Gift giving for family members who will NEVER return them
s.hetts - Dr. Suzanne Hetts, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
If Your Pet Could Talk: Dr. Suzanne Hetts provides holiday tips and information for PetSmart this holiday season to help make pets enjoy this time as much as pet parents. Part one explores giving the perfect gift to pets.
When it comes to gift giving, pets really are like children. Gifts that bring instant gratification are those that are enjoyed the most. While your child may later appreciate the new pair of jeans when he goes to school, and your pet may enjoy the soft new bed when she’s ready for a nap, those gifts won’t light up their eyes like the latest video game for your child or a new squeaky or catnip toy for your dog or cat.
You know what makes your pet happy when it comes to toys to play with and treats to eat. Choose toys that allow for your pets’ favorite play behaviors. Some dogs and even cats love to chase and fetch, while others prefer to shake and tug things. If your pet prefers the latter, she may really get into opening gifts. Some dogs, like some toddlers, enjoy tearing up the wrapping paper more than the gift inside!
If you’re on a budget, the fun of unwrapping several of their existing toys may provide almost as much enjoyment for your pets as opening a new one. If you’ve discouraged your pet from tearing things up in the past, she may be reluctant to rip into a package. Don’t be surprised though if you allow your pet to open one gift, she may decide to open them all when left unsupervised. One word of caution: be very careful with ribbons and other decorations, because serious intestinal problems can result if your pet ingests them.
You also know your pets’ tastes when it comes to treats. The holidays are a nice time to spring for some of the gourmet pet goodies decorated with pet safe ingredients. Although if your dog is one of those that likes everything, or your cat won’t touch novel foods, your dog would likely be just as happy with an everyday dog biscuit and your cat with the same old cat treats. Always keep in mind sudden changes to your pet’s diet or giving them too many treats may result in an upset stomach.
When choosing a new toy for your pet, safety should always be top priority. Look for sturdy toys without small pieces that could easily come off or be chewed off that your pet could ingest. Choose toys that are large enough not to become lodged in your pets’ throat. String, stretchy cord, and plastic buttons attached to sharp pins that are used for “eyes” in stuffed toys are particularly dangerous. When giving your pet a toy, it’s always best to supervise them to ensure they don’t destroy the toy and begin eating the pieces. If you are unsure about the safety of a particular toy, check with your veterinarian.
Finally, you don’t want gift giving to set the stage for a competition between your pets. Cats don’t normally fight over toys, but dogs often do. To minimize that possibility, buy all dogs the same toy. That sounds boring and may take some of the fun out of choosing just the right toy for each dog, but dogs, like children, often want what the other one has. If you think competition for gifts may cause a problem, buy as many toys as you have dogs plus one. That way, there’s always an extra one available. If one dog tries to hoard all the toys, take them all away for awhile. Taking one toy from one dog and giving it back to the other increases the risk of fighting.
Five simple tips for choosing a gift for your pet
1. Cater to your pet. The fun of gift giving is seeing your pets’ eyes light up over new toys and “chewies” or watching them tear into a package wrapping with gusto. Necessities like beds and collars show you are taking care of your pets, but may not bring out the shared joy of giving and receiving as much as a gift that brings instant gratification.
2. Always think safety first when choosing gifts. Toys or pieces of toys that can come off, be chewed off or become lodged in your pets’ throat present real dangers. Ribbons and other small decorations are also hazards.
3. Choose gifts that play to your pets’ preferred behaviors. Chasing and fetch require different types of toys than tugging and shaking.
4. To avoid competitive fighting, buy the same toys for all your cats or all your dogs, plus an extra. Three balls for two dogs or four catnip mice for three cats will make it more difficult for one pet to hoard all the gifts.
5. If you’re on a budget, wrap up dog biscuits or cat treats and watch your pet get almost as much fun out of unwrapping the package as enjoying what’s inside.
Dr. Suzanne Hetts is a certified applied animal behaviorist with more than 25 years' experience working with people and behavior problems in dogs and cats. She recently created the If Your Pet Could Talk program for PetSmart to help pet parents recognize and understand their pet's communication behaviors. She earned a bachelor's degree in Microbiology and Medical Technology, a master's degree in Wildlife Biology and a Ph.D. in Zoology/Animal Behavior, all from Colorado State University, and is certified by the Animal Behavior Society.
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