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Hot Holiday Gift Ideas for your Pets

By on December 11, 2013

We all love the holidays. Family and friends gather every year to enjoy the company of others, fantastic meals, gossip and the like. Exchanging gifts is a cornerstone of the holiday season for most, too. Gifts, whether big or small, bring cheer and chivalry to holiday get-togethers. While we know you’ll be getting that special someone something nice this year, we also want you to remember your four-legged friends! We’ve looked around and listened for the hottest, newest and best holiday gifts for your pets and collected some wonderful ideas here just for you. You are welcome.

Our first group of suggestions come from a recent article in the Panama City, FL newspaper, the News Herald. Its composer asked a local expert, the President of the local chapter of the Animal Rescue Center, for gift ideas and we’ve highlighted some of them here. For the entire article, click this link.

An interesting note from this story: an American Pet Products survey shows that 27 percent of pet owners buy a Christmas gift for their pet. The highest percentage of gifts are bought for dogs (51 percent), which equals 23 million households, the survey said. The average amount spent for all species is $16, however fish and horse owners spend the most at $37 and $30 respectively. Darn those choosey and hard-to-buy-for fish and equines!

Onto the gift ideas…The article suggests many practical holiday gestures that benefit your animal and pet community like donating to shelters, rescue organizations, and other pet services. Find out how to donate food, blankets, and more to special drives during the holidays in your area. We know your pet won’t mind, and you’ll be doing a great service to your pet community.

Another practical idea that also makes your pets happy can come in the form of a “special dinner.” While you and your family eat during holiday get-togethers, you can serve your pet a special treat that maybe they don’t receive during the year. This will not only make pets happy, but it will keep them from begging from under the legs of guests seated around the dinner table.

The article suggests you “Buy a chewable toy, which allows dogs to expend otherwise destructive energy in a positive way.” Gauge your pet’s level of play when buying chewable toys as some can fall apart easily. Ropes are always fun for dogs and canvas toys are durable for kitties with a big bite and claws.

For your hyperactive dog, the expert suggests you “Purchase an agility set or Fly Ball set to keep your pet active. Fly Ball sets have a pedal control that allows the dog to initiate the toss of a ball, making it a form of self-entertainment.” Now if that isn’t creative and useful, we don’t know what is. Put the thing outside and your pup can let ‘er rip! Fun for hours while you take a nap after eating a big holiday meal.

For that special kitty of the house, buy a cat tree. “Cats naturally like to get height, and it provides hiding holes and a place for them to scratch and sharpen their claws without destroying your furniture…It’s about the best gift for a cat owner. Automated laser lights also make a good toy for cats.” There are three things that are inevitable in this world: death, taxes, and cats that like laser lights. Take their advice and watch your cat go bananas as your shoot the light down the hall and all around you house. Fun for you, fun for them!

These are all super ideas for your pets, but we especially like the first suggestion of a donation to your local shelter or pet organization. Frankly, we forget that sometimes the best gift is helping others- especially around the holiday season when we are supposed to be thankful, benevolent and full of love. Donate today and make this holiday better for your animal community.

Another story we found comes from the Sacramento Bee. Again, this idea is another that isn’t directly given to your pet, but humor us…

It has come to our attention that one of the hottest gifts for kids this year is the Glow Pet. Typically, we wouldn’t be in the business of recommending kid toys, but this cool holiday gift seems to provide kids with a love for “pets” in a different way that is healthy and practical for parents. Love the toy that looks like an animal; love real animals. Seems like a logical if-then statement, right?

According to the Bee article, which can be found here, Glow Pets are “the amazing light-up pets that also transform into an extra comfortable and soft pillow. Poised to be a stand-out toy this holiday season, these cuddly critters are the perfect gift for little ones, but parents will love them, too. Whether kids have difficulty settling down or they just need a familiar companion to ensure a good night’s sleep, Glow Pets make bedtime a breeze and will help little ones drift off to dreamland long after the excitement of the holidays is gone. Children will find Glow Pets hard to part with as these super-soft cuddly companions are perfect for playtime, story time or anytime. When the button on a pet’s paw is pressed, the pet emits a soft light to help ease children to sleep. Each pet contains a special LED light that creates a glow without producing heat, and a built-in timer that automatically shuts off after 20 minutes. Children can simply secure the pet’s tummy with the attached strap to create a plush animal, and pull the strap to release the pet into pillow form.” What a neat idea! Kids are sure to love these little critters and hopefully will develop a love for animals all the while.

We know how stressful gift shopping can get, so this suggestion is purely a little extra help for parents and kids who love animals. Again, you are welcome!

The Fort Mill Times recently profiled a new startup built just for your pet. Seriously- it’s a company that sends you personalized pet gifts tailored to your pet’s likes and in following of the latest trends in pet stuff. The Times even went so far as to say pets “raise the woof” for this gift idea.

Wow…

The article gives the following information on this super cool company, PetBox:Launched nationwide earlier this month, PetBox is a monthly subscription-based service delivering premium pet products directly to Fido and FiFi’s doorstep. The start-up, headquartered in San Diego, is creating quite the purr this holiday season with the ideal gift for pet lovers.

About PetBox: A rapidly-growing e-commerce and technology startup, PetBox is based in San Diego, California. They are dedicated to sniffing out the best in pet products for their customers. PetBox feeds one rescue or shelter animal a meal for each PetBox purchased. Follow #PetBoxFridays to keep up with the PetBox team as they send shipments of dog and cat food each Friday to shelters and rescues across the United States.

PetBox is also giving 100 percent of online purchase proceeds to shelter during this holiday season when customers use a special promotional code, so pets who “get” this season will also be “giving” at the same time. PetBox is a wonderful venture and pet owners get the hottest pet products year-round to boot. To find out more about PetBox, follow the previous article link or visit www.getpetbox.com.

As a final set of suggestions, we will direct you to a place you probably think of right of the bat when shopping for your pets this holiday season: a giant pet store!

PetSmart is one of the largest retailers in the country for pets. Among their cool gifts are toys, travel and ID products, treats and more. Find the perfect gift at their Web site or check out our selection of suggestions below.

  • The retailer has literally hundreds of options for harnesses, leashes, collars and more. Not only will these restraints and travel items help pet owners, but your pets can look stylish and personalize their “wardrobes” a bit with custom and designer looks.
  • If you are looking for cheap gifts that will last a lifetime, check out their selection of 2013 tree ornaments. The store has many breeds in a variety of poses and the year 2013 is inscribed on each ornament. These are only around $5, so this is a great, inexpensive memory waiting to be made.
  • If your dog or cat is a constant napper, look into making their snoozes a bit more comfy with a new bed or various “pet nappers.” PetSmart carries inexpensive ones that are practical and great for smaller, tamer pets, but also some giant fluffy beds that will surely put any pet to sleep. Check out the Memory Foam pet napper that can go just about anywhere and provide only the most comfortable of naps. Also, we’d urge you to look at the Top Paw Orthopedic foam lounger. It looks so comfy, we might suggest buying one for your pooch and one for yourself. What better way to bond with your pets?

Gift ideas are everywhere. Peruse these links and stay tuned for more great pet gift ideas. Have another gift idea that you are excited for? Let us know about it in the comment section below or tweet us a link to the gift @PetsInOmaha. Happy Holidays and don’t you dare forget about your little kitty or pup this holiday season! It’s the least you can do to show your appreciation for them and contribute to your local pet retailers.

And learn about Instant Payday Loans to help with holiday expenses if you’ve got a need!

 

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