Ethical Christmas Gifts for Pets: Your Guide

Pets are family, so we think they deserve a little gift under the Christmas tree too! These days, ethical considerations are high priority for a lot of consumers – and that doesn’t just extend to things like travel destinations and beauty products.

We’ve created a guide to ethical Christmas gifts for pets so you can make sustainable, ethically sourced gifts a priority for them also.

Here’s how to spoil your furry friends this December.

What are ethical Christmas gifts for pets?

What counts as an ethical Christmas gift for pets? While different people might have different definitions, we’ve included products and suggestions in this guide which treat animals, humans, and the planet, and the environment with love and respect.

Ultimately, any ethical Christmas gift for a pet should be something which tries to make the world a safer place for our furry friends, without harming our planet.

Holiday gifts for food-loving pets

Christmas is definitely a time for a bit of over-indulgence. Though you have to watch your pet’s diet (check out an article on diabetes in dogs and cats), any list of ethical gifts for pets is likely to include some fun food items.

If you want to treat your dog or cat to some new food or delicious treats, there are a few things to look out for. These include:

• Palm oil free – palm oil is linked to deforestation – which negatively impacts animal populations – and human rights breaches. Although there are some sustainably sourced palm oil options, avoiding it completely might be safer.
• Not tested on animals – plenty of foods and treats are still tested on animals. The specifics of this would vary from company to company, and although some organisations might not do any invasive tests or procedures, there are concerns around the welfare of lab animals.
• MSC certified –if your chosen brand of animal food contains fish, remember that not all fishing is sustainable. Choosing a brand which is MSC certified will help to ensure that your choice of dog and cat food supports sustainable fishing practices.
• Packaging – when choosing your pet’s Christmas treats, try to buy in bulk where possible to reduce packaging waste. Anything that is easily recyclable will be preferable. Tin cans are one of the least sustainable choices available. Another thing to avoid is single serve portions of food as these are more wasteful of resources.

Vegan pet food

Often, you will see vegan pet foods advertised when it comes to ethical foods. Do your research and speak with your vet before making a decision on this for your pet. It may or may not be the healthy choice for them.

Why? Cats are considered ‘obligate carnivores’ and may struggle to adapt to a vegan diet, as outlined by Canberra Veterinary Hospital here. And although it’s said many dogs can technically be healthy on a vegan diet, it may not be right for your dog.

Switching your pet onto a vegan diet in the name of ethics without a full understanding can have health consequences. Read more about a vegan diet in dogs here and in cats here.

Looking for vegetarian dog food as a Christmas gift for your pup? Check out Veganpet. here. It’s made in Australia too, so you’ll be supporting a local ethical business.

If you want to stay close to home (though across the ditch), another popular vegan pet food company is  Addiction’s dog biscuits

Other ethical Christmas gifts for pets

What would a guide to ethical gifts for pets be without any mention of pampering gifts? These days there’s certainly a range of eco pet care products that’ll get them feeling all loved up this festive season.

While your dog mightn’t like the idea of a long soak in the bath, they still need a wash and here’s some cruelty-free dog shampoo for the task. You could also wrap up some of this soothing Doggie Balm , made with Australian  Manuka honey and sweet almond oil

Does your cat not miaow for a pedicure? Not surprising and no problem – here are 10 ways to pamper your cat. But if you’re looking for ethical pamper products for your puss, that can be a little tricky. We did find this biodegradable cat litter  made from a byproduct of the tofu-making process. Cool, right?. You fur baby’s furry bits will no doubt be impressed.

Pet beds

What about a seriously soft and comfy new bed for your pet, made out of eco-friendly or recycled materials? There’s lots of options on the market, but we love this Oscar and Lulu bed made out of recycled bottles.

And if you don’t mind buying wool products, Tara Treasures swears by its Cat Cave that’s “ethically hand-felted from 100% New Zealand wool”.

Pet toys and collars

We all know that most pets love toys, so anything to play with is always a Christmas winner. Plenty of toys for pets now come filled with much more eco-friendly alternatives to traditional soft stuffing.

A couple of suggestions are this donut catnip toy made from eco-friendly felt, recycled filler and premium organic catnip. and this hemp dog collar from Pawsome Organics.

Remember that you can also make use of secondhand items. We promise that your dog won’t mind getting an outgrown teddy bear or a tennis player’s collection of older balls under the tree this year!

Where to buy ethical gifts for pets

By lowering your Christmas buying carbon footprint, supporting local small businesses contributes to sustainable and ethical buying practices. If you happen to have a local store which can meet your needs, or know of a small business that offers amazing pet care products or treats then we would always encourage buying local.

If you’re looking to buy online or aren’t sure quite where to start, these are some of our favourite resources local to Australia. Who knew that grabbing ethical Christmas gifts for pets would be so much easier than finding a gift for your fussy sibling?

• Nice Paws
• Chacon the Conscious Cat Store
• East Coast Collection
• Houndztooth

And finally, what’s another ethical gift for pets this Christmas? A pet insurance policy which means your fur baby will always be able to rely on their human for medical treatment when they need it most.

More pets with pet insurance means more feel good moments for the planet, in our opinion.