Best Holiday Presents for Cats

When I was married 5 years ago, my wife brought 6 cats into our instant family. I brought two dogs. It was a crowded house. I figured that since I wasn't a "cat person", I would just have to suffer this extraordinary infusion of furry felines until eventually they passed. It turned out that I grew to appreciate their individual personalities, and to even develop relationships with them. We became a family.

I found that it's important to get them gifts at Christmastime. After all, they know something is going on. The excitement in the house has built up, and every other member of the family is getting a special treat. There should be a payoff for the cats as well. Here's what we do for the cats in our house:

The Kitty Christmas Party: We usually don't fool around with catnip during the year. We just don't think about it much, and when we do, we don't want to get it everywhere. At Christmas, we set time aside after we open our presents to treat the cats to some "Holiday Cheer". We get rid of the old catnip and buy a container of fresh stuff. Then we host a little kitty Christmas party and turn them loose in the stuff. They love it, and it provides some entertainment for the family. Unlike humans, the cats don't wear lampshades, photocopy their backsides or insult the boss at their holiday party.

Stocking Stuffers: Stock up on cat treats and put them in their stocking. When we're at the grocery we sometimes forget to get treats for the cats. Christmastime is the time to remember them. Replace your cat toys with new cat toys at Christmas time. They're all chewed up, the feathers are missing, they have hair all over them. It's a good time for new ones.

Christmas Feast: During the year our cats eat Iams Weight Control, Hairball Formula dry cat food. Sounds appetizing, right? It is pretty good, judging from our cats' reaction at feeding time. However, at Christmas we give them something special. They each get a can of the wet, slimy, smelly premium cat food. We can afford to give them a treat once a year, right? They love it, and it makes them feel special.

Give the Gift of Cardboard: Their cardboard scratching posts you got them last year have probably been decimated by now. Christmas is a good time to remember to replace the cardboard scratching pieces in the toys, or to buy new scratching posts. Throw the old nasty ones out.

What Not to give your cats: Be careful with the ribbons from your presents. If you allow the cats to play with the ribbons, do so under strict supervision. After you're done, throw all ribbons away or store them in places where the cats can't get to them. Cats tend to chew up the ribbons and eat them, which could be very dangerous. Don't leave the ribbons lying around. (Same goes for plastic "grass" at Easter time).

Human Food: Cats should not eat human food. It's bad for them. It could make them fat, sick or dead. It could also give them bad habits (like jumping on the table during meals, begging for food, etc.) It's never a good idea to give your cat "people food". In fact, it may be a good idea to talk to your veterinarian about what to feed your cats. We were overfeeding our cats until we actually talked to our vet. It doesn't take a whole lot of food to keep these guys running.

Your Kids' Toys: Be sure to have your kids put their toys away when it's time for bed. You may wake up to see GI Joe's fingers chewed off, or a Barbie shoe stuck in something in the litter box. Put the empty boxes away as well. Cats love to play in empty boxes, and they'll keep you awake all night jumping in and out of the boxes. They also like to chew the tape off of the boxes- so make sure they're properly stored or disposed of.

Christmas is not a time for Anger: This is just a matter of personal choice. I don't think you should anger your cat with Christmas presents. It may entertain you to dress your cat as an elf, to put jingle bells around his neck or antlers on his head. But if this aggravates or scares your cat, it's not really a present for him, is it? Maybe this type of teasing entertains the family and adds to the holiday festivities, but for my money, I think it's better to get a cat what it wants for Christmas, rather than things that will amuse your family at your cat's expense.