas dinner formulated for dogs. She loves it.

She is an important and integral part of our family...of course we buy her presents at Christmas.

IM GETTING A PUPPY FOR CHRISTMAS!!
Her name is Penny and she is a chocolate Labradoodle. (Imagine a Wookie on four legs)
She still needs to hang with her mom and dad for another week, and then I will post pics of our new family member. (Oh.. and yes, I plan to give her a Christmas gift too.)

Congrats. You will love her! Beautiful breed too.

It was so hard to pick a puppy from the litter. I didn't want to turn any of them down. Penny was very cool and laid back. She loved being cuddled, and was happy to play on her own too. I am looking forward to all the memories we will have with her, and the memories she will create with my kiddos too.

regdog said:

Not to sound preachy, but all my pets are rescues, so
for them every day is Christmas. Warm house, good food,
soft beds, lots of toys and lots of love.

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Ours are rescues, too.

Personally, I think having me as a loving master is present enough.