Practical Gifts for Pets and Pet Owners

It's a little silly, I'll grant, but pet people like myself don't like to leave our furry friends off of the Christmas gift list. Still, I like to be practical both for the sake of my wallet and the actual enjoyment my pet will derive from something. Think chew toy rather than doggie perfume.

So, here are some picks for practical gifts for pets and pet owners.

The SPCA encourages you to give a gift in a friend's name to help a shelter animal. Prices range from $5 for holiday treats for an animal in their care to $20 to feed a cat or kitten to $70 for a dog health check. See all of the possibilities on the Ontario SPCA Paws & Give website.

Martha Stewart shows you how to make inexpensive pet gifts. Find out how to turn an odd sock into a catnip toy, fashion cool dog coats and dog beds, make fun holiday pet collars and construct a cat playhouse made out of cardboard boxes. There are also directions for making a bird toy. Full instructions are included for each of the 37 projects listed.

For the dog owner, how about The Three Dog Bakery Cookbook by Dan Dye, which contains over 50 recipes for all-natural treats for your dog. Chapters include "Yappetizers," "Woof-it-Down Vittles," and "Home for the Holidogs." This fun book for dog lovers costs $10.19 on Amazon.

Give a cat a card. That's right, you can send kitty a Christmas greeting that's just for her. It features a catnip toy attached with non-toxic glue. The inside greeting says, "...bepaws I love you!" Cards measure 4-3/8" x 6-3/8", come with a brightly colored mailing envelope, and a catnip toy shaped like a fish. Okay, so the card's for the owner and the toy is for puss. It's both fun and practical. Find it on Entirely Pets.com for $4.95.

The pet lover on your list may enjoy this Paw Print "Tag-along" Lapel Pin costing $7.95 at Pathway Creations It's made of non-toxic pewter and attached to a printed card. The actual size of the pin is 1/2" x 1/2".