5 Tail Waggin & Purr-fect Budget Friendly Gift Ideas for Your Pets

http://www.guideposts.com/story/presents-pets-christmas

1. Buy a great toy: Check out the environmentally-friendly toys at your local pet store, or online. Or go even more simple. A bucket of old tennis balls makes Kelly happy. Try making a toy yourself. If you can sew, create a simple stuffed teddy bear for your pup. Tie a feather or pompon to the end of a string for your kitty. Get creative!

2. Cook something yummy: Find a recipe for healthy dog treats. Try this dog carrot cake recipe from Sharon Azar’s WOOF! blog or Editor-in-chief Edward Grinnan’s dog food recipe.

3. Frame a picture: For your animal-loving friends and family, frame a special picture of their pet, or create a small scrapbook or brag book. If you’re handy with the computer, print up stationary or note cards, with the pet’s picture in the corner.

4. Make pet books and calendars: Pet lovers will never grow tired of reading about their best friends, and there are so many great options: fiction, memoirs, how-to, and great true animal stories. (Check out Guideposts' own Their Mysterious Ways) Page-a-day or monthly pet calendars make great gifts, too.

5. Give your time: What’s the best gift to give a pet? Your time! Get down on the floor and play, maybe even invent a new game with your dog or cat. Relish time to just cuddle. Kelly and I like to get wrapped up in a blanket. For your pet-owning friends, offer dog walking or pet-sitting. Or help more pets by donating time or money to a local animal shelter.