Nothing’s too good for pets

So you’ve checked off everybody who’s been nice on your holiday shopping list. Gloves for Great Aunt Edwina, a train set for little Johnny. You’ve even remembered the stocking stuffers.

Yet, when you open the front door after an exhausting day of last minute holiday shopping, who is there to greet you with a wildly wagging tail or a rub around your ankles? Uh-oh. You’ve forgotten the pets.

Never fear. Local rescue and shelter experts have shared their favorite favors for pets of all shapes and sizes, just in time for the holiday rush.

Traci Selle McDonald, of Reptile Rescue of Spokane, said some of her pets prefer a savory buggy gift.

Try flavoring bugs for bug-eating lizards, she said. Flavored fruit sprays would be a treat for lizards that eat the crickets. “Spray it right on the bugs, and the lizards will think it’s a great treat,” McDonald said.

“You can also use the fruit spray on veggies for the vegetarian lizards,” she said.

Musically, McDonald said that slithery friends prefer a serenade – maybe Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”

“For snakes, put on some light Christmas music,” she said, “because they like the vibrations. If you are gone to work or even if you’re not – it’s kind of soothing to them and takes the stress out of their life.”

Veterinarian Julia Leese said a fabulous dog gift doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

“Something that’s inexpensive and fun is a simple green apple,” she said. “Just take the stem off and roll it gently for your dog. He’ll chew and play with it like it’s a ball. It’s fun to watch them interact with it because it’s tart. You don’t really think of your dog making a sour face but he does.”

Remember, she adds, to watch out when the apple gets chewed to the core. “Of course you don’t want him to eat that part,” she said.

Carol Byrnes, animal behavior specialist, said keeping your dog’s intellect engaged can be just the thing for those days when Jack Frost keeps winter temperatures so cold that it makes a walk to the park uncomfortable.

“Any toy that prevents boredom, is entertaining and gives them a chance to use their brain as well as physical activity, is a good bet,” she said.

She suggests interactive toys – like a toy inside of a toy, or a toy the dog has to dismantle to get a treat. The Kong Toy is the original rubber toy for dogs who like a fun challenge. The Kong’s natural thick rubber and irregular shape give it an unpredictable bounce. Its hollow design creates a hiding place for treats to be inserted. And while the dog may not be able to see the treat, he can sure smell it.

“Using their nose or their brain is just as tiring as using their muscles,” Byrnes. “They’ll get into things if they get bored, and that’s why they’ll sometimes destroy the laundry basket.”

Mike Knedlhans, kennel associate at Julia’s Jungle, adores his two adopted cats, and for a special treat, showers them with gifts of “cat pull-toys. They are just little plastic sticks with feathery stuff on the end,” he said, “but my cats run up and down the steps to chase them when we play.”

Knedlhans said he uses treat time to solve an unpleasant pet problem, but his cats don’t know his secret. “I give them the new feline Greenies,” he said.

Greenies come in liver, chicken, ocean fish or salmon flavors, so there’s bound to be something for even the most finicky cat.

“My cats love them and they kill bad breath – and that’s great,” he said.

Tracy March, of Ferrets and More Rescue of Spokane, uses the same healthy-treat philosophy when it comes to gift giving and her playful ferrets.

“There are so many treats and toys that they enjoy,” she said, “but the most commonly known thing that they adore is FerretVite and FerretTone. These are really supplements or vitamins, but they are so yummy that ferrets just adore them.”

Rescue and shelter advocates encourage pet owners to remember less-fortunate pets without families.

Reptile Rescue of Spokane has a wish list that includes Plexiglas, old towels and pillowcases because, “when we transfer an animal or go out on a rescue, those items are the safest and easiest way to transport a reptile.”

Ferrets and More Rescue can always use extra food and toys that have been tested for ferret safety.

“The most important gift,” added March, “is a new home for all of our kids-in-waiting.”