7 pet Christmas gifts to pamper your animal for the holidays
If there’s any doubt that pets are part of the family, it’s negated by the fact that Americans reportedly spent $69.5 billion on their furry, feathered and hairy friends last year — a lot of that at holiday time, when we pamper them as much as we want to be pampered. Stymied for a few good ideas? We’re here to help.
A (yummy) bone to pick
It seems all dogs love peanut butter, so this is one gift that’s sure to make the canine in your life beside themselves with joy. The peanut butter bones from Bogart’s Bone Appetit are baked locally by Bogart’s, and if you buy five of either size, you get one free. 65 cents for small, 99 cents for large at all five locations of Bogart’s Bone Appetit Pet Supplies, Grooming and Bakery.
A gym for birds
Sure, birds love to fly, but they like to walk, climb, swing and ring bells, too. Enter the Prevue Pet Products Pop Up Park Bird Toy, which enables birds to do all of those things and is said to promote healthy foot development, exercise and stimulation. And it’s portable, for your bird on the go. $42.11. petsmart.com
Tower of toys
Speaking of keeping those pets busy — and keeping them and their owners happy: The Petstages Tower of Tracks Cat Toy has three levels, each a track with its own ball, for play by multiple felines or one who’s extremely busy. Regularly $24.99, currently $10.48, chewy.com
Stocking for Fido
If your dog’s of the retriever persuasion — even if the only thing he or she retrieves is tennis balls — your mantel won’t be the same without this needlepoint Christmas stocking. It’s available with a black or yellow Lab or golden retriever, or one with visions of doggy bones dancing in their heads. $39, orvis.com
Rabbit ornament
Rabbits are kind of low-maintenance pets, all things considered, but that doesn’t mean their owners love them any less than a ditsy dog or cantankerous cat. You can show your rabbit — or rabbit owner — devotion with this Hungarian glass Christmas tree ornament. And you can even have it personalized. $10.99, bronners.com
Shake Shack toys
Sure, your dog loves burgers, fries and milkshakes, but those are not exactly healthy for canine types, not to mention the potential mess of Rover digging in. And so Shake Shack has partnered with a dog-toy company to make plush versions of all three. BarkBurger, $8; Frenchie Fries, $6; Never-Melt Milkshake, $8; burger/fries combo, $13; or all three, $20, beginning Dec. 1 at shakeshack.com and barkshop.com
Literary Kitties
Can having a cat make one a better writer? That’s open for debate, but plenty of successful writers, such as Mark Twain, Alice Walker, Haruki Murakami and Ernest Hemingway have found them, in the words of Gloria Steinem, “a writer’s most logical and agreeable companion.” Learn about 45 human-feline pairs in “Writers and Their Cats,” by Alison Nastasi. $11.70, amazon.com
Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.
