Gifts for cat lovers: 10 ideas for them and their cat

Good gifts for cat lovers who share their home with a cat are things their cat will actually use and they're happy to leave on show: a ceramic water fountain, a woven bed, a backpack that looks like a satchel. For a cat lover without a cat, a donation to a shelter.

In the interest of transparency: all nine products in this guide are sold by Pelux, and none of the links are affiliate links; only the shelter idea sits outside the shop. If you're shopping for the cat themselves, see our guide to Christmas gifts for cats instead.

Gifts for cat lovers who care about their home

For the cat lover who notices every detail of their home: natural materials, simple lines, nothing that looks as if it came from a pet-shop aisle.

A ceramic fountain to leave on show

The ceramic water fountain is designed, in the words of its product page, as “an object you leave on show in the room rather than an accessory you hide away”. For the cat, ceramic holds on to neither smell nor taste and doesn't scratch, and its weight keeps it steady when they lean on it. Water circulates through a quiet submerged pump, powered by USB. For a summer Christmas in Australia or New Zealand, it earns its place: the SPCA in New Zealand notes that some cats prefer flowing water, “which can be provided in a fountain”. Our ceramic or plastic comparison explains what the material changes.

A cotton rope bed for anyone tired of cat hair

The hand-woven cotton rope bed answers a familiar frustration: cat hair. Cotton rope doesn't hold on to it, and a quick sweep of the hand makes the bed look new again, with no synthetic filling and no cover to wash. At 39 cm across, with a raised rim to rest their head on, it suits a cat who sleeps curled up. It comes in grey or beige.

A rattan bed with a two-sided cushion

The rattan bed with a removable cushion cover holds its shape, lets air through and ages well. Its velvet cushion has a soft side for winter and a smooth side for summer, so it works in a Canadian December as well as an Australian one, and the cover comes off completely for the washing machine. The one catch for a gift: the size goes by the cat's weight, from S (under 1.5 kg) to XL (up to 7.5 kg); if in doubt, the product page suggests sizing up.

What to give a cat lover in a small apartment?

In a small apartment, a good gift does two jobs, or disappears when it isn't needed.

The scratcher lounger, two pieces of furniture in one

The cat scratcher lounger bed combines a bed and a scratcher: the cat sleeps on the sloping top and scratches the side, rather than the sofa. A wooden panel covered in linen, a replaceable sleeping mat: the part that wears out gets changed, not the furniture.

The raised bed that comes apart

The raised wooden cat bed is simply fabric stretched over four wooden legs, and that's the point: air circulates underneath, so body heat doesn't build up, which makes it a natural fit for a summer Christmas in Australia or New Zealand. Off the floor, the cat also stays clear of cold draughts in winter. It measures 44 × 51 cm, comes apart for storage and comes in eight fabric colours. Our guide to winter and summer cat beds covers what changes with the seasons.

The foldable carrier that stores flat

In a small apartment, a carrier takes up space all year for a handful of trips to the vet. The foldable cat carrier folds down to 12 cm thick and slides flat under a bed or onto a shelf. It opens out in seconds, its sides locking into place on their own, and takes a cat of up to 9 kg in 33 × 28 × 40 cm. It's worn as a backpack, with two padded shoulder straps.

The gift that needs no measuring or weighing.
The Pelux ceramic fountain is chosen by colour alone, blue or white: nothing to measure in secret, and an object you leave on show rather than an accessory you hide. Discover the ceramic fountain →

Gifts for cat owners who go out or travel with their cat

For anyone who takes their cat to the vet or away for the weekend, the gear is seen in public: it may as well be something they like.

The city backpack that looks like a satchel

The city cat backpack looks like a satchel: buckled flap, clean lines, matte colours, tone-on-tone straps. Only a round porthole window in soft mesh gives away its passenger, who can press their nose to it or, with the mesh unzipped, put their head out. It measures 33 × 25 × 39 cm and weighs 1.34 kg empty. No maximum cat weight is published, so our carrier size guide helps you compare these measurements with the cat.

The vest harness set, if you know the size

The vest harness set for indoor cats is only for someone whose cat already heads for the door. It's chosen by chest girth and neck girth, from S to XL: our guide to measuring explains how. Its size exchange is free, so a wrong measurement can be put right. It's introduced at home first, and outings are always supervised.

What to give a cat lover who loves to play, or who has no cat?

Two last ideas: a game to share with the cat, and a gift for someone who doesn't have one.

The interactive car, in the two-car version

The remote-control car cat toy changes direction as soon as it meets an obstacle, so its path stays unpredictable. In automatic mode, the cat plays alone; in remote-control mode, their human takes over and leads the chase. The two-car version, one orange and one blue, each with its own remote, lets two people play at once. It runs on hard floors and thin rugs.

A donation or sponsorship at a shelter

For the cat lover who doesn't have a cat, whether for lack of space, time or a lease that allows one, a donation to a local shelter in their name is worth more than yet another cat-print mug. Sponsoring one of the residents, where the shelter offers it, is another option. Pelux gains nothing from it; the idea deserves its place all the same.

What do you need to know about the cat before choosing a gift?

Some gifts need a measurement of the cat, others none at all: the table separates them, so there's no guesswork.

To have it under the tree, order by the end of November: delivery is free, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee, and each product page shows its estimated delivery time, which the festive season can stretch. In 2026, Black Friday falls on 27 November and Cyber Monday on 30 November: dates on the calendar, not a promise of discounts.

Which gifts to avoid in a home with a cat?

Some classic Christmas gifts for cat lovers are dangerous for the cat who lives with them; gift guides almost never mention it.

• A bouquet of lilies. According to International Cat Care, all true lilies and daylilies are toxic to cats, every part of the plant, including pollen licked off their coat and the water in the vase; less than one leaf can be fatal, and a “pollen-free” lily is not safe. In Australia, the president of the Australian Veterinary Association has warned that a single bite of some lilies can cause acute kidney failure; in New Zealand, the National Poisons Centre warns that the Christmas lily can be toxic to cats. Faced with a mixed bouquet, give something other than flowers. Other seasonal plants are covered in our article on cats and Christmas trees.
• An essential oil diffuser or gift set. Cats Protection advises against nebulising or ultrasonic diffusers in homes with cats, and says reed and plug-in diffusers can be dangerous too: most essential oils, including lavender, eucalyptus, citrus and tea tree, are toxic to cats, through the skin, through grooming or when inhaled.
• A chocolate hamper. According to the same charity, chocolate is poisonous to cats, even in tiny amounts, as are raisins: keep a food hamper or gift basket well out of reach.
• Ribbon. Cats Protection also lists tinsel and ribbon among the hazards to avoid: wrap without them, as our guide to Christmas gifts for cats explains.

Frequently asked questions

Can you give someone a kitten for Christmas?

Never as a surprise: RSPCA Queensland puts it plainly (“give them socks or jocks, rather than Sox or Jock”), and Ireland's ISPCA reminds people that an animal is a 10, 15, sometimes 20-year commitment. The ASPCA adds a nuance: it doesn't object when the recipient has long wanted a pet and can look after one; in a survey it cites, 86% of people who had been given a pet still had it. Ideally, choose the animal together, from a shelter.

How do you find out the cat's size without spoiling the surprise?

If you live with the cat, weigh yourself holding them, then without; during a cuddle, measure their chest girth just behind the front legs, then their neck girth at the base. Otherwise, ask someone in the household. Failing that, choose a gift that needs no measuring: the fountain, the lounger, the raised bed or the car. With the vest harness set, a wrong size can be fixed, since the size exchange is free.

What's a good Secret Santa gift for a cat lover?

For a Secret Santa, pick a gift that needs no measuring and suits any home: the raised wooden bed, in eight colours, or the interactive car, which the cat and their human can share. The single car and the raised bed are also among the most affordable gifts on this list.

Key takeaways

• A good gift for a cat lover is something their cat uses and they're happy to leave on show: a ceramic fountain, a woven bed, a satchel-style backpack.
• The fountain, scratcher lounger, raised bed and interactive car need no measurement of the cat; the two woven beds, the carriers and the harness need their weight or build.
• No lilies or nebulising and ultrasonic oil diffusers in a cat home, no ribbon on the parcel, chocolate well out of reach: that's the advice from International Cat Care and Cats Protection.
• Never give an animal as a surprise, says RSPCA Queensland; for a cat lover without a cat, a donation to a shelter makes a real gift.