Fans of The Simpsons may remember the Christmas special where Homer, who hasn’t gotten the bonus he was counting on, picks out extra cheap gifts for his family, including a chew toy for baby Maggie. “Says it’s for dogs, but she can’t read!”
Now, I’m not suggesting you take Homer Simpson as your role model, but if you’re stressed out from holiday shopping, step into a pet supply store for a few minutes. It’ll probably be nice and quiet, you can pick up some treats for your pet, and you may just find gifts for some of the animal-loving humans on your list – whether they have any pets or not.
(Although you know better than to give a live animal as a gift – with the exception of farm animals for third-world residents.)
Of course, it’s easier to find something for the pet owners here. They might like something they’ll have fun sharing with their pet: a toy they can play with, or even matching T-shirts for the two of them. For a small gift, get both a bag of pet treats and some cookies or candy for the owner.
Speaking of toys, some of the stuffed animals and balls I saw in one pet shop really were nice enough for kids. If you can’t stand the thought of the toy store, keep this in mind.
How about people who love animals but can’t have pets for some reason? They might like animal-themed art – prints or even a group of greeting cards arranged in a frame.
You may even know someone who’d like to get a terrarium setup kit. This cuts out a lot of the expense for them, and lets them pick out the most important part (the animals) themselves.
So, don’t forget the pet store when you’re Christmas shopping.
[...] I’ve written before, a pet supply store has plenty of things that would make good gifts for humans. But that’s not [...]