The holiday season is officially here! Many of us are making shopping lists and looking for the perfect gifts for our friends and family members. Don’t forget about your furry friend! You don’t have to break the bank buying things for Fido and Fluffy, however. Read on as a Frisco, TX vet lists some great DIY holiday gifts for dogs and cats.

Beds

For cats and small dogs, you can make a cute bed by putting some soft pillows or blankets in a hard-shell suitcase or hatbox. You can add stain or varnish to make it look nice. Be sure it’s propped open, so it can’t close on your pet! An upcycled end table or coffee table will also work. If you use the kind with doors, just remove the doors. For larger dogs, you can make a bed out of a pallet or a toddler bed.

Catnip Toys

Why not make Fluffy a catnip mouse to bat under the couch? You can use homegrown catnip if you like. Store-bought catnip is also fine. Simply fill a small baby sock with catnip, and then sew the top shut. You can also make one from scratch, using a pattern.

Rope Toys

Fido loves playing Tug-O-War! Get an old tee shirt or towel and cut it into strips, Braid the strips together. Then, braid the braids together. Tie a knot in the end. Done!

Cat Furniture

Kitties love having some things they don’t have to share with their humans. To make Fluffy a cat tower out of an old stepladder, start by putting smooth boards over the steps to widen them out. Then, just wrap the whole thing in carpet or sisal rope. Fluffy will also appreciate a box castle. This can be as simple or complex as you like.

Pet Tent

You can make a little tent for a cat or a small dog in just a few minutes using a tee shirt and wire hangars. Look online for step-by-step instructions.

Sweet Potato Rope Toy

Slice some prewashed sweet potatoes into thin strips lengthwise. Cook them for about 5 hours on 250, turning once. Then, cut a hole through the center of each piece and string them together with rope. All of us here at Coit Hedgcoxe Animal Hospital, your Frisco, TX vet clinic, want to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Please contact us anytime!