December is Cat Lovers Month!

Show your love for cats and cat lovers alike during the season of giving!

We cats may not be aware of the days of the week humans go by, but we know when the season of giving comes around! Call it instinct. Humans bust out the shiny crinkly paper, the colorful lights (oh yeah, I’m colorblind), and suddenly we’re given all these new toys! It’s our favorite time of year! And whether you celebrate with a big tree, a menorah, or pair of shoes filled with treats (I’ll have to ask Mom if we can do that!), there are all kinds of ways to show your love for your feline friends, cat lovers, and for you, this holiday season!

Help Support Cats in Need

Animal shelters are all volunteer-run, which is why they can always benefit from a little extra help to stay afloat, which has become difficult during a financially and resource-stripping pandemic. Giving your time, support, and a few dollars this holiday season is a wonderful way to help cats (and other animals) get the proper care and accommodations they need and help them get adopted! If you’re not sure how to support animal shelters in a way that works for you, there are more than a paw-ful of creative ways to help animal shelters!

1. Shelters and rescues take care of many abandoned and surrendered pets at a time, and could use all the help they can get to make sure the needs of the animals are met to keep them healthy and clean. However, these facilities usually run primarily on volunteer work, donations, and out of pocket budgets. They also need the funds to maintain light and heating, which are essential this time of year when rescue animals need warmth and shelter when found or brought in. You can help support these animals in need and the volunteers who take care of them by donating essentials such as food, blankets, toys, litter, and funds, if you can afford to give. We cats hear all about how wallets are tighter around the holidays than ever before, so even if you cannot donate, you can still spread the word to others who can!
2. Fosters need extra support, too! Families and individuals who care for rescued animals in their own home generally do not have the exposure to open support like public rescues and shelters do. This means that they may struggle even more to not only pay for the food and supplies needed to foster multiple animals for adoption, but have to pay their own bills and be able to afford to support their own lives, If you know of any animal fosters in your area or are able to reach out to, they could definitely use some help supporting themselves and the animals they’re taking care of, so that they can provide the best possible life for the potential adoptees in their own home environment. By donating food and litter to friends and others who are fostering cats or other animals, you are saving them from some of the costs required to keep the animals in their care until adopted.
3. Visit a Cat Café! They haven’t been around for very long but are growing in popularity for all kinds of reasons! The first cat cafes started in Taiwan in 1998, and now they are all over the world! For those of you who may be thinking ‘what’s a cat cafe?’, they’re like a feline social in the eclectic atmosphere of a cafe! When you search for cat cafes in your area, you may find that many of them actually them their products, decor, and menu items after the feline image! In Japan, you will more likely find cats coming and going freely around the food and drink areas due to strict cleanliness measures, but in the U.S., cat cafes generally have a play area set aside for patrons to hang out with and meet the cats that are taken care of by the business, so the health regulations are met. And the best part is, most of the cats you meet in cat cafés are rescues and are available for adoption! It’s the purrfect place to enjoy your favorite beverage and pastry and get to know cats that are looking for furever homes.

Share and Inspire Holiday Cheer!

1. Cat-tastic clothing and apparel. We cats don’t find those ugly sweaters you humans wear to be very flattering of our likeness (even if some of it is sort of true), and many of them contain messages and graphics that are harmful or unaMEWsing. We would feel much more loved seeing fun and friendly graphics and prints on cat lovers. “Meowy Christmas”, “Happy Pawlidays” and “Furliz Navidad” are a few festive phrases to look out for! Just because we can’t read, doesn’t mean we (and other cat lovers) don’t have feelings!
2. Have a facebook or an instagram? Sharing warm wishes for the holiday season with others in cat groups, blogs, and posts is a great way to reach out to fellow cat enthusiasts as well as content creators (YouTube, TikTok, etc.) who will always appreciate a friendly comment on posts of their pets. You never know if they need that little spark of “I care about you and your pet” in their day! Kindness is free—and contagious (in a good way!)—and you’ll never run out of it, so why not leave a comment on one or more posts on social media about their pet (or to their pet) and you just might make their whole week! It may not be catnip, but hearing about others’ kind words and deeds for the sake of others makes me feel good inside. Here come the purrs.

Spoil Those Loved Ones—Don’t Forget the Cats!

1. If you’re gifting someone else’s cat, it’s important to know what they most enjoy, especially where treats are concerned! It never hurts to ask the owner what’s on their cat’s wishlist. Remember, some cats are picky! Please don’t be disheartened if we don’t play with the cool toy you made or got for us. After all, it’s the thought that counts!
2. I think many people have at least one friend who is crazy for cats (as they should be!) and thanks to worldwide cat-loving entrepreneurs, finding a gift for your cat loving comrade has never been easier! You can even find wholesome and purrfect gifts for the cat fanatics in your life in our online store!
3. If you’re looking to spoil your OWN cats this holiday season, think about what they need or purrhaps a fancy upgrade to what they already enjoy. Why not put a little time aside to make your furry companion a purrsonalized gift just for them? You can find a variety of diy gifts for cats online or on Pinterest if you need some inspurration. Of course, you may be wondering what kind of gift best suits your unique cat?
   

1. A new, comfy bed with something that smells like you left in it is sure to please, for the cats that are more laid back, have disabilities that limit their activity, or senior cats.
2. Kittens will enjoy just about anything you make or buy for them, especially if it crinkles, jingles, or is filled with catnip! Give the gift of amped up playtime with little balls, felt catnip toys, and dangly toys on sticks to encourage their jumping skills! Kittens are probably the easiest to shop or make gifts for, because they want to play with and explore anything new!
3. Shy cats and rescues are always looking for places to feel safe and observe everything. For the reclusive cats in your life, giving them hideaways like boxes, covered litter boxes (yes, really) and little houses/caves with a bed in them will mean the world.
   

I, Laszlo, can speak for my feline brethren and all of humankind when I say that no matter what you’re able to give to your loved ones—furry or otherwise—what’s most important is making them and yourself happy. While it can be tempting to give to others more than you can afford, don’t. The season of giving and cat lovers’ month may appear to be the most prominent during December, but giving is reciprocal. A bit of wisdom that cats have passed down for generations is give what you can to others but give just as much to yourself. When we cats enjoy the pets you give, you receive our purrs in return. The season of giving is upon us, and the ways we show our appreciation for the always-giving animal companions who love us unconditionally, are infinite.