• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cadry's Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Favorite Places and Things

    10 best gifts for cats: Treats for your fuzzy friends

    Published: Dec 19, 2020 · Modified: Mar 29, 2023 by Cadry Nelson
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Text overlay: The best gifts for cats. Cat holding a toy mouse in his mouth.

    Gifts for cats – including toys, scratching posts, and beds. Tested by two kitties who are going to tell you the truth about what cats like.

    Avon and Cally playing with track ball.

    Okay, so you’ve finished your holiday shopping for Grandma, Little Timmy, and your kid’s teacher. But what about that special feline on your list?

    Cats give so much. Don’t forget them!

    Avon & Cally have volunteered to help me out with a list of gifts for cats.

    These are some of their most loved toys, beds, and hideouts. Consider them for the cat on your list!

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Window sill perch
    • Small toys
    • Tunnels
    • Cat bed
    • Scratching post
    • Track ball
    • Cat tree
    • Toy bank
    • Laser pointer
    • Fountain
    • Free gifts for cats

    Window sill perch

    Avon and Cally cuddling in window perch.

    All year ‘round, the window sill perch is the place to be. It’s a good spot to sunbathe & watch the birds outside. It’s also a cozy place to sit and groom your favorite feline pal.

    When we adopted Cally, she immediately made herself at home there. She seemed to say, “Oh, yeah. This place is going to be just fine. Let me just unpack.”

    (Avon & Cally’s exact window perch is 10 years old and no longer available online. However, this is a pretty close facsimile.)

    Small toys

    Avon playing with toy mice. Gifts for cats.

    Cats love small toys for wrestling, fetching, and snuggling.

    This banana is Avon’s favorite stuffed toy. We named it Carl. It’s filled with catnip. And it’s just the right size for kicking at with his feet while he holds it.

    He also enjoys this rainbow made by the same company, as well as fetching toy mice. Cally is a big fan of soft balls that she can chase.

    Tunnels

    Cally in cat tunnel.

    Cats love to run down tunnels, hide in them, and chase each other through them. We have a couple of tunnels – both single and quadruple.

    Cat bed

    Avon and Cally grooming each other in cat bed.

    Cats love a new place to sit – especially if it’s positioned in front of a heater or on a warm patio. As long as it’s small, cozy, and soft, it’s going to be a hit.

    (This isn’t their exact cat bed, but it’s close.)

    Pro tip: TJ Maxx often has a variety of cute & inexpensive cat beds.

    Scratching post

    Avon and Cally sitting on scratching post perch in front of window.

    Scratching posts are a must for kitties. They’re good for stretching and to blow off steam. And it saves our furniture.

    We have a variety of scratching posts in the house, including some that they can sit on together and look out the window.

    (Our kitties aren’t declawed, because declawing is cruel. Declawing is basically amputating the ends of their paws. We simply trim their nails instead when they get too sharp, and they don’t mind at all.)

    Track ball

    Track balls help kitties to use their hunter instincts. They love to “surprise” the balls with a sneak attack.

    We have a couple of simple circular tracks that they both enjoy batting. And we have another one that has a track similar to a race car track with a ball that lights up. Both are big hits.

    (You can see a video of Avon playing with the race car track on my Facebook page.)

    Cat tree

    Mid-century modern cat tree with cats on top.

    To really help kitties get a good vantage point to a high window, a cat tree is a favorite. We have had a few over the years.

    Cally sitting on bungalow.

    Right now in the living room, we have one that is midcentury modern in aesthetic. And it fits with our furniture.

    They also enjoy this cat tree we have on our glassed in patio. The rope and carpet is easy to climb and scratch, which is a plus for them.

    Toy bank

    Avon the cat pressing on Godzilla bank.

    No, I’m not suggesting your cat should start saving for college. (I’m sure they’d make a good purr-fessor, though!)

    This toy bank is actually not marketed as a cat toy. After the button is tapped on it, a plastic cat, Godzilla, or Santa pops out (to take the coin you’ve left).

    The cat says, “Hello. Thank you.” Godzilla roars and plays the movie theme music. Santa plays a Christmas carol.

    It’s a bank for kids, but Avon loves these. He often goes into the room where they are stored to tap on the button and watch as the cat or Godzilla pops out.

    Avon the cat watching Godzilla bank.

    How did he figure it out? I just showed it to him once, and held his paw to the button. After that he started doing it on his own.

    Obviously, interest in this will vary depending on the cat. We’ve had two other cats who have seen it, and neither of them have shown an ounce of interest.

    Laser pointer

    Laser pointers are lots of fun for a cat. Guide the light along the wall, across the ground, or “hide” it behind a chair leg. Cats can’t wait to sneak attack and attempt to catch it.

    Cally is obsessed with the laser pointer. If we go near the drawer where it’s kept, she insists that we play for a while.

    Of course, it’s important to be cautious with laser pointers. Never point them directly in a cat’s eyes. Also, note that they may be overstimulating to dogs, and aren’t recommended for them.

    Fountain

    Cally drinking from cat fountain.

    It’s good for kitties to stay hydrated. By having a water fountain going, they are encouraged to drink more.

    This stainless steel fountain is always going at our house.

    Free gifts for cats

    Avon the cat sleeping on a blanket.

    Of course, some of the most beloved things for cats in the home are already fixtures or free.

    Nothing beats the perfect cozy blanket.

    Cats love a good laundry basket – especially if there’s warm laundry involved.

    Boxes in a variety of sizes are always a favorite.

    Avon touching bird onscreen on TV.

    Finally, the kitties are enamored with videos for cats on YouTube. They are especially mesmerized by the bird videos.

    They’re good to play during the winter months, when there are fewer animals outside to watch through the window.

    Content updated December 13, 2021. Originally posted December 6, 2019.

    More Favorite Places and Things

    • Text overlay: Top 20 vegan recipes of 2022. Collage with cashew dressing, fried artichoke hearts, fried pickles, and creamsicle cocktail.
      Top 20 vegan recipes of 2022
    • Collage of homemade food gifts: candied pecans, Bloody Mary mix, peanut butter cookies, and pistachio butter.
      Homemade vegan food gifts for the holidays
    • Exterior Trader Joe's.
      50 favorite Trader Joe’s vegan products (updated September 2023)
    • Grocery cart with pasta, tomatoes, and chips.
      Trader Joe’s grocery list for weekly visits (Updated June 2023)
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Susan Gottlieb

      December 08, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      This is such a lovely post! Dim Sim is of an age now where she wants very little, but she does love the smell of a freshly opened pack of Greenies.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 10, 2019 at 10:47 am

        How cute. I’m glad Dim Sim is still won over by a new pack of Greenies. Avon used to love Greenies, but his interest has faded. He’ll still ask for treats, but then he doesn’t eat them.

        Reply
    2. Mandy

      December 06, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      Your kitties are so lucky and loved!! This post was so fun to read and the photos…my heart ❤️ So sweet!! Those ball tracks are a favorite in our house. We’ve been debating a window perch for a while now – I think that will be their gift this year! You’ve compiled a very thorough list here; nothing else comes to mind! Give Avon and Cally some love for me and have a great weekend!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 07, 2019 at 8:21 am

        Aw, thank you, Mandy! You’re right. Cally & Avon are so loved. Seeing them happy brings David & I so much joy. I’m glad you liked the pictures!

        A window perch is a great idea for your furry family. It gets a ton of use in our house. We had to take it down briefly last year when Avon was sick and wasn’t supposed to jump after his surgery. Both of the cats were really unimpressed. Haha! I was glad when we could put it back up again.

        I hope you have a great weekend too!!

        Reply
    3. Shellie

      December 06, 2019 at 10:16 am

      Your furry babies are gorgeous.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 06, 2019 at 10:19 am

        Aw, thank you! I’m pretty smitten with them.

        Reply
    4. Laura VZ

      December 06, 2019 at 9:47 am

      This list is purrfect! Gus isn’t a huge catnip cat but he also loves that Yeowww banana, and other products from them. We’ve been searching for a window perch or new cat tree for the kittehs, so I’ll be digging into your suggestions for those.
      Thanks from Chloe and Gus!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 06, 2019 at 10:21 am

        Thanks, Laura! That banana seems to be a huge hit with cats! Another cat who I regularly cat-sit loves it too. I look forward to seeing what kinds of presents are in Gus & Chloe’s future!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Cadry Nelson standing in kitchen with hand on hip.

    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m a longtime vegan. (16 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

    Fall recipes

    • Bowl of plant-based chicken noodle soup with crackers.
      One pot vegan chicken noodle soup
    • Platter with roasted Brussels sprouts, apples and caramelized onions.
      Oven roasted Brussels sprouts with apples
    • Personal sized vegan pot pies on plates with rosemary.
      Mini vegetable pot pie with chickpeas (vegan)
    • Close-up air fried pumpkin seeds on plate.
      Air fryer pumpkin seeds (Easy & delicious!)

    Air fryer recipes

    • Air fryer radishes on white plate by cashew parmesan and salt.
      Air fryer radishes with vegan parmesan
    • Toasted bagel sandwich with vegan cream cheese, Impossible sausage, and Just Egg.
      Vegan bagel breakfast sandwich
    • Fork holding up spaghetti squash.
      Air fryer spaghetti squash
    • Beautifully browned crescent dough around veggie dogs.
      Vegan pigs in a blanket (air fryer or baked)

    Soups and stews

    • Mushrooms & thyme on top of creamy vegan mushroom soup.
      Creamy vegan mushroom soup with lentils & rice
    • Chili in orange bowl topped with avocado, green onions, and peppers.
      Three bean chili: Warm up with a bowl
    • Vegetable gyoza in broth with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and kale.
      Easy potsticker soup (with store-bought dumplings)
    • Hands holding bowl of roasted gnocchi soup.
      Creamy vegan gnocchi soup with sausage & kale
    Logos for sites where Cadry Nelson & Cadry's Kitchen have been featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Cadry
    • Work with me

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Cadry's Kitchen