# Do you buy "Christmas Gifts" for your pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515 "2007-12-10T19:15:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/1 "2007-12-10T19:15:00Z")
Just like it says on the tin. 😛 Some years I do, and some I don’t. It’s not like they know it’s Christmas, or anything. But it is fun. This year, because it’ll be Jasmine’s first Christmas without Ladybug, and we’ll be gone all day, I bought her a huge, real bone from the pet place. She’ll get it Christmas morning, and it can keep her company while we’re out celebrating with family. The cats got a new bag of toys (like they don’t have enough.) I’d buy Jazz a toy, but she never learned to play with toys. She was a mistreated, neglected pound-pup, poor baby. So what do you do, if anything? [(Obligatory pet pics)](http://picasaweb.google.com/r.g.russ/TheTroubleagainMenagerie) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/2 "2007-12-10T19:23:41Z")
Yep. They each get a can of gooshyfood (normal they’re dry only eaters) and a new toy in their itty bitty kitty stockings. Of course they don’t know what’s going on, but my toddler thinks it’s funny to see kitties’ stockings hung by the mock-fireplace with care, and my teenager actually cracks a smile when choosing the cats’ gifts, so it’s worth the $1.83 I spend on each of them. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/3 "2007-12-10T19:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Yep. They each get a can of gooshyfood (normal they’re dry only eaters) and a new toy in their itty bitty kitty stockings. Of course they don’t know what’s going on, but my toddler thinks it’s funny to see kitties’ stockings hung by the mock-fireplace with care, and my teenager actually cracks a smile when choosing the cats’ gifts, so it’s worth the $1.83 I spend on each of them. [/QUOTE] I used to do stockings, too, but now we don’t really have a good place to hang them. So their gifts are just under the tree with ours. 🙂 (Fortunately, the dog doesn’t seem to have smelled the bone yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/4 "2007-12-10T19:36:18Z")
Yep. He gets a new rawhide and some kind of toy. He has his own stocking. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/5 "2007-12-10T19:42:37Z")
Between my two Bostons they each go through a Nylabone Galileo once a year. It’s just been a convenience to give them each a new one on Christmas. It it also convenient to give it to them before we start opening presents so they keep themselves occupied rather than going after wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/6 "2007-12-10T19:44:56Z")
Awww, Bostons are so cute. My neighbor has one named “Cowboy,” which I think is an utterly cool name. I wanna get three of 'em and name 'em Cowboy, Ninja and Pirate. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/7 "2007-12-10T19:49:38Z")
Absolutely. When we had a dog, we would buy him a doggie stocking each year, full of different kinds of treats. With the cat, we usually just get her some sort of toy–one year it was a lazer pointer (great, because she goes shack wacky in the winter and needs the exercise), another a ragball. Nothing huge, just something to keep her occupied when there’s snow on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/8 "2007-12-10T19:56:48Z")
Our dogs unwrap there own. After the first couple of years, they caught on and got pretty worked up when people started opening presents. Unfortunatly this means that the dogs can’t be left alone with any wrapped presents that might possibly contain food items. (their nose knows not the word no!) ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/9 "2007-12-10T20:17:06Z")
I’ll probably get the [kitties](http://www.flickr.com/photos/7161556@N03/2068559147/) a new [wide bodied cardboard scratcher](http://www.amazon.com/Worldwise-SmartyKat-0932511-SuperScratcher-Certified/dp/B00062B84O/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1197317705&sr=1-12) with some catnip. But that’ll probably be it. Their all time favorite toy is an old pink sock; cats never seem to use what you buy them. Although [this](http://www.amazon.com/M-X-Orca-Cat-Scratcher/dp/B000VNCJIM/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1197317584&sr=1-2) is really cool. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/10 "2007-12-10T20:29:15Z")
Yes, because like Hampshire, I find it’s convenient to replace old toys at that point, and it gives him something to do, during that time. I don’t wrap them though, and he doesn’t have a stocking. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/11 "2007-12-10T20:32:08Z")
My grandparents usually send a toy for their granddog, and are normally pretty right-on-the-mark about it. It keeps her mostly occupied while we open presents. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/12 "2007-12-10T20:35:24Z")
We did pet stockings when we had little kids. Now we only have one kid left at home and he’s getting up there in years, but he does still like to give presents to the pets. Kitty toys and the the like. We can’t figure out what the fish would like, though, or how to do a stocking for them. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/13 "2007-12-10T22:50:37Z")
Yes, and she gets toys from her uncle & auntie, and grammy & grampy. She’s really into paper, though. Like, more than your average dog. She rips apart paper on a daily basis (I’ve trained her to only do it to paper she’s given, tho) so Christmas is just like…er…Christmas to her. This year I just got her one silly gift from the HSUS - a ruffled collar - and a matching one for her cousin. Last year she was just too mean with new toys around her cousin, so this year she gets clothes. ha! She will not notice the lack of gifts. She will only notice the abundance of wrapping paper. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/14 "2007-12-10T22:59:02Z")
I used to give my cat a can of sardines at Christmas, but the cats I have now don’t like them. I know! What’s with that? Some years I don’t bother, because they don’t know what day it is and I give them a really nice life, anyway. But this year they’re getting some expensive treats and of course catnip. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/15 "2007-12-10T23:04:55Z")
We just buy them some cat-treats and feed them to them as dessert to their Christmas breakfast. They also get the organ meats from the turkey. ---
**Author:** ![BrknButterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@BrknButterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrknButterfly)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/16 "2007-12-10T23:05:22Z")
When I had dogs they did. They actually had their own “paw” stocking. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/17 "2007-12-10T23:07:23Z")
Not usually\*, but we do _receive_ Christmas gifts from a cat (it used to be “cats”, but two of them have passed on). My fiance’s parents’ cats were very generous, but in particular I loved the cards we got. The three cats were: Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan, and Ozymandias, and they’d sign the card “Love from Ozy and the Khans”. Made me laugh every time. \*This year we’re getting him one of those pet water fountains so he’ll stop begging for water at the tap. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/18 "2007-12-10T23:07:55Z")
We have a dozen well-cared-for cats, and if we can keep our eyes open that late, we give them canned food at midnight on Christmas Eve. This is a wonderful historic tradition. It makes them talk, in English, just like humans, for a brief while. But this is the only time of year it works. Unfortunately, we often fall asleep too soon, so they get canned food the next day, but don’t talk. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/19 "2007-12-11T02:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=Napier] We have a dozen well-cared-for cats, and if we can keep our eyes open that late, we give them canned food at midnight on Christmas Eve. This is a wonderful historic tradition. It makes them talk, in English, just like humans, for a brief while. But this is the only time of year it works. Unfortunately, we often fall asleep too soon, so they get canned food the next day, but don’t talk. [/QUOTE] Do you have a video camera? This would be an awesome YouTube video! (if you guys can stay awake) ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515/20 "2007-12-11T02:46:30Z")
Gourmet doggie treats, and my parents usually give them a stocking of toys. The best toy we got for Binkley was from them - it’s a giant rubber donut. “Giant” is the key word - Mojo, our alpha dog, will just take toys out of Binkley’s mouth, but the donut fits in Binkley’s gaping maw but it’s too big for Mojo to get a good grip on, so he can’t take it away. We also give gourmet goodies and catnip to friends’ pets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-buy-christmas-gifts-for-your-pets/429515.md?page=2)