Do you buy your pets Christmas presents?

[alphaboi867]

Do you buy your pet(s) a Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Solstice/ present?


I bought my dog (miniture dachshund) a box of Christmas themed dog treats. :o And yes I admit I did have them gift wrapped (in my defence it was free and he looks [i]sooo cute tearing throug the paper with his little paws).

[CrazyCatLady]

They get treats and new toys in their stockings, yes. We don't let them open things, though, because they're not good at distinguishing tearing open their Christmas treats from tearing open packages of human food.

[silenus]

Yep. They get new toys in their stockings. Although they are usually just as happy playing with the discarded bows.

[ZenBeam]

There's a shocker; a poster named CrazyCatLady gives her cats presents... :p

We give our dog Christmas presents, hang (and fill) a paw shaped stocking for her and she gets a birthday present too.

[Audrey Levins]

The catsharks usually get a couple of tiny new fur mice or something, because Audrey is a sucker for tiny fur mice wearing Santa hats.

[Picard Kills Kirk]

I think I got my dog more christmas presents this year than I got for my wife. Hahaha!

ETA: At least the dog and I will have some new toys to play with when I am sleeping on the couch. And I forgot to mention we also receive gifts from the dog. On my wife's birthday the dog got her a Dogzilla chewtoy. We are a little crazy...

[Markxxx]

When I had a dog and cat, I got them presents. The dog always got one of those huge rawhide bones, which for some reason he was able to eat in two days. The cat got catnip toys, but like another poster said, the cat was more interested in sliding into the wrapping papper.

[truthbot]

Yes, my pets get prezzies. The border collie gets a new red&white plush ball (they must be red&white, she eschews all other colors); Toto is getting a plush doggie toy, the cats get fresh catnip mice.

My horses get peppermint marshmallows that I make for them.

[Deanna D]

Yes...in my twisted family traditions, both dogs and all three cats get presents. They also give presents as well, so it all evens out in the end. Although my daughter, who is always the one who questions everything, has quizzed me about this over the years: How can her cat buy presents when she has no job and no money...and why does the dog's handwriting on the gift tag look just like mine? You'd think after all these years, she'd just learn not to ask...

[tygre]

No, and this makes me abnormal in my SO's family, where dogs get birthday gifts and costumes for Halloween, in addition to Christmas presents. I love my cats and buy them toys and treats often, but cats(and dogs) don't know it's Christmas!!

/rant off

[Misnomer]

I hadn't planned to get my dog a present, but when I went to PetSmart last week they had big cane-shaped rawhides with red bows on 'em. So I bought one and put it in her stocking. :)

I also got her a bunch of new toys, several of which went directly into her "toy box" to be introduced later, but those were just regular "I spend too much money on my dog" presents -- not Christmas presents.

[panache45]

Like me, my cats are atheists. But I don't have the heart to deprive them of Christmas presents.

[JoseArcadio]

I don't have a pet anymore but we always got presents for my dog growing up. It was one of the best bits of Christmas morning; he'd get so excited tearing open his presents he'd always attack the other presents under the tree too. Chaos ensued.

[Sigmagirl]

I voted "yes" because I have in the past, but I don't usually. Most often, I just make an extra fuss over them so they don't feel ignored while we are opening our gifts. I'll go in the kitchen and get a few treats and they can each have a couple in between our gifts. It's all the same to them.

[faithfool]

Absolutely. Two dogs and one cat and they always have a present of something to open each Christmas. Why, they even got a housewarming gift! :D

I'm just glad this thread reminded me that I've still got some shopping to do....

[Surly Chick]

Yep and I wrap 'em too! When I was growing up we had an Irish Setter who would pull just her packages out from under the tree and open them when no one was home. My current dog doesn't quite get the concept of unwrapping unless it's a rawhide treat that he can really smell.

[don't ask]

I get them something every year but they can never unwrap it. They look at it and walk off.

Fuckwits probably couldn't read the books I bought them anyhow.

[otternell]

Each of the dogs gets their own stocking, filled with toys and treats. When we first get the stockings down (they are hung on the mantle with care) we dump out all the toys and let the dogs just go insane with excitement. Once everyone has settled down and picked a toy to destroy, we put the other ones away. They really like the plush toys, but the min pin will destroy one in the first 5-10 minutes, so I buy the cheap ones from dollar stores that way everyone gets multiple toys. They'll all be destroyed by March.

[Lanzy]

Hell no, Birthdays are enough of a problem. I mean with 7 a year and 7 dogs that's 49 presents a year!

[norinew]

I usually buy something small for my kitty, so he doesn't feel neglected on Christmas morning. I don't make him a stocking or anything, and I'm convinced that he thinks the ornaments on the lowest branches of the tree are his pre-Christmas presents. . .but yeah, he normally gets a little sumthin'.

[Q.N. Jones]

Sometimes I buy the cats something I really want for them, like a new litter box. This year, they are getting a four month supply of food because their favorite brand is being discontinued and I'm going to clean out the only local store that carries it.

I've tried buying them toys and treats, but their favorite thing about Christmas is wrapping paper. We let them rip into everyone's gifts under the tree if they want to. There are no small children in our family, so the main source of fun is watching the kitties go crazy.

One year, my parents' cat found a live mouse in the Christmas tree. That was the best kitty Christmas gift ever! We managed to keep the tree from getting smashed.

[kayaker]

The dogs get rawhide, stuffed toys, fancy jingle bell collars, etc. Plus, in between TGiving and New Years, there are all sorts of snack-type treats for the dogs, the barn cats, the outdoor wildlife, the horses, etc.

[AmericanMaid]

I get my cat Hanukkah gifts.

[silenus]

Like me, my cats are atheists. But I don't have the heart to deprive them of Christmas presents.

Cats aren't atheists. They know they are gods.

[Voyager]

When my dog was young we put wrapped treats under the tree, and he could sniff them out. Since he is half border collie, he had no trouble unwrapping them. Now he loves to unwrap ours also, but only when we tell him it is okay.

[lieu]

I ususally just give them a couple of bucks and let them pick it out themselves.

[L. G. Butts, Ph.D.]

Why the hell would I do that?

[Vihaga]

Yep and I wrap 'em too! When I was growing up we had an Irish Setter who would pull just her packages out from under the tree and open them when no one was home.

The Australian Shepherd my family had when I was a teenager used to do that, too! I never understood how he recognized his presents, even when they were toys rather than food. I assume that it was residual smells from the pet store.

Now, we do it sometimes but not always.

[badbadrubberpiggy]

No, not really.

Last year I picked up a package of holiday-themed mice, because they love them, but they were on sale.

I don't feel bad, they're spoiled creatures who get presents year-round. Mostly mice - they lose so many I'm pretty sure my house is actually insulated with the things.

[LurkMeister]

I used to, but haven't in a while. A friend bought a Christmas present for one of our cats for several years because she had stayed with us for a few days while recuperating from surgery and the cat had been very friendly with her during her stay.

Our cats also occasionally bought presents for my wife. :D

[elfkin477]

I used to buy my dog suet and a special treat for my ferret every Christmas. They died a few months apart (the dog died in April, the ferret was put down 3 days before Christmas) and I remember standing in the grocery store on Christmas eve that year, confused. It seemed like I should be buying treats, but had no pets to buy them for any more :(

Now I occasionally buy a toy for my mom's cats, because my fish, Ten, doesn't lend himself to being a gift receiver.

[MsRobyn]

I got the goldfish a new aquarium. They move in this weekend.

[JThunder]

The snake doesn't get presents. Nor do the tarantulas.

[norinew]

The snake doesn't get presents. Nor do the tarantulas.
Duh. Of course not. I mean, have you ever tried to gift-wrap feeder mice or crickets? :D

[Khadaji]

I just got my dog, but I don't think she is getting a present.

[Rushgeekgirl]

I have two dogs and two cats. I also have two children. I'd rather spend what little I have on my girls than my animals, as much as I love those animals. I think they would probably agree with me.

[norinew]

I have two dogs and two cats. I also have two children. I'd rather spend what little I have on my girls than my animals, as much as I love those animals. I think they would probably agree with me.
If money is a real problem for you, then of course you spend it on your kids! I don't think anyone here is a big enough animal lover to argue otherwise!

[FallenAngel]

The dogs get their favorite toys replaced and a big soup bone. The cat gets a ribbon off one of the presents. Strings and ribbons are really the only things she plays with as toys.

[Dung Beetle]

I don’t buy gifts for my pets, but I do buy gifts for a friend’s pets. She is adamant about not receiving any gifts herself, but she can’t resist toys for her precious ones. :)

[MoodIndigo1]

My cats didn't get gifts unless you count wrapping paper, ribbons and bags as gifts.

I say "did" because 2009 was a hard year for our cats. Shaku had kidney failure and had to be euthanized, Ishtar went through 4 surgeries and a few months later had to be euthanized, and the 3rd cat, AG, stopped eating when the other two cats were gone. She was a feral cat and only related to the other cats., not to humans. She lived with us 12 years without letting us pick her up. We loved her to bits anyway, she was so sweet in her own way. The only thing she would eat were Temptation treats, nothing else.

I miss my critters so much.

[Cat Fight]

I used to buy my dog suet and a special treat for my ferret every Christmas.

Dogs can eat suet? Like the kind for birds or something else? My pup doesn't deserve a damned thing, the little terror, but I'm curious nonetheless (and sorry for your loss).

[schnuckiputzi]

The dogs have their own stocking, which will be stuffed with rawhide bones and stuffed animals. The cat will sit on the sidelines disdaining all toys and snacks. She won't even eat canned cat food. Only one kind of dry cat food. She's a killjoy.

[Palo Verde]

I have 2 cats and one dog. They have no idea it's Christmas and so I see no point in getting them anything.

My kids will give them an extra milk bone, but that's it.

[susan]

The cays need a new toy (mousies, mostly) so they will leave us alone while we open our gifts. Cats pouncing on wrapping paper is only cute the first 300 times.

[BigT]

I generally don't, as I hardly ever have money, but my sister does. She actually asked our dachshund whether he wanted a Christmas gift this year, and he nodded his head and started wagging his tail. When she asked, "Would it be okay if we just wrap your Christmas gifts from last year?" he started growling at her. He's definitely spoiled.

[Vambo]

I wonder if this will ever be used as evidence that I am indeed nuts? Of course we do and we make a bit of a scene over it. Like those jerks who spoil their kids rotten, hypocritically we do the same for the pets in our house. In my own defense though, our dog and two cats have never once asked to "borrow" money, the car, our clothes, called from the police station asking for bail, drank all our booze nor left their smelly laundry in the kitchen for us to take care of. They never said they hate us for not giving in to their wishes, argued with us about their rights nor whined because other pet owners are way cooler than we are.

It may be crazy but it sure feels right.

[Campion]

I don't usually, because I've figured out that not only can they not tell time, they don't know times of the year. So Christmas is, to them, just another day I don't go to work.

But this year I got a tree, and it looks kind of sad without presents underneath. So I picked up a couple toys at the pet store this week, and I'll wrap those and put them under the tree. It amuses me, and the animals don't care, so it's all good.

[rhubarbarin]

I don't.

I do buy my pets a lot of shit. New scratchers, cat trees, I replace their beds every so often, different kinds of meat, chews for the dogs. But not for holidays.

[congodwarf]

Well I have a fish. I don't think he wants a present.

I did buy presents for my sister's cat though. I got him some treats and a toy.

[Two Many Cats]

Like me, my cats are atheists. But I don't have the heart to deprive them of Christmas presents.

If your cats are atheists, do they not believe in themselves? ;)

[Mama Zappa]

Well, as guinea pigs, they're pretty well unaware of the passing of seasons. Their underaged human servants, however, think everyone should celebrate Chrismahanukwanzukah.

So while at PetSmart last fall, I bought them a couple of chew things that looked like furniture. And we've gotten them new ones for this year also.

[Gala Matrix Fire]

I've bought them presents other years, but not this year. They've never been unduly impressed, plus they get everything they could want all year long.

[troub]

Every year my dog gets a giant (something like 24") rawhide bone. When he was a pup, it lasted about a week. Nowadays, it lasts almost all year (he mostly just carries it around proudly). By the next Christmas it's looking pretty gross, so it gets replaced.

The cats get catnip and little fuzzy/jingly things, feathers on string teasers, etc.

[palindromemordnilap]

I used to get my cats gifts, but most of them have not been visibly aware of the holiday season. My current cat does not play with toys and he gets treats on a daily basis and catnip often enough that there is no gift I can give him that is worth the trouble of wrapping.

[Hazle Weatherfield]

Scout, the parakeet, gets an Xmas "mitten." It will usually contain millet and some ribbon. This is mostly for the entertainment of my niece (5) and nephew (3), but, I have to admit, I'd probably do it anyway! He's quite interactive and plays with his toys and his people a lot. Says quite a few things, as well. He likes to be in on everything!

[MadTheSwine]

I love my cats and buy them toys and treats often, but cats(and dogs) don't know it's Christmas!!

/rant off

Mebbe not,but my cat knows something special is going on when we all sit at the big table at my parents house.He sits and waits for his dinner.
I always buy him a can of food that matches the meal we are eating.(plus he loves sweet potatos, so he always gets some of mine.)