What Should I Get My Cat for Christmas

One press picks a Christmas gift idea for your cat, with what a cat does with it.

A scratching post tall enough for a full stretchChoose a heavy base, so it does not wobble or tip.

Next step Meet a cat breed Now find a gift for mom

How it works

Wondering what should I get my cat for Christmas? Press the button for an idea, from a cardboard box fort to a perch by the sunniest window, each with what a cat does with it.

Read the full guide

Pick by what your cat does

After your first press, a list under the button narrows the draw: To chase, To scratch and climb, or To hide and sleep in. For a kitten and For an older cat fit the idea to the cat's age. Homemade from what you have costs nothing.

What the list leaves out

Nothing on the list is food, and there is no string, ribbon, tinsel, elastic, small part or plant. Each idea was checked against a cat welfare charity's pages on play, beds and Christmas hazards. For anything about your cat's health, ask your vet.

Tips

Keep the cat's present away from the tree until Christmas Day, then give it somewhere clear of the decorations.

Questions and answers

What do cats want for Christmas?

Often the box. A cardboard box is somewhere to hide, sit and pounce from, and plenty of cats choose it over the bed that came inside. Somewhere warm to sleep and a few short games a day come close behind.

What can I make my cat for Christmas?

A cardboard box fort with a window cut in, a box on its side with an old sweater inside, or a windowsill cleared and padded with a towel. Homemade from what you have holds more.

What is a good Christmas gift for an older cat?

Warmth and an easier way up: a radiator hammock, a pet-safe heat pad for their bed, or steps up to the sofa or the bed.

Why are there no ribbons or tinsel on this list?

The cat charity whose advice we checked lists tinsel and ribbon as Christmas hazards, because a cat can swallow them. So the list has no string, ribbon, tinsel or elastic at all.

All 41 gift ideas

To chase 10

A ball you throw and they chase Throwing keeps the game away from your hands, which should never be the toy.
A basket of toys safe to play with alone Nothing that can be shredded, swallowed or tangled in; check them for wear.
A daily playtime written on the fridge Play belongs in the daily routine; everyone in the house takes a turn.
A few gentle games a day Older cats still like to play, fewer times a day than a kitten.
A large kicker toy to grab and kick Cats hug it with the front paws and kick with the back ones.
A promise of several short games a day A minute or two is enough; let them catch the toy at the end.
A toy box, with the toys swapped round Put most away and bring out a different few, so old toys feel new.
A toy to wrestle that is not your hand A kicker toy now saves fingers and toes when the kitten is a cat.
Boxes in a row with both ends open A tunnel to dash through and pounce from, with a way out at each end.
Three table tennis balls Light enough to skitter across the floor; one will go under the sofa.

Show all 41 gift ideas (31 more)

To scratch and climb 14

A bed on a shelf they can reach easily Off the ground, with a safe and simple way up.
A cat tree with a platform at the top Cats like to be high up, with a view of the whole room.
A covered hiding place up high Quiet, covered and off the ground is what a hiding cat looks for.
A first scratching post of their own Stable, and in the room where the kitten sleeps.
A flat scratching pad For the cat who scratches along the carpet, not up a post.
A perch by the sunniest window A seat on the sill with a view of whatever moves outside.
A post of their own for the second cat With two cats, each gets its own scratching post, in a different place.
A scratching post tall enough for a full stretch Choose a heavy base, so it does not wobble or tip.
A second scratching post beside their bed Cats often stretch and scratch as soon as they wake.
A sturdy box to sit on top of Turned on its side, a box is also a raised seat for watching the room.
A windowsill cleared and padded with a towel Move the ornaments, fold a towel and the lookout is open.
Cat shelves up a wall A walkway above the furniture gives an indoor cat somewhere to explore.
Steps up to the sofa or the bed So an older cat does not have to jump to its favorite spot.
The top of a bookcase, cleared for them A new lookout that costs nothing.

To hide and sleep in 15

A blanket on the sofa where they already sleep No need to move them; make their own spot softer.
A box den with a way in and a way out Two openings mean a nervous cat always has a way out.
A box on its side with an old sweater inside A bed and a hiding place in one, and it already smells of home.
A cardboard box fort with a window cut in Tape two boxes together and cut a door wide enough to get in and out easily.
A fleece blanket of their own Choose one that can go in the wash.
A pet-safe heat pad for their bed One made for pets, under the blanket in the bed they already use.
A quiet room of their own on Christmas Day A bed, water and a litter tray, away from the guests and the noise.
A radiator hammock A bed that hangs on the radiator, for a cat who follows the heat.
A second bed in another room Cats change where they sleep; a few beds get used in turn.
A soft bed in a quiet corner Private and warm, where nobody steps over it.
A soft round bed in the warmest spot Put it where the sun or the heating reaches.
A thick, padded bed in a warm, safe place Older cats rest more; make the resting good.
An igloo bed A covered bed lets a cat sleep out of sight, which many prefer.
The box their present came in Leave it on the floor after the unwrapping; it may be the favorite.
Their old blanket in the new bed A new bed smells strange; their own scent makes it theirs.

For an older cat 2

A soft brush and a quiet grooming session Most cats enjoy the attention; go gently with an older one.
Something to watch through the glass A bird or squirrel feeder hung outside their window gives hours of viewing.

How this list was compiled: Own list of Christmas gift ideas for a cat, written 2026-10-01. Every kind of thing on it (cardboard boxes, scratching posts and pads, cat trees and shelves, cleared shelves and windowsills, window perches, a feeder outside the window, covered, padded and radiator beds, fleece blankets, pet-safe heat pads, table tennis balls, kicker toys, thrown balls, short daily games, swapping toys round, grooming with a soft brush, steps up to resting places, a quiet room at Christmas) is named in the advice pages of one cat welfare organization, Cats Protection, read 2026-09-30: https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/cats-and-play, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/scratching, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/cats-hiding, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/cats-and-sleep, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/indoor-cats, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/cats-at-christmas, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/keeping-your-cat-safe-at-home, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/cats-and-cold-weather, https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health/caring-for-elderly-cats, https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/cat-boredom-busters, https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/how-to-choose-the-perfect-cat-bed and https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/why-do-cats-love-boxes. Left out on purpose: anything to eat and puzzle feeders, string and fishing rod toys, ribbon, tinsel, elastic, small parts that can be swallowed, foil balls, laser pointers, costumes, catnip, cat grass and every other plant. Those pages warn against string, ribbon, tinsel, elastic bands, costumes, laser pens and several plants; the rest is left out to stay well inside them. The lines are ours and give no feeding, health or veterinary advice. Ideas only: no brands, shops or prices. No idea title is shared with the site's other gift and list pages (checked by script). The groups are our own. Licence: own work