After Fostering Animals for 5 Years, I Can Say These Are the 15 Most Useful Gifts for Pet Owners

I’ve always been an animal lover (my first non-parent-related word was “kitty”) but recently have become more serious about helping our furry friends. My Instagram bio only half-jokingly says I moved from New York City to rural New Hampshire so I could have more pets: My partner and I started fostering animals in 2019. Since then, on top of a dog and four cats who live with us full time, we almost always have an additional animal (or two or six) taking up temporary residence in our spare bedroom.

All this is to say, I have Some Thoughts when it comes to gift ideas for the animal lover in your life—at least the ones who have cats and dogs (apologies to my rodent/bird/fish/reptile fans, I just don’t have the experience there). While matching sweaters and holiday-themed bandanas are cute, there are loads more practical gifts that I can guarantee the cat or dog owner on your list will be thrilled to receive, even if they aren’t the most glamorous. Below, the toys, treats, grooming tools, and poo-related necessities (sorry, but owning a pet is at least 50% worrying about their bathroom habits) I’d be thrilled to find under the tree.

My Favorite Gifts for Pet Owners

Best Toy for Dogs: Merry Makings Jar of Plush Pickles

My dog is goofy, but not particularly playful. She can’t catch a ball to save her life and usually gets bored with any toy that doesn’t have peanut butter hidden inside. But something about these enormous plush pickle chew toys really tickles her fancy (see video for proof of enthusiasm). They come in a set of three, so they’re perfect for a multi-dog household or dogs who enjoy unstuffing their plushies.

Best Toy for Cats: Merry Makings Cat Kicker Toy

If your giftee is fostering cats, they could probably never have too many cat toys; they tend to vanish in a variety of ways. (I personally send my fosters off to their forever homes with a couple of their favorites in tow and know most people do the same.) These catnip-filled kickers from Merry Makings live up to their name: My cats bat them all over the house.

Best Dog Shampoo: Ouai Fur Bébé Pet Shampoo

My dog hates getting a bath from me no matter what shampoo I use, so in the emergency stink-related situations where I can’t get her to the groomer, I figure I might as well use one that I find enjoyable. Ouai’s Fur Bébé Pet Shampoo, a Best of Beauty Award winner feels just as luxe as a human beauty product, so it makes for a delightful gift.

Best Cat Brush: Tangle Teezer Pet Teezer Cat Grooming Brush

The Pet Teezer has been the best for every cat who’s passed through my house—from my full-time short-haired cat with sensitive skin to the pair of long-haired kittens I fostered. It fits easily into the palm of my hand and the bristles are the perfect texture: stiff enough to get through tangles but flexible enough that it doesn’t freak the cats out.

Best Pet-Related Art: West & Willow Custom Portrait

OK, no, this doesn’t fit the “useful” category. But who wouldn’t want a custom portrait of their pet (or pets—you can fit up to four in one frame)?! Beyond the adorable art, you get to pick the background color and frame, so you can create a piece that fits in with your giftee’s home decor.

More great gifts for pet owners:

We Feed Raw Pet Food Subscription

My millennial ass isn’t spending all her money on avocado toast or oat milk lattes; instead, it’s the thousands of dollars I drop annually on pet food that’s keeping my savings account from growing as quickly as I might like. A pet food subscription is an easy way to help your animal-loving pal well past the holidays—just be sure to check in with them about what their pets are actually able to eat first. I recently added some We Feed Raw to my dog Billie’s diet, and she’s obsessed. If it sounds up your alley, Allure readers can score 30% off their order with the code BEAUTY30.

World’s Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

Even if your giftee isn’t finding and catching entire families of stray cats on the regular (ask me about my Barn Cat Summer) they’re probably going through more litter than you realize. It’s arguably akin to gifting someone a package of toilet paper, but I know I’d shed at least one tear of joy if I saw bags of litter under my tree—and I’d positively sob if someone set up a subscription or auto-ship for a few months. As with the food, it’s important to find out what brand of litter your pal is already using, but I’m personally partial to World’s Best: It’s great for multiple cats, doesn’t leave a ton of dust, and can be flushed right down the toilet.

Boots & Barkley Tunnel Cat Scratcher

In my experience, it really is true that a cat’s favorite toy is the box it came in. But a cardboard box as a gift might fall a little flat for the human unwrapping it. Instead, give them one of these cardboard tunnels, which I can confirm provides hours of play for even the most rambunctious kittens.

Furemover Original Indoor Pet Hair Rubber Broom

If your multi-pet friend doesn’t already have this, you simply must do them the favor of getting it. The Furemover Original Indoor Pet Hair Rubber Broom has changed what cleaning looks like in my house: It gathers dirt and hair more efficiently than any other sweeper I’ve ever tried.

Tweezerman Small Pet Precision Nail Clipper

Cutting a pet’s nails is rarely fun, but having a nice set of clippers makes the experience slightly better. It’s no surprise Tweezerman—whose tweezers have won an Allure Best of Beauty Award year after year—makes great pet tools too.

Merry Makings Rope Dog Toy

I’ve played with a lot of rope toys in my day, and I can confidently say that this one is the nicest. It’s surprisingly soft and definitely tough, plus it comes in two sizes and a ton of colors.

Raw Sugar Living Fur Kids Freshen Up Pet Wipes

Particularly in the spring, I like to keep a pack of wipes in my mudroom to clean up any paws that might otherwise leave prints throughout the house after a walk. These have a light apple-vanilla scent that makes them feel a little more luxe—and a great stocking stuffer.

Petmate Soft-Sided Kennel Cab Pet Carrier

If your giftee is fostering animals, they’ll be making lots of pre-adoption trips to the vet for check-ups. The car ride alone can be a stressful experience, especially for cats. A larger, upgraded crate—like this soft-sided Petmate one with a cozy fleece bottom—can help them feel as comfortable as possible.

Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags

When you start collecting lots of pets you find yourself having opinions on the strangest things. For instance, the type of bag you put your dog’s poop in. (Yes, this is the second poo-related gift on this list! Owning pets is highly poo-centric!) I’m not entirely clear on what criteria the Earth rated these bags, but they hit all the marks in my book: not too thin, easy to separate, a “three bags left” warning sticker. I prefer the unscented version, but the lavender option isn’t bad either.

Greenies Feline Pill Pockets Chicken Cat Treats

Cats need to take pills for all types of things. Cats also seem to view taking pills as on par with the worst forms of torture. These pill pocket treats make the whole medication experience less stressful—for owner and pet alike.