Gift Ideas for Cats and Cat Lovers

There are so many ideas for cat owners that you really have to narrow it down. But, where do we start? I start with the litter box because I can’t enjoy them if they smell.

Litter and Supplies

I love all of my cats. I have four. They all have different toilet habits. I have tried it all. Scoop free crystals do not work for me. I wasted a lot of money on that contraption. I have bought litter that was so useless the cats might has well urinated right on the floor. When cats don’t like the smell of their litter box, they use the bathroom anywhere they choose. The tub, the floor, the wall; I don’t think it could have got worse. Don’t waste your money. It’s bad enough you spend it on kitty waste but you don’t have to deal with the smell.

I whole heartedly recommend three products. I have tried them all at different times and depending on how much money and time the pet owner is putting into their kitty, they work great.

1. If you have time to toilet train, I recommend it. Mine can use the toilet, go outside, or litter box. But train them all at once; introducing new kittens is what throws off a toilet training schedule. This is the cheapest and cleanest in the long run. But, you must give them undivided attention for a few months for it to work.
2. If you have the money and space, I recommend a flushable cat toilet. By this, I mean a toilet that uses water. I do not mean a toilet that rakes its litter for you. Those don’t self-clean, they just rake poo. It still smells bad and you still have to empty it by yourself. This is a colossal waste of money.
3. If you don’t have the time or money and you just want good litter, try Arm and Hammer. It’s not fancy. It just works.

Now that the bathroom is taken care of, let them play:

Toys

1. One of my cats would play with a box or a hair scrunchie. He’s the type that chases shadows. I don’t buy him toys for his amusement. I buy him toys to defend my home. He will create a toy if he doesn’t have one. For the active tail chaser in your life, I recommend balls, mice, and things that roll across the room.
2. Then, there is the lap baby. He doesn’t play with anything in particular. He just wants to be underfoot, in your lap, to eat food out of other kitties’ plates, and to steal the other kitties’ toys. So, this year we are going to get him a cat bed to put right next to the computer and a perch for when he is in the living room. The higher he is, the more that he can see what is going on. He can’t be the center of attention if he does not know where everyone else is. And then, we are getting the other kitties extra toys so he can steal them.
3. Then, there is the little one. We found him and he must have left his mommy too early. He doesn’t know he is a kitty and he follows the dog and big cats around looking for a mommy. He has taken one of the dog’s toys as his personal pacifier. It’s a limp raccoon and the dog used to chew on it all the time. Now, that kitten sucks on it until he falls asleep every day. So, I am getting the dog and kitten another limp chew toy so I can wash that dog toy/kitten pacifier. You got a clingy kitten? Give it something larger and limper than it is so it can chew and cuddle.
4. Then, there is the old fat fur ball. He likes to ignore the rest of the crowd. He shows up at chow time and demands petting from his humans and then disappears again. Don’t ask him to babysit that little weirdo who sucks on the raccoon. He doesn’t do babysitting. I am getting my tubby butterball more grooming tools. He loves to be brushed and to lay on his back and purr. It’s what he does best.

I hope you and your furry friends have a wonderful holiday.