# Are you buying XMas gifts for your pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215 "2006-12-22T13:51:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/41 "2006-12-24T17:28:30Z")
A box of meaty bones, some log, Pup-Peroni, and a sack of kitty treats. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/42 "2006-12-24T17:35:02Z")
I don’t have pets, but I bought a ‘cat fishing pole’ for **Shayna** ’s and **Spiny Norman** ’s cat. The pole is a flexible rod with a cord at one end, with a large-ish feather thing at the end. The cat wil bat at it when I swing the feather, but seems to prefer to play with it without human intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/43 "2006-12-24T17:39:40Z")
Yep, I bought gifts for the dog and cats. Maggie the dog got a new bed because she’s getting arthritic and when she lays on the hard tile floor any length of time she starts limping on her foreleg. I gave her the bed today and she’s enjoying it as I type. Now, if only we can keep the cats from taking out some of their aggression toward her on her bed like they have done on occasion with her blankets. Maggie also got a couple chewie things but I probably won’t give her one until tonight. The kitties got Pounce treats and new bowls. They won’t care about the bowls but I wanted to replace their plastic dishes with ceramic and I found some fish-shaped bowls at Target for 50% off so they were only $1.25. I got a bunch of them and a couple extra. Someone at work also gave me a cat toy for the kitties but I have to find a way to keep the dog from getting it since she likes to eat cat toys … which may explain why the cats like to take revenge on her blankets. Our family has always bought presents for the pets but we learned early on not to wrap the dog bone and put it under the tree. We also started a tradition of giving gag gifts to each other and signing the dog’s name to the package. In one case it wasn’t a gag gift, I gave my father a bag of socks to replace some socks my golden retriever ate and I signed her name to the package. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/44 "2006-12-24T17:44:10Z")
I don’t buy my cats presents. They’re CATS. I don’t know what they’d appreciate anyway. They aren’t interested in treats or toys. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/45 "2006-12-25T18:15:22Z")
As I type, the ctas are merrily playing with all their swag. The bopper went over well, as did the feathered spool and the Tigger dangler. I think I’ll give the spiked balls with the bells inside to the outdoor kitties, lest I step on one of them in the night. Of course, honesty compells me to note that Pixel was just as happy playing with the ribbon her presents were wrapped with as she was the presents themselves. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/46 "2006-12-25T20:18:23Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Of course, honesty compells me to note that Pixel was just as happy playing with the ribbon her presents were wrapped with as she was the presents themselves. 😃 [/QUOTE] My cat Austen was much more keen on playing with the ribbon from one of my presents this morning than she has been with the ring toy last week. However, she is a confirmed ribbon-eater, so I could only let her play with it for a few minutes while I was opening my presents, and had to take it away from her before she chewed it up and swallowed any. But I think she enjoyed herself very much with her “present” for that little time this Xmas morning. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mrs\_Johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/47 "2006-12-25T21:20:14Z")
It was time to buy dogfood so I picked up a new collar, a bed (she’d been sleeping on a towel) and a package of minty bones for my dog. She’s also gets the ham-bone. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/48 "2006-12-26T00:51:50Z")
My girls each got a fake rat, a catnip-filled ball with a bell in it and a new taunting stick. The gifts didn’t end up wrapped and under the tree because _somebody_ stole them out of the carrier bag as soon as I got home. At least I know they appreciate them! My mother bought her grandcats a packet of Cravers (their favourite kitty treat). I’m sure she got gifts for my brother’s dogs and cats too. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/49 "2006-12-26T01:04:57Z")
I buy my two cats an even number of presents the same way my parents try to buy my sister and I an even number of gifts each year. The cats could honestly care less… but with all of the excitement of Christmas morning, I want them to have something to focus their energy on other than trying to swallow random bits of Christmas bows. This year they got a battery operated mouse, a little pop up box tent with big holes to climb through and two catnip toys. And yes, I did feel a bit like a crazy old cat lady while I was wrapping their presents earlier this week. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/50 "2006-12-26T14:34:32Z")
I got my parents’ dog a squeaky toy. This benefits me, as well. I live across the country from them, and when I buy a doggie present, my parents send me pictures of the dog with the present. So I give and I receive in return. Doggie pictures! I hope you don’t mind, but, umm… [Exhibit A](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v459/rinniroo/puppy/shebatoy01.jpg). I just love this dog! ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215/51 "2006-12-28T09:13:44Z")
Yes, our kelpie got a Christmas dog-pack filled with squeaky toys, tennis balls and tug-rope. Our kitty got a cat stocking with cat-nip toys and balls etc. The dog was immediately ecstatic with her haul, and the cat was typically disinterested at first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-buying-xmas-gifts-for-your-pets/385215.md?page=2)