By Steve Harper and Elizabeth Beasley
If your favorite Valentine would prefer a rawhide chew over romance, you are not alone.
[find-an-apartment]Last year, the National Retail Federation reported that one in five Americans planned on buying Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets and estimated the spending to near $815 million. That’s something to purr about if you are in the business of selling pet gifts!
If you find yourself on the buying side of that equation, read on to check out a gift that’s cool for the cat or dog in your life this year.
I wuff you
Let’s face it, this fuzzy-wuzzy Valentine’s Loofa dog toy is much better than the stuffed gorilla your crush gave you in middle school. Great for playing fetch or chewing on until the squeaker’s gone, this gift comes in pink or red (if your furry Valentine is sensitive about such details!)
Nip it in the Rosebud
Cat lovers can share the love with this super-cute catnip bag made of red fabric, featuring adorable, illustrated kitties. They’re the perfect size for your cat to carry around — and they’re filled with organic catnip. (A meow, overheard, seemed to say: “you had me at catnip.”) Only the best for your Valentine!
Bow-wow bon-bons
When you are shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts for your furry friend, don’t forget that chocolate can be toxic to dogs. But that doesn’t mean you can’t treat them with a candy-like treat. The Posh Puppy Boutique specializes in elegant gifts like this Carob Truffle Gift Box which contains natural, non-chocolate treats made with peanut butter dough. (They look like the real thing!) This gift is tres elegant – so much so you might want to give it to your significant other’s pet to win their love (the pet’s and the person’s!)
In the Oakhurst neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, Taj Mahound offers treats for the discerning pet. (We love the name!)
Meow massage
If your city isn’t lucky enough to have a kitty spa like Glamour Paws, also in Atlanta, don't fret. You can treat your feline friend to an at-home spa experience with the Catit Cat Spa Deluxe Activity Center. This toy offers a variety of massage surfaces that provide the ultimate sensory experience for Kitty, along with hidden compartments to stash catnip. Wow, do they make these for humans?
Dressed for excess
One of the best Valentine’s Day gifts is a date with your darling. Use the Dog Park Finder Plus app to find the hot spot for hounds on V-day. Then dress your best friend for the occasion in an over-the-top couture dog necktie or faux mink stole from The Classy Dog. Cat owners can get in on the act, too, with a Pucci and Catana Magic Dance Dress made for the glitzy kitty. (If you try to put your cat in this dress, please post a video on YouTube. Please.)
Fish lip lock
This heart-filled holiday isn’t all about my furry valentine. Fishies need love, too. Show your swimming friends that you heart them by adding this romantic kissing goldfish ornament to their tank. Pucker up, puffer fish.
The list of heartfelt Valentine’s Day gift for pets seems endless. No matter what you pick for your furry, feline or fishy friends, you’ll be guaranteed their unconditional love. (Unless your pet is really, really hard to please!)
With a pet to love and to love you, each day really is Valentine’s Day!
Photo credits: Shutterstock / Javier Brosch, Dorottya Mathe, CD_Photography