Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? Or are you a last-minute panic shopper? No matter what category you fall into, don’t forget to get something for your pet. Of course, if you are a crafty type, you can make some of Fluffy and Fido’s gifts. In this article from Armitage Animal Hospital, a Newmarket, ON vet lists some great homemade gifts for pets.
Beds
Pets always enjoy comfy beds. For a cat or smaller dog, you can repurpose a hatbox, drawer, or hard-shell suitcase into a bed frame. Add paint or varnish to make it look nice, and put a soft pillow inside. You can do the same thing for bigger dogs, but you would need a bigger piece of furniture. Turn a table or end table upside down, and shorten the legs. If you’re up for a bigger challenge, you can make one out of a pallet. For mattresses, you can use a child’s mattress and/or a memory foam topper, and then sew a cover for it.
Cat Toys
Toys are purrfect stocking stuffers for kitties! You can make Fluffy’s catnip mice out of small fabric scraps and home-grown catnip. There are plenty of mouse patterns online. Of course, your furball won’t really care what her playthings look like.
Dog Toys
Want to get Fido’s cute tail going? Make him a rope toy out of old towels or tee shirts. Cut them into thin strips, and then braid those strips together. Then, braid the braids together. Tie the whole thing off in a large knot. You can experiment with different variations of this one. For instance, you can ‘thread’ the rope through a tennis ball or dried sweet potato ‘jerky’ slices. Or, just try making different shapes.
Furniture
Cat towers provide our feline pals with napping spots, nail-care stations, lookouts, and jungle gyms. Repurpose an old stepladder or bookcase by adding planks to the shelves to widen them out. Then, cover the whole thing in carpet or sisal rope, and tell Fluffy to stay off it. She’ll hop right on!
Treats
Snacks are a great gift! If you like cooking, you can make homemade pet treats. There are lots of great recipes online. Just be sure to only use ingredients that are safe for pets.
Happy Holidays from Armitage Animal Hospital, your Newmarket, ON vet clinic. Please feel free to contact us anytime!
