Christmas gifts for pets

Kitty purrs and puppy kisses for Christmas

Sue Fagalde Lick antlers on dogs, Christmas gifts for pets, dressing dogs, fur babies, gift-wrapping kitty, kitty purrs, pet names on Christmas cards, puppy kisses, treating pets like babies


My friend’s dog just died. He’s heartbroken. He took this dog everywhere with him, just adored her. He and his wife have human children and grandchildren who all live far away. In recent years, the dog was their baby. Now instead of celebrating Christmas, all he wants to do is cry. As a dog mom, I know how he feels.
For many of us, our dogs and cats are our only babies, and we treat them that way. Some people go overboard. I always feel sorry for the pets forced to wear reindeer antlers or jingle bells. That can’t be comfortable. Of course there are those folks who also dress their dogs and cats in velvet and fake-fur hats and coats or Christmas sweaters for the holidays.
Have you seen the YouTube video of the cat being wrapped like a Christmas present? You’ll laugh, I promise.You may also be tempted to watch the many other offerings there. They’re funny but also true.
How many of us hang up Christmas stockings for our fur babies or put gifts for them under the tree? Surveys have shown that nearly half of us give our pets wrapped gifts for their birthdays and Christmas. I actually don’t. My dog Annie tends to eat everything I give her, whether it’s food or not. Also, I don’t think she likes Christmas. I’m gone too much, and our schedule is all out of whack. But I know plenty of people whose pets are on the gift list.
Most of us consider our pets part of the family. But how far does that go? Do you put your pets’ names on your Christmas cards? For me, it depends on whether or not the recipient knows Annie, but there’s something about being able to write down multiple names that makes it feel more like a family. For a while in my younger days, I secretly hoped some people would see the name on my card and think I had had a baby. They didn’t need to know it was a dog.
How about you? Do you give your pets presents, dress them up for Christmas or include their names in their holiday greetings?
Bonus question: Does your family think you’re nuts?
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing your lives with me all these years. May your holidays be full of kitty purrs and puppy kisses.

Do you give your pets Christmas presents?

Sue Fagalde Lick Christmas gifts for pets

I’m back from my eye surgery. I still can’t see as well as desired, but I will soon. All hell is breaking loose with my husband in the nursing home, but hey, it’s Christmas and my best friend is close at hand.

Her name is Annie. Technically, she’s a dog, but I think both of us forget that fact most of the time. Because she is my best friend, housemate and pseudo-child, I’m wondering if I should get her something besides another box of Milkbones for Christmas.

I don’t usually buy gifts for my dog. She chews up every squeaky toy, panics if I put anything kind of decoration on her, and already eats too much. Plus, she doesn’t know or care about Christmas–although she did eat the plastic hand off a snowman yesterday. Her favorite thing in the world is snuggling in my lap (all 74 pounds of her). All she wants for Christmas is for me to sit down for a few minutes–or share that great-smelling box of Portuguese sausage my aunt sent me.

However, I’m in the minority. Surveys by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association show that 63 percent of pet owners give their pets Christmas and birthday gifts. After all, they’re members of the family.

How about you? Are you giving your cats and dogs toys, treats or new clothes this Christmas? Do you think it’s crazy or makes sense because they’re your babies?

What about your parents? Do they give your pets presents in lieu of gifts for grandchildren?

Do you sign your pets’ names on your Christmas cards?

I’d love to hear what you think about this.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Let’s all celebrate what we DO have and not worry about what we DON’T have.