Gift suggestions for Santa Claws

Finding a great Christmas feline-friendly present for family and friends can be a challenge. Perhaps, no one knows the needs and desires of cat connoisseurs better than Maria Elise Thomas.

As the director of Project Purr BR, Thomas manages a corps of 50 fosters and countless volunteers who have rescued and rehomed over 600 cats and kittens in 2012. Approximately 90% of these homeless felines would have otherwise been euthanized at the East Baton Rouge Parish shelter.

A multi-cat mom herself, Thomas says items like these are sure to delight even the most finicky kitties and their companions. Most products are available through both national and local retailers.

• Automatic Kitty Feeder. Many families free feed their cats by leaving out food all day. However, just like people, felines appreciate fresh food served at intervals throughout the day.

• Cat Fountain. More than just wanting fresh water, cats are particularly drawn to flowing water. Some owners have been known to constantly run the taps just to appease their cats. So, this gift can be a money saver.

• Self-Cleaning Litter Box. Nobody likes a dirty bathroom—especially fastidious felines. However, if you include the motorized version in your gift selection, be sure to keep the receipt. Sometimes, the noises and moving parts scare some kitties, who might choose to go elsewhere.

• Inexpensive Giant Kitty Tree. For the go-big-or-go-home gift giver, this item is huge. With perches, slides and ropes, it is sure to be a hit in a multi-cat home.

• Soft Paws. This product offers a much more humane, inexpensive—and even more fashionable—alternative to declawing kitties who use their claws on furniture.

• Microchip Gift Certificate. A microchipped kitty—or pup—can always find his or her way home. During the procedure, a vet injects a tiny computer chip between the pets’ shoulder blades. If the pet ever gets lost, a quick scan will allow owner and pet to be reunited. Most local vets would be happy to provide a gift certificate.

• Donations to your favorite cat rescue. For the cat lover who has everything, this gift helps save the lives of felines throughout the city. “A recurring monthly $10 donation from half of the folks in Baton Rouge would have us all set to develop to our full potential,” says Thomas.

Check out some of Project Purr’s 12 Strays of Christmas by clicking here.