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If you have anyone in your life who self-identifies as a Cat Person, you know this: They’ll do anything to please their notoriously finicky fur babies. After all, these days the cat business is booming with pet owners shelling out big bucks to pamper their kitties . That means there are more thoughtful products designed with cats in mind than ever before. And you’re no longer considered the local weirdo if you celebrate holidays and birthdays with your pet. So instead of settling for lame toy mice and “cat lady” T-shirts, you can give these clever gifts our cat-behavior experts swear by. Browse the ideas below, and check out our roundups of the best calming pet products and gifts for dog lovers too.
It might look basic, but the Yeowww! Catnip Yellow Banana Toy “has to be the most popular cat toy ever,” says Atlanta-based rapper turned cat rescuer Sterling Davis, which is why it makes a perfect present. The founder of the nonprofit TrapKing Humane attests says “cats go crazy” for this hand-sewn toy packed to the seams with organically grown catnip, adding, “I have a bunch of them, and so do most of the cat people I work with.”
For a cute cat bed that comes in different designs and is comfortable for your cat, Ingrid Johnson , an Atlanta, Ga.-based IAABC -certified cat behavior consultant, trainer and groomer, recommends the The Cat Ball Cat Bed , or its boat-shaped counterpart, the Cat Canoe Modern Cat Bed . The Cat Ball, which is made with high-density foam panels and provides privacy and heat retention due to its shape, comes in 10 patterns, including Abstract Watermelon, Coral Flowers and Teal Bamboo, and the Cat Canoe comes in 10 patterns, like Yellow Watermelon, Space and Fire.
It doesn’t get more classic than a scratching post when it comes to cats. Jane Ehrlich, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based cat behaviorist and founder of Cattitude Feline Behavior Counseling , has given the Midwest Feline Nuvo Grand Forte Scratching Post as a gift numerous times. She likes this sisal scratching post because of its 3-foot height, which she says is tall enough for any cat, whether small or large. It also has a sturdy base covered in soft faux fur, which is easy to clean.
If you want to enhance your cat’s playtime, Johnson—who’s also the founder of Fundamentally Feline , a cat behavior consulting company that sells cat toys, scratching posts and accessories—says she recommends the Hide and Seek Playmat from Sheer Fun for Cats. The playmat is a simple piece of sheer fabric with a crinkly edge, which can be laid over another toy, making it more challenging for the cat to reach the toy. “Cats love things when they’re just out of reach,” Johnson says. “It really enhances interactive play time.”
What makes this battery-operated, award-winning toy such a great gift is that it takes classic string-dangling to a whole new level, according to Francesco Marciuliano, New York City-based author of “ I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats ,” who says his own felines “attack it with almost unhinged glee.” There’s no assembly required—all your recipient has to do is hang it on a doorknob and choose which of the two speeds to have the string flung in and out.
If you know a cat owner who loves a good cup of tea, this cat-shaped silicone tea infuser might make a perfect gift (see our list of the best gifts for tea lovers for even more ideas for those folks). The “Purrtea” cat sits inside your mug while the tea steeps and its paws stick over the edge of the cup to keep it in place—and it looks like the cat is taking a dip in a pool, which is extra cute. Its low price makes it a great small gift or stocking stuffer .
Cats go wild for the old “hand under the blanket” game, and this battery-operated activity is the same idea—except the pet owner won’t have to do a thing. “The hidden motion of the toy under the fabric activates the cat’s ‘seeking circuit,’ which releases feel-good brain chemicals,” says cat behaviorist Mieshelle Nagelschneider, owner of the Cat Behavior Clinic in Seattle, noting the game has other benefits too. “It helps prevent stress-related behaviors like pacing, excessive vocalization and aggression with other cats or people inside the home.”
Another gift that nearly every cat will enjoy is a cat tree. “I’m very picky about my cat towers,” Ehrlich says. “The platforms should be very well staggered, and at least 6 feet tall.” This height is ideal, she says, because it allows the cat to exercise by moving from platform to platform and get a sufficient stretch. Two cat trees that meet all of Ehrlich’s requirements are the Wood and Carpet Cat Tree for Big Cats and Staggered Cat Tree from New Cat Condos. She likes that these ones are covered in carpet instead of fleece or plain wood, since carpeting lasts longer and doesn’t rip as easily as other materials. Both include sisal scratching posts and spacious perches for cats to sleep, hide and play in.
With a lifelike design, this popular toy looks and sounds like a bird flapping its wings, which is why Nagelschneider has recommended it for patients for more than 15 years. Swinging the rod slowly is all they’ll need to do to get their kitty pouncing and swatting at the attached fluttering feathers, she says, adding, “I’ve seen 18-year-old cats leap off the sofa and play for the first time in their lives.”
These wool pom poms are a small gift that cats will go crazy for. Ehrlich likes that they’re small and lightweight, the realistic size of a cat’s prey, which makes them good toys. Ehrlich also adds the element of catnip, to which some cats have a euphoric reaction. “I marinate them in a big jar of catnip pellets for weeks, and then when I take them out, they’re batting them around like David Beckham,” she says.
Food puzzles are great for keeping cats occupied and giving them a more natural way to eat, says Mikkel Becker, lead animal trainer for Fear Free Happy Homes , an educational site for pet owners and vets. She loves this one , which taps into a cat’s instinct to paw out pieces of food from the various-size tubes. The curvy design minimizes spills and is easy to wipe clean.
There are some cats who seem like they can get food out of any treat puzzle—Johnson calls these cats the “master foragers.” For these felines, she recommends Swedish toy designer Nina Ottosson’s “intricate and challenging food puzzles” like the Buggin Out Puzzle & Play and other versions, like the “intermediate level” Melon Madness puzzle and the Rainy Day puzzle, which she says is a “difficult, brains over brawn puzzle.” She likes that all three can accommodate wet and dry food.
While many treat puzzles are made for dry food, Johnson recommends these LickiMat Slow Feeder Cat Lick Mats for wet food. They’re “great for [helping] slow down voracious overeaters,” she says. While there are pieces from the brand made specifically for cats, Johnson says cats can really use any of LickiMats’ offerings, including the Hyper Pet IQ Rewards Cat & Dog Slow Feeder , which we feature in our list of the best gifts for dog lovers .
This easy-to-use scoop set is another of Becker’s favorite feeding systems. All your recipient needs to do is fill the mice with cat food and hide them around the house. Hunting for them throughout the day slows down their eating and spreads out the portions.
The Clik Stick Training Tool is a useful item for someone training their cat. It’s a clicker with a telescoping rod at the end, so you can teach your cat to target by touching the ball at the end of the rod with their nose or paw, Johnson explains. “I like this one because it’s a softer click” compared to dog clickers, she says.
Try to spot the dog in this 300-piece puzzle, aptly called the 299 Cats and a Dog Puzzle . The unique puzzle is a circle rather than the usual square or rectangle, and its pieces are even more special—they’re all cat shaped (except for the one dog), which creates a fun challenge for the puzzler.
“A lot of cats, when they get lost, stay really close to home,” Johnson says, which is why a tracking device with radio signal instead of just GPS, like the TabCat Homing Tags , can be extra helpful when trying to locate a runaway pet. With TabCat’s radio signal tracking, you can finetune and pinpoint your pet’s location, so instead of knowing your cat is in the general area of your house, you can actually find them in a specific room or outdoor spot. Johnson also lauds TabCat tags for being “the lightest weight tracking device for a cat’s collar” that she’s tried.
Stimulate their kitty’s curiosity with this sleek piece , which offers five different hidden-treat challenges. Rubber feet keep the board in place, no matter how intense the hunting gets, and it’s also dishwasher-safe.
Show your love for cats and get comfy with the Cat Lover’s Cozy Sweatshirt and Joggers available at Uncommon Goods. The matching gray sweater and sweatpants feature Russian Blues, Calicos, black cats and more. The top and bottoms are sold separately and the retailer recommends sizing up, as they run small.
Here’s a little-known fact: A cat’s blissful response to catnip is hereditary, and not all of them have it. That’s why this set of four refillable toy mice , each with a different filling (catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle, and a valerian root/lemon grass combo) is a great choice. “Even if their cat doesn’t like catnip, it’s very likely they’ll respond to at least one of these substances,” says British Columbia-based animal behavior expert Zazie Todd, Ph.D. , who considers it “a fun gift that lets them try out the different plants with their cat.”
These classic literature cat tote bags are the perfect gift for someone who loves cats and books. If your giftee is a Jane Austen fan, get them the “Pride and Purrjudice” bag with a graphic of a tomcat Mr. Darcy. If they’re more into Shakespeare, see the “Romeow and Juliet” bag featuring a bewhiskered Juliet, or channel the Roaring ’20s with “The Great Catsby” bag featuring Daisy Buchanan as a cat. If this appeals to you, check out our list of the best gifts for book lovers for more ideas.
If you want to go above and beyond on a customized gift for someone who loves their cat, try personalized pet jewelry. Johnson recommends jewelry from Volana Kote, who can include your cat’s whiskers or fur in a pendant , a charm and dozens of other pieces of jewelry. The whiskers or fur must be humanely harvested, meaning they are naturally shed from your cat, before sending them to the designer for inclusion in a custom jewelry piece. “I have a pendant of my dog’s nose print, and I’ve also had my cat’s ashes blown into glass in a pendant, and things like that are really special and personal,” Johnson says.
The Drinkwell Platinum Plastic Dog & Cat Fountain from Petsafe is Johnson’s favorite pet fountain and is the perfect option for a household that has both cats and dogs, since its 168-ounce water capacity is great for pets of all sizes or multiple pets. It includes a replaceable carbon water filter that keeps the water tasting fresh and an adjustable flow speed.
Know a cat parent who loves good design? This porcelain and carved-wood container from Nambé , a brand known for its sculptural serveware, makes a great gift. The vessel seals tightly to keep treats fresh and brings some style to their countertop.
This WiFi-enabled camera is the pet gear they never knew they needed. It’s equipped with night vision, an ultra-wide-angle view, and a laser toy you can control with your phone, but Marciuliano’s favorite feature is the two-way audio, which allows you to engage with your cats when you’re not home. “The look on Kiki’s and Leelo’s faces when I first did this can only be described as ‘if we had eyebrows you would know just how much that blew our minds right now,” he says.
Though this sophisticated pet carrier that folds out into a machine-washable travel mat is technically made for dogs, it’s also the perfect size for a feline, according to Remy Morimoto Park , a Los Angeles-based lifestyle wellness pro whose rescue cat, Sesame, regularly accompanies her on flights of five hours or longer. With mesh walls for breathability and a shoulder strap that doubles as a leash, the case has garnered numerous compliments at the airport, Park says. And because it’s “light and easy to carry” she also uses it for vet visits.
One of Ehrlich’s favorite cat toys is the RompiCatz Critter Collector Series Rod , which comes with different attachments, including the Cattipeed , a colorful, lifelike bug with a double-jointed body for wiggle movement. “It wiggles just like a bug, so when you drag it across the floor, the movement is terrific,” Ehrlich says. “There’s nothing quite like it, and cats love it.” Other attachments include ones that look like birds, crickets, moths and mice.
Another fun, small gift for a cat lover who bakes is this 3-piece set of cat-shaped cookie cutters . The kit comes with two full cat silhouette cutters and one shaped like a cat’s face as well as a cookie recipe booklet. For more gift ideas for people who love to cook, see our top picks .
Add a little charm to your kitchen with this set of six little cat snack dishes . The small plates are perfect for candy, nuts or other snacks, and whoever takes the last piece will be met with an adorable painted cat face. The versatile stoneware dishes make a great White Elephant gift or gift for hosts .
Keep your feet nice and cozy with a pair of these cat slippers from L.L. Bean. They come in purple with a gray cat design or red with a black cat design and feature a fleece sock liner, anti-slip rubber sole and open back so they can be easily slipped on and off. Also be sure to check out the other slipper designs, including ones that feature dogs, moose, mountains and flowers .
Cat Carriers For Large Cats —Additional reporting by Bellamy Richardson