Starting off with the most common household pet in America are dogs, about 44.5% of Americans have dogs, dogs are cuddly, loveable, and have security or protection. Gifts are a great way to give thanks to your pets for being there for you, so if you would like to get your dog a gift here are 10+ thoughtful gifts for them!
- Bones
- Bacon, chicken, or beef-flavored treats.
- Squeaky toy
- A new bed
- Kennel or dog carrier
- New shampoo to keep their coats shiny or bath scrubber!
- Peanut butter treats
- Dental treats
- Paw shoes to protect their paws
- New leash, collar, or harness
- Portable water bowl for the dogs who like to join you on runs or bike rides!
- Hair grooming brush to keep control of shedding.
- Silent squeaky toy
- Puzzle toys to put treats inside so your dog can work for treats even when you are not around.
- Dog pool floaties for the dogs who love to lounge in the pool
- Doggie life jacket
- Meal mix in for extra protein and flavor
- New clothing for fashionable dogs, whether that’s sweaters, paw socks, bandanas, or onesies.
Next up after dogs for most common pets are cats! Cats take up about 29% of pets owned in America. Some people prefer cats because they tend to be easier to care for, you don’t have to give them as much attention as you would dogs, they spend 70% of their day sleeping, and you don’t need to let them out to go to the bathroom! Some cats would be happy playing with the leftover wrapping paper or boxes on Christmas morning but if not here are 10+ gifts for your feline friends!
- Catnip
- Temptations cat treats
- A new scratcher
- Tall cat trees, cats like to be high up as if they are on a perch so they can see all and watch for predators.
- Tunnel toy
- A comfortable bed for their long naps!
- Suction window hammock
- An electric batting toy to practice their boxing moves.
- Glove brush that removes excess hair
- Water fountain bowl
- Flopping fish toy
- Heated bed
- On the more expensive side is a litter robot, a self-cleaning litter box that cleans after every use!
- A bird feeder for the outside of your window so your cat can stay entertained.
- Sweaters or mitts/socks
- A collar with GPS tracker for indoor-outdoor cats
- Attachable basket for your cat to sit in while biking.
- Harness
- Travel Backpack
- Engaging toys like, battery-operated balls to chase, feather toys, mice, a cat wand, and a puzzle toy to put treats in.
- Finally a new buddy!
Now for the more interesting groups of household pets, rodents! Mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and chinchillas! Only about 6% of Americans own rodents as pets so thinking of gift ideas might be more difficult. Luckily for you, here are some presents for them!
- A cage upgrade
- Structures to add elevation to their homes
- Playpen so they can roam outside of their cage safely.
- Hamster wheels/balls can be enjoyed not just by hamsters, but by rats and mice as well.
- Many rodents like rats, mice, chinchillas, etc. need chew toys to keep their teeth from growing too much so things like wooden chew toys, cardboard, nylabone, and gumabone.
- Tunnels
- Ladders
- Hammocks
- Wooden hanging bridge
- Rope toys
- More wooden toys
- Engaging puzzle toys
- Homemade treats, some easy homemade treats can involve roasted nuts, pumpkin, boiled bones from chicken, leafy greens if your pet likes it, yogurt, and cheese, which is pretty self-explanatory.
Next up birds! Only 2.8% of Americans own birds as pets. This can vary from wild birds to pet-bred birds. This mainly includes parrots and parakeets.
- Bigger or new cage
- Hanging perches for many options of seating like tree branches
- Rope toys
- Hanging swings/perches such as ladders, ropes, wooden or woven.
- Food and water feeders that attach to the side of the cage.
- Store-bought treats or household treats such as corn, raisins, dates, crackers, seeds, and apples.
Last but not least, reptiles! About nine million reptiles are owned as pets in the U.S. so they obviously aren’t as common as cats and dogs, but they are still just as cool! Here are some gifts for your scaly friends!
- Bigger enclosure
- Heated lamps are important because reptiles are ectothermic, which means they can’t produce their own body heat.
- Rock cave
- Water dish or mini pool to cool off
- Treats such as crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, and freeze-dried river shrimp.
- Lounger
- Wood to climb on
- Hiding places such as caves, and tunnels that can be made from toilet paper.
