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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
