With the holidays rapidly approaching and wish lists being compiled, I am wondering how many people are thinking about gifting a kitten or a cat. While finding homes for all the homeless animals in our care is paramount, placement and timing is important.

Bringing a new animal into a household brimming with activity, excitement and lots of people milling around, may not be in the best interest of the cat. It will be stressful enough to be changing environments, but the holidays are often rife with high human anxiety.

You can still plan on giving a pet for that special gift, but doing it with a bit of mystery would be better and lots more fun.

Put a photo of a kitten in a card and wrap it in a big box with some catnip.

Hang an I.O.U. on the tree in a hollow ornament or tuck it into a stocking.

Wrap a new litter box full of cat toys, treats and litter. It will make a delightfully heavy and noisy gift for those who like to shake and guess.

Give a book on cats with a gift certificate hidden inside.

Give a box of toy-making items (see Affordable Handmade Cat Toys on our website) with instructions, and see if they can guess what the real gift will be by what is made.

Give a card with hints in it and play 20 Questions.

Devise a treasure hunt with kitty toys and treats and a cat tree, bed, or scratching post at the end. Then, after the event and the chaos have abated, go together to pick up or pick out the pet.

Be sure to read Kitten-proofing Your Home and Christmas is a Perilous Time for Cats in preparation. These articles are also posted on this website along with other advice on foods and litters.

Small kittens are hard to come by in December, as most late litters are born before the weather turns cold. This year has been exceptional, as there are still quite a few younger ones out there. By the holidays, they will be nearing three months of age but still very much kittens.

Call us now if you have a special request, and we will try and help you find the perfect kitten or cat. We have many older kittens and adults waiting patiently in cages for their special someone to come rescue them.

A cat is a gift that goes on giving for many years. Why not save a life and bring joy to an animal and yourself this season?