What to Get Your Cat for Christmas

Cats like the same thing for Christmas that they enjoy every other day of the year--good food, fresh water, clean litter and a bit of their preferred chin scratching, head-to-tail petting and cuddling. However, most cats would not say, "No" to a little nip of catnip in a stuffed toy or slathered all over a scratching post. In fact, they might say, "Yes!" with great enthusiasm in the way only cats can--by rolling all over the catnip area and the odd bit of drooling.

Another thing not many people know that cats like is honeysuckle. It's not as crazy-making as catnip, but spray a little honeysuckle on a toy or scratch post and many cats will get right down and savor it by rubbing their cheeks on it to catch every last bit of scent. I've had great luck in alternating sprays of honeysuckle with scattering of catnip on a stand-up sisal scratch post right next to a chair or sofa that might tempt the cats to sharpen their claws. The catnip and honeysuckle are so much more appealing that the furniture gets ignored. Your claw-sharpening mileage may vary.

Three holiday dangers for cats are:

First and foremost ribbons! String, yarn and dental floss can also be fatal to a cat. Okay, I know you don't wrap presents with dental floss, but I'm just saying that long thread-y things attract cats. If you've ever had your cat lick your hand, you know that their tongues are like sandpaper and thread-things can stick to their rough tongues, get swallowed, and knot up in their guts. Very serious.

All those pictures of cats playing with balls of yarn drive me crazy. The first Christmas that we a kitten, my husband and I narrowly avoided a trip to the pet emergency hospital when he swallowed a ribbon. Fortunately it was a very short ribbon and it came out the other end, but these beautiful things can kill your cat, so please don't leave them out.

Another danger is Poinsettia plants, these are poisonous to cats and should be kept out of reach.

Last but not least, is the water at the base of a living Christmas tree. Some cats are tempted to drink it, and it's safer to securely cover the base so they can't get at it.

On the other hand, one thing cats love about Christmas morning is discarded wrapping paper! A very economical gift to your cat is to let him or her (or them) charge around and attack wrapping paper piles. If you've ever seen a kitten, or even a normally dignified, grown-up cat, once the gifts are opened, diving and scattering wrapping paper or hopping into and out of gift boxes with glee, you can experience the pure, undiluted joy that cats can create at Christmas that few other creatures can!

Lynne Powell
Your Cat's Secret Life

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynne_Powell

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A Cat Calendar Is A Great Gift For A Cat Lover

If you are looking for a gift for someone who is as finicky as a pampered cat, you should try a 2008 calendar. You will be remembered all year as a smart and sensitive person for giving cats in color so brilliant and photography so precise you can almost hear a purr.

Everyone needs a 2008 calendar, but most of us settle for a simple potpourri of pictures that say nothing about our personality or interests. A calendar should be more than just a thing on the wall; it exudes the charisma of it's subject and owner. It is a subtle message about who we are, and for us cat lovers it brings a little happiness on a day full of challenges.

But, do not settle for miscellaneous cat pictures. You can get a whole calendar of a specific type or breed of cats, such as Black, Ginger, Tabby or Calico. There are also Siamese, Persian and Burmese Cats; the popular Maine Coon, Rag-doll, and Tuxedo Cats. Some people appreciate kittens, and there are calendars for specific breeds and especially "bad" kittens.

Cat Calendars come in various shapes and sizes besides the traditional "wall" variety . Some people prefer small "desk" or "boxed" size which are around 6" square and feature over 360 different feline photographs, one for every day of the year. They can be torn off and used for notes, bookmarks or wall paper. Engagement calendars (6" x 9") typically have a different picture filling the left hand page for every week. They're available with either soft or hard covers. "Pocket-sized planners" come in various formats, some with a picture on every page as well as the front. And, "mini" wall calendars are petite versions 6" square when closed but open to 6" x 12"..

The biggest advantages are that the felines do not claw the furniture, have to be let outside for exercise, or require feeding twice a day. And, they don't chase around the neighborhood. So if you need a lasting and meaningful gift, try a 2008 cat calendar. It will show you to be perceptive, intelligent, and clever.

You can find various sources on the internet. Just enter "2008 Cat Calendar" in any search engine and you will see many choices. Some sites have you clicking all over the place, others are well organized with several choices on a single page and indexes to show what's available. Prices vary from as low as $5.00 to five or six times that. So, if you love a cat, go for a calendar. Meow!

Article written by Bob Cole, publisher of Calendar-Central.com. He also loves cats and has five guarding his home and children, but only one is asleep on the couch at the moment. Calendar Cat City is designed to display many choices on each page of the site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Cole

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Pets as Holiday Gifts: Good or Bad Idea? by Catherine Simms

Pets as Gifts: Bad Idea!

Why do you think that the animal shelter population always increases right after the Holiday Season? It is very difficult to resist that cute little bundle of joy in the window, isn't it? Well, please restrain your enthusiasm!

You should not surprise family members or anyone, with animals as gifts! Uncle Albert might not feel that lonely. He might not want a furry companion whom he would have to walk and feed. He might not have the time or the patience...

There are so many reasons why pets should not be given as Holiday gifts. Remember that a Pet will live an average of fifteen years: this is a very serious commitment... You should not make that decision for anyone else! And you do not want your Gift to be returned or placed in a shelter, do you?

The Holiday Season is always a very busy and chaotic time for everyone: shopping. cooking. preparing for the festivities, going to parties, etc. The pet might become frightened and disoriented. It is probably not the best time to introduce a new pet to an unfamiliar environment and new faces.

Animal Products as Gifts: Good Idea!

There are other ways to bring Pet Love into a home during the Holidays:

Give a pet oriented gift to the family so each member can get a taste of the Pet Love and have time to discuss and prepare to the idea of having a new four-legged friend before they actually get one.

* A dog training manual to show them that a lot of time needs to be devoted to a pet's training and good behavior.

* A book about the different dog and cat breeds to help them choose the best pet for their family: if they choose to have a dog, they will learn about their specific different needs, temperament, etc...

* A wonderful guide to "preowned" dogs, if they decide to rescue a pet at a local shelter: "Rescue Me" by doggy author and journalist Bardi McLennan.

* A leash (they will have to walk the dog).

* Pet grooming supplies. * Pet toys.

* A pet feeder: make your gift even more unique by giving them a Whiner and diner pet feeder: these unique elevated pet dishes are hand-crafted out of wooden wine crates and can be personalized with the pet's name and unusual hand-painted designs...

Whatever gift you decide to give this Holiday Season, let pet owners to be choose their own pet, and everyone will have a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas!

About the Author

Catherine Simms is a French Artist, Pet Lover and Director of Marketing for Whiner and Diner Luxury Pet Feeders and Beds. http://www.whineranddiner.net

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7 Unique and Unusual Christmas Gifts for Mother by Scott Moger

Chances are one of these unique gifts will be just perfect for your favorite mom this Christmas especially if you've been looking for a very special and unusual gift for her. The website http://www.VeryCleverGifts.com is featuring nothing but the most unusual, most unique and clever gifts.

· Deeds to the USA --What's your mom's secret wish? To live in a beachfront Hawaiian condo, a B&B in Vermont, or a loft in San Francisco? Give her a tiny piece of her dream with a legal Deed to a one square inch parcel of land in the state that you know she loves. Deeds are available for all 50 states in the US, one state at a time, or all 50 states on one Deed. They're individually numbered and Mom's name will be inscribed on it. What could be a more unusual gift than land?

· US Postage - Photo Stamps -- Even bill-paying can be fun when you have familiar smiling faces looking back at you from personalized postage stamps. But chances are Mom will use them on notes to her friends about the cutest grandkids in the world. No grandkids? Don't fret! Upload a photo of Fido, the family cat or even a picture of dear old Dad.

· Gift of the Month -- Want a chance to remind mom every month that she's the greatest? Maybe even the "sweetest?" What mom could resist the Ice Cream Club? Or the Chocolate Club? Or maybe when you look at your mom you think: candles, flowers, tea, or will it be wine? Better than gift baskets. Enroll mom for three, six, nine or twelve months of surprises delivered directly to her at home or work. She'll thank you and think of you every time she receives your special gift well past Christmas Day.

· What Happened on the Day Mom was Born? -- When asked (and sometimes even before she's asked) Mom is happy to remember the day you were born right down to the car she drove to the hospital in and what song was playing on the radio. But what was happening the day Mom was born? Get a fun glimpse into her life with an original issue of a major newspaper from her birthday.

· Give Mom Tiffany Stock -- One Share, anyway. Maybe mom's always harbored a secret wish for one of those little blue boxes that scream to the world "Tiffany's". Or you could just buy her Tiffany's. OK, only one share of Tiffany's stock but technically she's still an owner with her own framed stock certificate and voting rights. With One Share your Mom can own a little piece of Sak's, Krispy Kremes, Martha Stewart, or hundreds of other fun companies.

· Canvas on Demand -- Mom framed all your school pictures declaring you looked wonderful (even though it was the bad hair day of the century). Make up for all those goofy photos with a custom canvas made from a digital or scanned photo image. And it can be ready in a week! Even the most average photo looks great on canvas from these master craftsmen at "Canvas on Demand."

· Name a Star in Honor of your Mom - What makes your Mom a star? Is it her delectable apple pie, a voice that should win American Idol, or just the fact that she was brave enough to teach you to drive? Make it official by naming a star for Mom and registering it with the Universal Star Catalogs Database. She'll receive a certificate and the stellar coordinates so, with the help of a telescope, she can gaze upon her very own star.

So choose something fun and unusual as Christmas Gift that says, "Mom, you're so special" at www.VeryCleverGifts.com. Check out all your options; there are many that are just so out-of-the-ordinary.

Source: http://www.VeryCleverGifts.com

Scott Moger is an International Entrepreneur and author. He's CEO of E-Max, Inc. (EmaxVentures.com) and is publishing an e-book on international Internet marketing and will include a profile of the websites http://www.VeryCleverGifts.com and http://www.ownapieceofamerica.us as well as others. Mr. Moger also writes under the nom de plume of Jack Torrington and Jonathan Plight.

About the Author

By : Scott Moger

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Gift Books for Pet Lovers by Elyse Grau

If you are looking for gifts for animal lovers this year, here are a few suggestions.

A top favorite on my bookshelf is Suzanne Clothier's Bones Would Rain from the Sky. The book speaks of the special bonds we have with our dogs, sometimes that we are not even aware of.

Clothier is a nationally renowned dog trainer. Using both her own dogs and dogs she has trained for others, she illustrates how dogs think, the nature of their relationship with us, their behavior and other lessons.

I found it beautifully written; moving, sweet, funny at times, heartbreaking at others. This is a book I recommend not only to dog owners, but to anyone thinking about getting a dog.

For lighter stories, there are always James Herriot's wonderful books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small. His most well-known works are available in a gift set.

My all-time favorite cat book is The Silent Miaow by Paul Gallico. Subtitled "a Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats",it's written in the first person-cat. The aim of the book is to teach motherless cats how to properly live with humans. It is a twenty-year old book, but is still available in paperback.

The book's narrator explains: "there is no question but that we are quite the most graceful animals in existence, and this you must keep uppermost in your mind in all of your attitudes and poses..." . On doors he tell the reader: "..teach them [your humans] the necessity of dropping whatever they happen to be doing to open one of them to let you in or out."

A nice picture book for breed identification and description is the Eyewitness Handbooks series Dogs or Cats.

The way the animals are grouped in this book may differ from the way you are used to seeing, as it was written in England. They are meant to be international in scope.

Descriptions are brief, and will not be enough information for choosing a breed to adopt, but it is a great book for simple identification, or as a starting place in the decision making process.

Food Pets Die For by Ann Martin is a no-holds-barred, well-researched book giving the consumer a unique look into the pet food industry. The tells the truth about pet foods - whether we want to hear it or not. A must read for anyone feeding grocery-store brand pet foods.

There are numerous books available to on in keeping your pets healthy and dealing with health concerns.

One of the first authors to address holistic healing for pets is Dr. Richard Pitcairn in his Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. It is now in its third edition, updated with the latest information and the doctor's own experiences, and is the first book I turn to when I have a question about an animal's health.

The only book I have found that specifically addresses natural care of cats is The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier. The author goes into great detail on every aspect of caring for cats, from feeding to grooming to specific health problems.

When it comes to dog training, there are many approaches and many books and videos. Basically most books can be placed in one of two schools of thought as far as training method, either traditional negative punishment-based training, or the newer, positive reward-based training.

I believe that positive training is the way to go, even if it is harder for the human to learn. One of the most well-written books on the subject is Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Dog Training.

In this book, Miller explains how positive dog training works and how to use it. There are chapters on basic commands as well as common behavior problems.

Pat Miller is a dog trainer with over thirty years of experience, and has used many methods and tools in that time.

There are, of course, plenty of other books on the subject of pets, from 'how-tos' to photographic essays, both humorous and poignant. Hours can be spent in just one aisle of the bookstores, trying to decide on a title or two.

You might want to pick up a book or two for your own bookshelf, as well! Here's wishing you a happy and safe holiday season!

About the Author

Elyse is the founder of The Original Dog Biscuit Company. She has extended knowledge of pet nutrition and feeding, as well as practical experience in the raising of cats, dogs and other animals. She is a herbalist, specializing in animals. Read more of her articles at: http://www.pethealthresource.com

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