If you have owned a cat, you already know what it would prefer to have this Christmas, including what it loves eating or playing with.
However, it can be tricky when you do not know what your cat would like to get as a gift, especially when you have just adopted it or brought home a kitten!
Rest assured, here are some essential cat accessories you can consider gifting your cat this Christmas.
Consider gifting your cat something they relish, such as delicious treats, a cat bowl, comfy beds, colorful toys, a self-grooming kit, and a water fountain to make their day more fulfilling.
However, the list does not end here. You will have endless opportunities to gift your cat something special.
Read on to discover some essential items you can gift your cat this Christmas.
Top 10 Items You Can Gift Your Cat This Christmas
Did you know 70% of pet parents buy gifts for their pets during Christmas?
Gifting your pets will make you happy and provide them comfort and care.
Here is the list of supplies you can gift your cat to make their Christmas special.
1. Toys
As kittens are naturally lively, you must give them appropriate toys to keep them engaged and playful.
Climbing, pouncing, or running is crucial to a feline's development; therefore, the toys must fulfill these requirements.
Did you know that cats love yellow and blue colors over others?
Here are some toys that will keep your cat engaged and help them grow better.
- Toys provide an essential outlet for your kitten's natural behaviors, whether clawing, cuddling, or playing.
- Toys can help minimize harmful behaviors like clawing the couch.
- While playing, they improve their hunting, social, and mobility skills.
- Cats mostly love toys like scratch towers, tunnels, and fish-shaped toys.
Choose toys that will not split, tear apart, or be swallowed. Kittens are drawn to high-contrast color schemes.
Interactive toys like Phoebe Feeder and Petmate Aspen crazy circle are available in Urban Pet Supply.
2. Packed Treats
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they should eat meat to maintain good health.
When it is time for a treat, add meaty morsels from your fridge or freezer to your cat's regular diet.
There are many benefits of providing treats to cats.
- It helps to shape the kitty's behavior.
- It builds a strong relationship with the owner.
- It makes their teeth and gums stronger.
- It increases positive emotions and helps to understand commands quickly.
Here are some suggestions for what to consider while making a cat treat.
- You can make snacks of cooked bits of chicken, turkey, beef, venison, or fish.
- Trim any excess fat from meat or poultry.
- Ensure no cooked bones are present because they are sharp and prone to splintering.
You can gift your cat MVet Pets Select Cat Treat from Urban Pet Supply, full of flavor and wholesome ingredients.
3. Cat Beds
Some cats are fearful, while others are not. Whatever their characteristics, leaving their mother and siblings for the first time can be a distressing event.
Did you know that a cat sleeps around 12-16 hours daily?
Moving into a new home is terrifying for a young kitten. It would help if you made your cat feel at ease in his new home by giving him a comfortable kitten bed.
Because the first twenty-four hours should be a peaceful adjustment period for a newborn kitten, the bedding will act as a familiar object when everything else is foreign.
Here are some factors to be considered while choosing a bed.
- A soft fabric.
- Washable material.
- Wide enough to fit your cat.
- Cozy enough to make your cat happy.
Cats spend 70% of their life sleeping, so providing your kitty with a soft and comfy kitten bed will ensure a restful night's sleep.
4. Eating/Drinking Bowl
Your cat has a lot of energy, so pick bowls that will not topple easily.
Wash the food and water dishes every day to keep everything fresh. A kitten needs access to clean, fresh water all the time.
Cat's sensitivity lies in its whiskers. Therefore, the eating bowl should be broad and shallow enough, making them easy to eat.
Stainless steel and ceramic with a lead-free coating are the best materials for kitten food and water dish.
Plastic dishes are affordable, but because of a material allergy, they can result in feline chin acne.
Here are some tips to make your kitten habitual with eating in a bowl.
- To start, seek little bowls that will make feeding your tiny cat convenient and pleasant.
- You may switch out kitten-sized dishes for adult-sized bowls as your kitten develops.
- Keep the water and food bowls for your kitten apart because cats usually do not drink water close to their food source.
5. Self-Grooming Kit
Cats are more independent animals compared to dogs. They are born to groom themselves through their tongue.
However, if they get sick, they may not be able to groom themselves, so they need a self-grooming kit.
Grooming should be a part of a pet's daily routine; therefore, it is more than necessary.
- It helps to control the cat's body temperature.
- Maintains cleanliness and smoothness by activating natural skin oils.
- It helps to increase blood flow in their body.
- Reduces her temperature by allowing her saliva to evaporate.
- It protects from allergies, infections, and parasites.
Your cat will feel and look better if she regularly grooms herself, but if she is sick, she might stop.
It might be an indication of tooth issues, arthritis, or pain. Early separation from mothers may also prevent kittens from learning how to groom themselves adequately.
Various cat self-groomers are readily available on amazon. You can choose which suits your cat.
6. Homemade Treats
Various treats are available in markets full of nutrients; however, you can make homemade treats using kitchen ingredients.
Since each cat has specific food preferences, making homemade cat treats might be challenging.
Too much grain- or cereal-based diets are unhealthy for cats because they are prone to dehydration.
Did you know Salmon and Tuna are cats' favorite fish?
Homemade cat snacks range from catnip croutons to tuna treats with various healthy foods like salmon and cheese.
For example, you can make cheesy cat treats because most cats prefer them.
Here is the recipe for Cheesy Cat Treats:
- Prepare the ingredients: cheese, yogurt, wheat, cornmeal, and water.
- Roll the dough into a flattened disc.
- Bake it for 25 minutes.
- Press and test if it is soft on the inside or not.
- Then, cut it into cat-friendly-sized squares.
Human foods contain more calories. Therefore, our food can harm cats as they cannot digest it properly.
Cats often have dietary problems. They are allergic to many foods we usually eat, so you should make treats tolerable to cats.
You can add meat products like chicken, turkey, and fish in addition to corn while preparing homemade food.
Check this infographics for more information.
7. Water Fountain
The cat fountain is easy to adjust and clean. It gives cats the feeling that they are drinking fresh running water.
The fountain contains a filter and motorized pump inside, which pushes the water through a series of tubes.
Most cats love eating food in a bowl, but this may not apply to water.
Cats are wild and believe drinking running water is safer than stagnant water; therefore, making little cats comfortable with a fountain will not be easy.
Here are some tips to make kittens habitual with water fountains:
- Allow them to investigate.
- Keep the fountain and food at different places.
- Reward your kitty when it uses the fountain.
- Encourage by giving treats from time to time.
- Sanitize the fountain thoroughly.
Drinking fountains for cats can increase hydration levels by continuously delivering water, boosting nutrient absorption.
Why is a water fountain necessary for cats?
- A water fountain can help if your cat does not drink water from the bowl.
- Cats typically maintain themselves in a mildly dehydrated state. It will affect their kidneys if they remain dehydrated for a long time.
- Cat fountain keeps water cool and fresh anytime; your cat will love it.
- They also have a filter that maintains the purity of the water.
You need to change the filter frequently because it will eventually become clogged.
You should not use plastic material as it is more prone to attract bacteria. You can choose stainless steel and ceramic materials instead.
8. DIY Box House
Cats love hiding inside boxes. They mostly enjoy being in enclosed places because they feel safe and secure.
So, you can put some creativity in cardboard boxes. Cats utilize boxes as hiding places so that other predators cannot approach them from the side or the back.
Here is a quick way of making a DIY box house using cardboard boxes:
- Estimate the size of your cat and the area it requires while sitting or sleeping.
- Take a cardboard and cut them into rectangular pieces as required.
- Join the pieces using a glue gun.
- Make a slanted roof at the top.
- Decorate the house by making fish and star shapes using colored paper.
Even though the cardboard cat house is a short craft, it comes in handy and is an effective way to make your cat happy.
You can take inspiration from YouTube videos or Pinterest about new and exciting ideas for making a box house.
9. Intelligence Toys
Puzzle toys help keep your cat occupied, content, and safe. They are also fantastic for slowing down speedy eaters and stimulating their minds
It keeps senior cats interested and active while also assisting young kittens in learning about the environment and how to interact with it.
Why do cats need intelligence toys?
- Interactive toys help to build intelligence and maintain their link with their humans.
- It helps to reduce tension and prevent boredom.
- Your cat needs stimulation from toys to stay entertained, maintain its behavior and well-being, and get some exercise.
- They are essential for indoor cats because they do not get as much stimulus as wild cats.
Intelligence toys like Electric Flopping and Cat Charmer help make your cat active and playful.
10. Cozy Cat Baskets
Indoor cats prefer monitoring housemates while snuggling in a place where they feel unseen.
They prefer to do this when they can have the uninterrupted calm and security they adore. Their monitoring time is typically in the late morning and afternoon.
Cats require more than just their fur coats to stay warm and sheltered throughout the winter to preserve their body heat with the help of insulation.
They mostly need this insulation when they are outside. Therefore, felted cat caves are the ideal self-warming hiding places for cats to curl up during cooler months.
This cat cave bed flexes as your cat snuggles into it, but because it is made of one solid piece, it will not disintegrate with time and will keep its shape.
Conclusion
Regular wellness care is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle because cats age more quickly than people.
It is simpler and comparatively less expensive to prevent illness or disease than to address the issue after the occurrence.
Prevention is better than cure. So, you should provide the necessary supplies for your little friend from its early days.
