Thinking of Christmas gift ideas for your pets can be tricky. You just never know if quite what your pet will like or how well the toys will hold up.
For the longest time, my pets were my “kids”. In true pet parent fashion, I love to spoil them with gifts during the holidays. I started a long time ago, with my two cats, Watson and Holmes, and has continued with my dog, Midna, and cat Estellise.
The past few years, we have trimmed back a little on the pet gift giving because they have so much already. However, we still like to get them a few items to re-stock their favorite toys that may have worn out.
Here are the top 10 gifts I recommend for cats and dogs.
10 Gift Ideas for Cats
1. Crinkle Tunnel
We had initially bought our cats a cheaper version of a cat tunnel when they were younger. They loved it, but it wouldn’t stay up very well.
I recommend this crinkle cat tunnel. It is very similar to ours, which has held up over the past 7 years for our cats. They love the crinkle noise that the walls make.
When you have two cats, they might play with one another in the tunnel, pouncing around.
Otherwise, you can tap the walls of the tunnel and the cats will love to pounce at your hands. My cats also love to run at string toys through the end of the tunnel or through the holes in the side of the tunnel.
This gift is one that is sure to please your cats and last a long time!
2. Crazy 8 Track
This Bergan Turbo Track was another early item we had bought for our cats when they were younger.
The cool thing about this track is that it can convert into several different shapes and configurations.
My cats love pawing the ball around and darting at it through the tunnel when you have it configured into the figure-8 shape.
We actually bought two tracks to be able to make even larger tracks, however, the figure-8 shape continued to be the favorite for my cats.
As a bonus, our dog also loved it too! I will note, however, that she did ruin the ball pretty good with deep teeth marks. So, if you don’t want that, make sure to keep your dog away from it.
The ball is easily repaired though with a quick sanding.
3. Yeowww Fish Catnip Toy
Another favorite gift for our cats is the Yeowww Fish Catnip Toy
The Yeowww catnip toys have a nice strong catnip inside, which our cats love. They will chew on it and bat it around for 10-15 minutes at a time.
Plus, the catnip lasts for quite a long time. All you have to do is pick it up and squish the inside a little bit and the cats will love it just as much!
Ours tend to get chewed up pretty good over the course of the year, so this is a repeat gift that we tend to give them each year. With their strong fragrance, the cats know exactly which gift is their wrapped under the tree.
4. Cat Tower
Cat love climbing and clawing. A cat tower is one way that the cats can achieve these things without ruining your furniture.
We bought our cats a nice cat tower early on in their lives and it has held up to the test of time. We got it when our cats were kittens back in 2011 and still have the same one now.
5. Classic Jingle Ball
Cats tend to love bells, but their small size can make them a concern.
These jingle balls are some of my cats’ favorite toys.
They love the high-pitched jingle noise of the bell. They prefer to play with it on the smooth floors in the kitchen.
The balls I have linked are a large pack from Amazon, but you can typically find them individually at stores for around $1 each.
6. Crinkle Ball
My cats tend to love the crinkle noise that these balls make.
They always enjoyed batting them around the house. Similar to the jingle balls, you can typically find these for around $1 each in stores as opposed to the large pack I linked above.
7. Cat Treats
My cats always enjoy a good treat. These treats are the preferred treats by my cats.
I typically buy them the smaller packs in the various fish flavors that the Temptations brand offers. I do have a very picky cat and the fish-flavored ones are the only ones that he will eat.
8. Jason Galaxy Bird Toy
We have an older version of this AIR wand toy.
Cats that love to chase toys in the air will love this toy. The feathers on it swirl around in a cool pattern as you swoosh it through the air for them.
9. Catnip Mouse
These small catnip mice are another small toy that my cats love to chase around the house.
It is nice to get multiples because ours tend to get lost beneath furniture or in other small nooks and crannies around the house.
10. Catnip Bubbles
We were gifted some Catnip Bubbles from my in-laws one year for Christmas. Our cats absolutely love them!
The bubbles have a strong catnip smell and the cats love chasing them as they float around our pouncing at them when they land on the ground.
10 Gift Ideas for Dogs
1. Wubba
The Kong Wubba is an excellent toy that will withstand even the most destructive dogs.
It makes a nice squeaky noise that the dogs love. Plus, it is fun to throw long distances by holding on to the strands at the bottom of the Wubba.
2. Hol-ee Roller Dog Ball
We had purchased this Hol-ee Roller Dog Ball for our dog several years ago while we were on vacation.
It is super easy for her to grab on to. She loves holding it and shaking it around as she runs around the yard.
Plus in the winter it is extra fun because little bits of snow will gather inside the ball and fly out as they run with it.
With its strong rubber material, it is durable and has held up to the test of time.
3. Chuck It
For the dog who loves to run and chase, the Chuck It! Ball Launcher is an excellent gift.
My brother has a German Shepherd mix who loves to run continuously. The Chuck It Ball Launcher saves some pain on your throwing arm and launches the ball a good, long-distance.
The ball that comes with it is a good solid rubber ball that tends to hold up well.
4. Hedge Hog
My dog absolutely loves the Hedgehogz Squeaky toy.
Specifically, she loves the largest size that you can buy, even though she is a mid-sized dog.
It makes an excellent honk noise from its middle when the dog squeezes on it and it is fun for them to toss in the air and chase.
My dog is a chewer, so I will say, that hers tends to last a few months before she has holes in it. I typically sew them up at least once throughout the year, then just buy her a new one for Christmas again the following year.
5. Deer Antlers
If you have a dog who loves to chew, Deer Antlers are a fairly safe item for your dog to chew on.
Antlers do tend to be really hard on a dog’s teeth, so our vet recommends only letting your dog chew on antlers if they start when they are a puppy so their teeth can build up some resistance.
Our Antlers usually last several years. Once the dogs chew the antler through to the marrow, you should replace them again so the dog can continue to stay used to chewing on the harder part of the bone for their teeth.
6. No Stuffing Squeak Toys
I first bought my dog some no stuffing squeak toys because they were on sale for really cheap on Black Friday a few years ago.
She loved the squeakers in them and to use them as a tug toy. However, I will say that the ones I purchased do not hold up to a dog that likes to chew.
Ours usually had holes in pretty quickly. However, if you get them on sale for $5 or under, it feels less bad when they chew it up quickly.
7. Nylabone
For the dogs that like to chew, Nylabones make a great gift.
They come in several flavors and tend to last a few months at a time. Plus, they are much easier on the dog’s teeth in comparison to the deer antlers I mentioned earlier.
8. Flying Duck Toy
This Flying Duck Toy makes another great gift for your dog.
You stick your thumb in the hook on the beak, hold onto the tail, and you can send it flying through the air.
My dog loves to chase it and play tug with it, either with me or my parent’s dog. This is another toy that you should try and grab on sale, because for dogs that like to chew, it may only last a few months.
9. Rope Toy
If you have a dog that loves to play tug, getting them a good, solid rope toy makes an excellent gift.
Over the years, we have bought my dog several types of rope toys. Her favorite one is the largest size possible, which barely fits in her mouth, with a knot on each end.
Despite its massive size, she loves to drag it around and play tug with it.
10. Rubber Squeak Toy
Another crowd-pleaser for dogs is any type of rubber squeak toy.
These don’t typically last too long for my dog, who does like to chew. They typically make a nice high-pitched squeak noise that the dog enjoys.
If you go shopping in person, try to find one that has some thicker rubber to it because that will last longer than the really flimsy feeling ones.
11. Bonus: Bark Box
My brother and sister-in-law highly recommend the Bark Box subscription as a gift for your dogs.
There is an option for destructive dogs called the “Super Chewer”, which is perfect for their dog family. Their dogs are heavy chewers and go through toys very quickly.
By the time they chew up the toys that come in the box, another box has arrived with new toys to replace the old ones.
My sister-in-law loves it because she doesn’t have to run out to a store all the time to continue to replace toys for her dogs.
Plus, the boxes also come with a few bags of treats and a big stick treat that their dogs love.
Get Shopping and Spoil Those Pets!
The holiday season is right around the corner. Now is the time to start shopping and finding deals on the gifts for your pets.
A lot of joy can be added to your life by watching your pets tear off the wrapping paper on their gifts on Christmas morning!
Have fun shopping and remember to take a step back and enjoy your whole family this holiday season.
