Posts tagged "cat gifts"

Most dog and cat owners consider their canine and feline friends full-fledged members of the family. That means when birthdays, major holidays or other celebrations roll around, dogs and cats get gifts too -- and lots of them.

Whether you're shopping for your own pet or for a friend's, here is what you need to know about pet gift safety regulations and possible hazards from our friends at WebMD Healthy Pets.

Pet Product Safety
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission focuses solely on products made for human use. Ed Rod, vice president of government affairs and general counsel for the American Pet Products Association, tells WebMD that pet product safety is instead market driven, where manufacturers and retailers focus on these issues:

- Choking hazards and small parts
- Strangulation hazards
- Toxicity levels

Also, major retailers require that pet product makers use quality-control testing laboratories to certify product safety before allowing items on store shelves.

"Fortunately, with pet toys and pet accessories," Rod says, "there is not a big history of adverse events."

Whether a two-legged friend or a four-legged furball, nobody is more difficult to shop for than the finicky cat. But these sure-to-please gifts will not only tempt, divert and entertain the fussy feline -- they'll improve the quality of life for all members of the cat-loving household.