Pet food brand Wellness found in a recent survey that 74 percent of pet parents planned to buy a Christmas gift for their dog or cat. That’s most of us. It definitely includes me with my dogs and chinchillas, and I’m sure that extends the cat owners among us. If you plan to buy something for your feline friend this year, here are the best Christmas gifts for cats.
Originally included in our best cat beds post, the charm of this cat bed is that it’s like a very low-powered heating pad. It uses just six watts to quickly warm up to your cat’s temperature as soon as they lay down. While it won’t be hot to the touch, your cat will love the slightly enhanced warmth compared to the other surfaces of your home.
Taking after possibly the world’s most popular cat toy, the Bergan Turbo Scratcher, this nifty device takes the form of a cardboard bowl. This allows for both playing and sleeping, and can easily be enhanced with the included catnip.
If you don’t yet have a cat tower, your feline is really missing out. These things can easily become the center of your cat’s universe, providing an extensive play area, places to hide, and sleeping spots, all while keeping the scratching of your furniture to a minimum. This is one of the best value units out there, measuring nearly 70 inches tall and loaded with interesting platforms for play. For more ideas, check out our best cat trees post.
While a laser pointer when you’re home is great, it’s even better to be able to keep your cat entertained when you can’t be home. The newly released Petcube Play 2 retains the laser pointer toy of the original version we reviewed on our best pet cams post, but updates a lot of the other features. Alexa is now built-in, the microphones have been upgraded, pet and human detection improved, and all of it comes in a sleek new look.
It isn’t Christmas without stockings. My wife and I exchange them in lieu of other presents, we give one to each of our chinchillas and to each of our dogs. If you’d like to give one to your cat, here’s an option to consider. The stocking measures 13.5 inches tall and includes 12 different toys. These include mice, balls, bells, and more. This should keep your cat occupied until at least New Year’s.
In our hairball remedy post, we discussed the use of cat grass to provide extra fiber to help clear fur in the digestive system — as well as keep them from eating your houseplants. This holiday gift set includes three containers, three seed mix packets, and three planting soil pods. The resulting grass is a blend of wheat, oats, rye, barley, and flax. The manufacturer says that this will also be appealing to dogs, rabbits, and some reptiles.
If you really want to drive your cat crazy, go for a toy where the catnip goes inside. These Kong animal toys are perfect for this. North American catnip is included, but if you should run out, Kong offers various refill packs. The price on these varies depending on the seller, but they’re still pretty cheap overall.
An update to the venerable old Cat Dancer wand toy, this OurPets variant adds a high-tech mouse to the end. It features their so-called “RealMouse” technology, which means that, via the use of electronic speaker inside, it squeaks when your cat plays with it. The eyes have lights that flash, as well.
There’s a RealBirds variant, and you can also buy the Mouse Hunter toy separate from a wand.
Similar to the concept of a cat tree, this novel product allows for hiding, hunting, scratching, and exploration. These are made in the U.S. out of recycled plastic bottles, which means that the textured top is especially resistant to abuse. There’s a non-skid backing to keep it in place, too. I know someone who moved their cats to another country and this was the only product that helped them settle into their new surroundings.
Pet water fountains are extremely popular of late, if our post on the subject is any indication. Cats are notoriously picky about, well, everything, so having fresh-tasting, running water helps cut down one thing they’ll be reluctant to do. This one is interesting because only running water is available to your cat, where in other designs the basin fills up and still water collects. Three liters of water fit in it at one time, and there’s a water softening filter hidden inside the reservoir (replacements here). It matches Catit’s Multi Feeder if you want to grab the set.
When we had laser pointers to play with my cats during my childhood, they were certainly not rechargeable. They always used those small round batteries that required a trip to a few pharmacies before you could find them in stock again. That usually meant we’d use it until the batteries ran out, toss it in a drawer, and forget about it until we bought a new one.
This two-pack of laser pointers, however, is USB rechargeable, completely removing that concern. It’s also three mode, combining a typical red laser with a flashlight and UV light function. It’s just kind of a handy tool, really.
Cats like fish, humans like sushi. What better way to give your cat a fun gift than this deluxe sushi cat toy set. You get eight pieces of cat toy sushi — four nigiri and four maki — that contain catnip, crinkle paper, bells, and rattles in various configurations to keep your cat intrigued. The simpler four piece set is almost half as expensive, if you want to go that route.
These pure, freeze-dried, raw treats are the perfect way to give your cat a little something extra without necessarily loading them up on sugar. Each of these flavors are made of just one ingredient: minnows, giblets, salmon, chicken breast, or tuna. I think the minnows are especially fun.
Taking off from the crinkle tunnel we included in our best interactive cat toys post, this simple pouch achieves some of the same play possibilities but takes up less floor space. This is a plush lined sack with crinkle material inside so cats can pounce on or climb around in it. Some might even be inclined to take a nap inside the pocket. To top it off, there’s a dangling catnip toy to give them something to bat around. If you don’t like this option, there are several other toys from SmartyKat on the same page ranging from $2.88 to $9.99 at the time of this writing.
Suppose you did want to give them a cat tunnel, though? This one is very reasonably priced, if you can forgive having only two color options between black and pink and black and blue. This three way tunnel measures 32 inches long with a 12 inch diameter. It also collapses completely into a flat ring for storage. Naturally, there is a hanging toy on this, as well. If you want to spend a few more dollars, this Prosper Pet version comes in 11 colors.
Speaking of catnip toys, if you just want to give your cat a little something to acknowledge that they may very well be your Valentine, these adorable little catnip toys fit the bill nicely. Measuring about four inches, you get your choice of this chili pepper, a cactus, a carrot, a banana, a fish, a snake, or a cigar. The chili pepper is under three dollars as I write this, so that makes it the value option. In time, of course, the nip effect will wear off, but you can douse the toy in catnip spray to keep it exciting.
Do you have a particularly adventurous cat? Do you wish you could take them everywhere with you? This novel product might be the answer. Available in messenger, purse, and backpack configurations, this pet carrier adds a bubble porthole for your cat to look out of while you travel. Wherever you are, your cat will have just as much opportunity to take in the sights. This isn’t your standard plastic cat carrier by a long shot. This is for cat ownership on the go as a lifestyle.
Every cat owner knows one toy is hardly ever sufficient. Unless you live in a house with absolutely no spaces under furniture anywhere, your cat will pretty quickly lose whatever you give them. You can solve that problem by buying 45 of whatever toy you pick out. In this case, these are balls with knit exteriors and rattling insides. They measure roughly one and a half inches, so they should roll easily across any floor, while the noise will keep them intrigued. Plus, again, there are 45 of them, so you’re unlikely to run out anytime soon.
The cats I had growing up liked balls okay, but they absolutely loved the little fake mice. These are catnip-filled and like the ones of my youth, have a seam on the bottom that will eventually give in to your cat’s needling and explode all over the place. Yes, that means you’ll have to clean it up, but it’s the destruction your cat loves, so let them have it. This box includes 12 brightly colored mice, but you could opt for more natural looking mice covered in real rabbit fur.
This nifty little gadget mounts either on a corner or a flat wall surface and give your cat a way to brush themselves without human intervention. This can help remove loose fur or just give them something entertaining to do. They include a small pouch of catnip meant to fit inside to pique their interest. The brush itself pops off the mounting for easy cleaning, and adhesive strips are included for installation.
For Valentine’s Day this year, why not let your cat scratch the furniture? Not as it is, of course, but with one of these novel scratching posts applied. These are very thin molded panels covered in sisal fabric. That fabric comes in your choice of Olive, Moss, Light Brown, Ivory, Gold, Black, and Beige, which will help you choose something close to the color of your furniture. Simply tuck the base under the foot of your couch and you’re ready to let them have at it. Though it was out of stock at the time of this writing, they also make the Sofa-Scratcher Squared for right angle corners.
