Have you waited too long to buy Catmas gifts, and now you’re stuck with only a few days left to shop? I think that is a great thing because I have an idea that not only helps you with your gift problem, but helps cats too: sponsor a rescue cat in your recipient’s name this holiday season.
There are a number of rescue organizations that are set up so that you can sponsor a cat as a gift, and they will send an eCard to let your recipient know you have done so. If you do some research around the internet, I’m sure you can find some groups, but here are three of my favorites:
Best Friends Animal Society
You can browse through 60 Best Friends cats to find the one whose story resonates the most with you and the human you are shopping for. Your one-time or monthly donation amount includes the cat’s downloadable photo and story, sent to the recipient with your personal message, plus an optional free subscription to Best Friends’ bi-monthly magazine. You can also make the gift a tribute to a special person or pet, which is a lovely gesture if your recipient has lost someone close to them this past year. Oh, and if your recipient likes other creatures, you can also choose from other animals at the sanctuary, from dogs to birds to wildlife, and just about anybody in-between!
Tabby’s Place
Tabby’s Place has a great variety of gift sponsorships for the cats in their care. You can give a monthly sponsorship for one of their special needs kitties, or buy a virtual gift basket that contains supplies for Tabby’s Place cats with specific illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, mom and kittens, or seniors. Or you can also buy a virtual holiday gift basket for homeless kitties — the cats get the food, treats and toys, and your recipient gets a card celebrating whichever holiday is their preference. You can also make a donation in someone’s honor, or as a memorial.
Feline Rescue, Inc.
This Minnesota-based no-kill cat rescue has made it very easy for you to sponsor one of their cats as a gift! They set a good example for local rescue organizations — I wish more of them made the process this simple.
I think a cat sponsorship is the best gift you can give anyone because it is both useful and meaningful. This is a wonderful way to make sure your thought really does count!
See all of Summer’s merch at her Designercat Shop, available on Zazzle.
This might be the best gift bonkbonk ever!
What a great idea for a Krissymouse present! The Human thinks she might just do this!
This is a great idea. My daughter wants another cat and I just can’t bring myself to do right now but we could sponsor one and that might be even better than real thing for right now. Thanks for sharing this and Merry Christmas.
These are great ideas, Sparkle! What a wonderful way to enjoy the giving spirit of Christmas 🙂
Wonderful ideas, thanks for all hints!
purrs
Luna
Great idea. In the last year my SS has come to an agreement with her friends not to give Birthday and Christmas presents anymore but to donate to charities instead.
Those are gifts that keep on giving.
That is a wonderful idea Sparkle! Sponsoring could be for Christmas or birthdays or anything all year round! Pawesome!
What a great idea for a Krissymouse present! The Human thinks she might just do this!
An excellent idea. This is the kind of thing that would make Christmas much better.
great idea, Sparkle! last minute or for the cat or bean that has everything!
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, and Hollie
Thank yous for all the great ideas Sparkle. Me hopes the kitties there has a Happy Catmas!
Great advice, Sparkle!
Sparkle has always got her finger on the pulse and is doing her bit for all the cats out there that need a helping hand…bless her…
Sparkle, once again you provide a solution where everyone benefits!
What wonderful suggestions Sparkle!!!
What a very smart idea!
Giving to the places you mentioned will make everyone involved feel good at Christmas!
Those are the best Christmas gift ideas!
What a great idea and the peeps wouldn’t have to leave me all alone to do it, either. xoox
That’s what a call a “residual benefit!”
Thanks for that idea Sparkle – now to get round the lady with the purse!
Cat sponsorship is a great idea, Sparkle. You are a smart cat!
It really is a great idea, Sparkle. We are looking for an Australian shelter that we could do it through for our friend Greta.
Excellent ideas, Sparkle. Purrfect for the holiday season.
Whoa pal – what a great idea.
thank you for these wonderful ideas!!!!!!
Great idea Sparkle. I am desperate and this will be perfect for some of our grandchildren. Their parents are pretty well to do, one is a DR. and our daughter is a nurse and buying Christmas presents for these guys has become impossible for us now.
They get the most incredible stuff and poor old Grandma and Grandpa just can’t keep up any longer. I am headed over now to visit and make a donation in honor of our little Chloe, Jonah and Chase.
Thank you so much sparkle!!:-)
That’s a great idea, Sparkle! We’re gonna have our mom check out these shelters.
Those are some wonderful ideas, Sparkle!
That is such a good idea. I love the Best Friends Shelter. They do so much and there are so many great stories there. I have done that before, give a donation as a present. We love Tabby’s place too. There are some very efficient and good people that run that place but of course they all need those donations to help take care of the animals. Fantastic post Sparkle.
That is a great idea Sparkle… We are still strugglin around thinkin of a new kittie here. One day it seems great, next day we are afraid of the changes.
Great Post Sparkle. Let the Californians know that they can sponsor a kitty at California’s Cat House on the Kings. A super great no CAGE, NO KILL sanctuary located in central California. Ollie and Annie Cat can personally vouch for it.
We live a few hours away from Cat House on the Kings – my human plans to visit it sometime in 2011.