Best gifts for cats – Top 10 Christmas gifts for cats

With Christmas just around the corner it’s time to start compiling those lists of presents to buy. In our household finding a gift for our two cats, Misty and Bella Boo, is just as important as finding a gift for all our other friends and family. So, in the quest to find the perfect gifts for our two feline friends, we have compiled a list of our favourite things which may help you too to find the perfect gift.

1. Advent calendar for your cat

The build up to Christmas is just as much fun as the day itself. Our children love having an advent calendar, counting down the days until Christmas day. Our daughter decided that it was only fair that the kitties had an advent calendar too. We found some cat advent calendars specifically for cats which contained a cat treat each day.

If your cat is not allowed cat treats for any reason, then there are beautiful advent calendars that you can fill with your own treats or toys. A cat can never have too many squeaky mice or rolling balls to play with! Buying a multipack set of cat toys and dividing these to one per day will ensure plenty of variety and entertainment for your cat.

Please do not ever give your cat a chocolate advent calendar designed for humans. Chocolate is TOXIC to cats and can be fatal. Chocolate contains theobromine which is the harmful substance to cats. It is found in all chocolate, including white chocolate. Keep all chocolate out of the reach of cats. If you suspect that your cat has eaten chocolate please contact your veterinary.

2. A new bed for your cat

We all deserve – and need – a new mattress or bed every now and then. And given that cats love to sleep and spend on average 15 hours a day sleeping, then a comfortable bed is essential. We find that our cats vary where they like to nap during the day. Their daytime nap locations include on the cat tree, by a sunny window spot or in the grass tub in their catio! But for a long deep sleep, or when the weather gets colder, their fluffy, soft, cosy bed is where they love to be. When choosing a bed for your cat it is important to consider comfort, warmth, privacy and  safety. Giving your cat a choice of suitable sleeping places is recommended, and particularly so in a multi-cat household. We love this Banbury & Co Luxury Cosy Cat Bed and is on our shopping list this Christmas. We will let you know in due course if the recipients like it as much as we do!

For further information and guidelines on the sleeping pattern of cats and where cats should sleep, please see our article ‘Where should my cat sleep? Where do cats sleep outside?‘.

3. A cat tree

Cat trees are one of the most versatile objects that a cat can have. It can provide somewhere to climb, a place to nap, a scratching post, a hiding place, a feeling of security when high up, and entertainment from the hanging toys included on some cat trees.  The choice on the market is vast, and vary in prices and design. We tried out a simple cat tree initially to see whether or not our cats would like it and use it. They loved it. When it’s situated near a window it’s the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by or have a little afternoon nap with the warm sunshine shining through. And now that we know cat trees are a hit in our household, it has been enormous fun exploring more elaborate cat trees and pondering our next purchase. We particularly like this one made by PAWZ Road – a 60″ Cat Tree Multilevel Cat Tower. It includes several fully wrapped sisal scratching posts, a hammock, dangling toy balls, a hiding area and a plush resting area at the top.

4. A water fountain.

Water is as important to a cat’s health as it is to humans. If cats do not drink enough water, they can become dehydrated. Cats naturally do not drink a lot of water and they can go for quite a while with no fluid. But if this lack of water is constant then there is a risk of dehydration. Dehydration can occur in any combination of reduced fluid intake, increased liquid loss, or lack of water in the diet. Younger, older, immune-compromised, pregnant or nursing cats are much more susceptible to dehydration. And, as most cat owners discover, cats can become extremely fussy when it comes to drinking water.  The shape and size of the water bowl, temperature of the water, freshness and taste are all factors which can influence the water intake of a cat. One of our cats, Misty, prefers rainwater from puddles whilst Bella Boo prefers tap water from a shallow dish. It is a good idea to have more than one water bowl in different locations. This is particularly important in a multi-cat household. One great option to have is a water fountain. Running water fascinates most cats and a water fountain will ensure a constant supply of running water. We love Catit products in our household and this Catit water fountain is no exception. With three settings of water flow this should encourage even the fussiest water drinkers to have a few sips! Check out our article ‘How much water does a cat need?’ for further information on how much water a cat needs and more ideas on how to entice fussy drinkers to increase their water intake.

5. Toys, toys and more toys

Playtime for your cat is just as important as feeding and keeping them safe and warm. Play relieves stress, anxiety and behavioural problems. It is also a good exercise for your cat and helps keep bones and muscles strong and healthy. And it’s a great way to bond with your cat, building the trust between you. Both indoor and outdoor cats need to be provided with a stimulating and safe indoor environment. But it is especially important for indoor cats to be entertained and to have their natural instincts satisfied. We have a great article with plenty of ideas for games to play with your cat, ’18 games to play with your cat’. Leaving toys out for them to entertain themselves is also important. In our experience, any toys that moves and squeaks is a hit and can become well and truly hunted and captured! We’ve not tried and tested the following Gi Gwi interactive toys as yet but they do look as if they would hit the spot for some hunting role play.

 

As for chasing balls, we can vouch for the following Catit Design Senses Super Roller Circuit Toy for Cats. It is easy to assemble, easy to clean and can be used with other Catit circuit toys. As with all our cat toys, we alternate what we leave out for the cats to play. This ensure that they don’t become bored with a particular toy.
The choices of cat toys available on the market are endless. Enjoy trying out new toys and games. Vary what toys are left out and vary what games you play with your cat. Tunnels, wand toys, robotic fish, catnip toys, are just a flavour of the selection available.

6. Activity feeders for cats

Domesticated cats do not need to hunt for their food. But this can lead to boredom, obesity and an unhappy cat! Introducing activities which require your cat to work for her food can help reduce these issues. Activity feeders, or food puzzles, are devices that make meal times fun. They are many different kinds available and can be used for feeding both wet and dry diets. Cats do not seem to require the stimulation of different tastes and textures as humans. However, if we can vary how we feed our cats we can ensure that both their nutritional requirements and their mental stimulation are cared for. The food used in activity feeders should not be additional food – merely a different way of serving up the daily allowance of food. We’ve had fun making our own activity feeders using cardboard rolls but it’s great to see all the different varieties on the market. As with the toys, it’s good to alternate and vary the use of various activity feeders, whether home made ones or bought ones. It all helps to keep  our cats happy and stimulated. We liked this Trixie 5-in-1 activity feeder – 5 different challenges on one board. This one is definitely going on our Christmas shopping list!

Activity feeders certainly don’t have to be as elaborate as the one shown above. Simple ones like this Mice Tumbler shaped treat dispenser can provide just as much fun. This is perfect as a little stocking filler gift for your cat or for the advent calendar.

7. A cat house

We are forever making little houses or hideaways out of cardboard boxes for our cats – upcycling at it’s best! But every now and then we do like to spoil our cats and indulge in something a little different and sometimes, rather luxurious! And it’s on this search that we found the perfect hideaway! A cat teepee /  wigwam / tent! This is simply adorable. We’ve already established how cats like to have various option for nap locations and this could be a perfect little napping area. Cats also like to hide, they feel safe and secure when tucked away in a little corner. This little teepee house can be easily folded away and comes with a comfortable base. We love this!

8. A teeth cleaning toy

Many cats will not be happy having their teeth cleaned but most cases of tooth loss in adult cats is due to oral problems, mainly gum disease. A build-up of plaque caused by allowing food particles and bacteria to accumulate along the gum line, can develop into tartar. Left untreated, this tartar builds up and can cause irreversible damage. Prevention is better than cure and if your cat is showing any signs of dental problems then a visit to your veterinary is essential. Brushing your cat’s teeth daily will prevent the build up of plaque. If you have kittens this will be easier to introduce and implement and it can become part of their daily routine, but this may take longer and require more patience with adult cats. But this can be a very difficult task for many cat owners (and we are speaking from experience here!). However there are chewable toys designed especially for cats. Chewing these toys can help cat promote teeth cleaning and preventing gum disease.

9. Kitty cat journal

Although it could be argued that this book is more for you rather than your cat, keeping a record book or journal will most certainly benefit your cat. Noting down their developmental milestones, their likes and dislikes, veterinary visits and vaccinations and so forth will ensure you get to know your cat well. The better you get to know each other, building trust and knowledge will ensure you can provide the best care your cat needs. We have a very similar fur baby cat records book and it is something to treasure. The sections in this book contains:

• Veterinarian emergency contact, Groomer details and appointment visits
• Immunization shots, booster vaccinations, medication charts
• Food Tracking – Meals, snacks, diet
• Expenses Chart
• To-do list for you or your pet sitter
• Monthly Wellness summary page spread to see your entire year at a glance
• 10 weeks of undated weekly diary-like pages to monitor illness or use for pet sitters,
• Additional Pages for optional additional notes or milestones.

10. And finally………..

All the gifts above have all had important messages with them with the aim of maximising the health and wellbeing of our cat. This final suggestion is just pure fun! A cat turntable and DJ mixer. We recently wrote an article ‘Should I leave music on for my cat’ but this takes cats and music onto a whole new different level!

All the products listed above can be purchased from Amazon. Please refer to the Legal Information for further details.

Other articles you may find of interest:

How to celebrate Christmas with your cat

Top 10 recommended cat books for older girls and boys

How to keep your cat happy – 10 key factors