The nights have drawn in, Merry Hill is heaving and the carols have already been playing for weeks – it’s Christmas! If you are anything like me and leave everything to the last minute, you don’t have much time to plan the ideal gifts and sometimes you buy things that aren’t always that suitable. Now, I can’t tell you what not to buy for your Dad (although I’m guessing he doesn’t really want socks again) but I can tell you what not to buy for your pets!

Dogs are intelligent, social, active creatures who are, and this is important, in possession of extremely efficient furry coats. This means that they do not need an extensive wardrobe of clothes! The range of outfits you can buy for them is truly astonishing and yes they might look cute dressed up as a Christmas fairy or in a t-shirt that says ‘The Dogfather’ (!) but who is it really for? Not the dog, who invariably looks miserable trussed up, but for their owner.
Brodie's toyThe irony of course is that although these outfits are bought as an expression of love for the pet, they are often over-indulged animals who, as a consequence of being spoiled, are not always that pleasant to be around. Of course, some dogs do feel the cold but a simple padded jacket is fine, or (and this is a ground breaking suggestion) once you are out, get them running around, they’ll soon be warm then! Doggy accessories that are worth purchasing are decent collars and leads, haltis for those who pull and a few sturdy toys to keep them occupied on walks or in the home.

Cats could not be more different to dogs (good luck to anyone who tries to put an outfit on their moggy!) but they are still valued members of the family and often have something under the tree! However, don’t buy them one big expensive toy, get them several cheaper ones instead. Cats will play with anything new that appears but once they have done this for a couple of days, they are likely to ignore it. So, having a box of lots of toys and changing them round regularly will ensure they always have something to keep them interested.
Loki fishingAlso, don’t buy your cats a double feeder of any variety, they are truly pointless. Not only will a cat rarely drink where they also eat (an instinct from hunting which stops them drinking from water near where they catch their prey, would you want to drink where a rat had probably wee’d?!), they also hate to eat with other cats and forcing them to share from a double feeder encourages them to gorge on their food so they don’t have to stay long and increases stress levels. Great buys for cats include activity toys like fishing rods or anything on a string, igloo beds (cats love to hide but make sure you put them somewhere high up) and water fountains.

Finally, rabbits. There are loads of great activity toys in the shops for rabbits so there is absolutely no excuse to fall back on the usual Christmas failsafe of treats! Obesity is a big health problem in bunnies and causes all sorts of issues from dirty bottoms to arthritis. Also, too many treats can mean they don’t eat enough hay which can cause problems with their teeth. Great gifts for rabbits include willow chew toys and the biggest cage and run you can afford! Alternatively you could give a gift to yourself and rabbit-proof all the wires if they are kept indoors, which should ensure there are no unexpected interruptions during the Christmas TV scheduling!

I hope you and all your pets have a Happy Christmas and a Healthy 2012!

If you have any questions about your pet, you should always contact your vet.

If you are worried about your pet over the Christmas period and are unsure whether your need to see a vet you can always call them for advice, or try our Interactive Symptom Guide to see how urgent the problem may be.