Pet Gifts: All I Want for Christmas is You

In my morning reading, I came across a Veterinarian offering a list of Christmas gifts for pets and astonishingly, there's more than one that involves giving money to Veterinarians. There's also the obligatory taboo on "people food" which is a pet peeve of mine. There is no such thing as "people food". There is food. We all eat it.

At any rate, I offer my own list as an alternative:

• Bring your outside dog in from the cold or provide a warm outdoor shelter for him.
• Prepare some homemade meals or treats (more recipes here and here). Most dogs love home prepared food. With cats, your mileage may vary but cat owners usually know at least a couple things their kitteh likes.
• Spend some extra quality time with your pets. They don't care about presents really, it's your presence that matters to them.
• Drop by your local no kill shelter and donate some canned food or your time. Shelter pets appreciate visitors.
• Ask your local no kill shelter if they have a foster program for the holidays. Many shelters do and if you have the ability to care for another pet for a few weeks, you'd be giving a shelter animal the opportunity to get out of his cage or kennel and into a home. Even if it's temporary, it's a gift you can't put a price tag on.