Chanukah-themed pet gifts can be found aplenty on the internet. Some examples? A bowtie for your dog, cat or ferret from moderntribe.com.
Pets are integral members of the family and there are many options to include your furry companion in Chanukah’s gift-giving celebration. Though most local pet stores will carry plush toys, chew bones and a variety of other treats for your pet, there are some truly cute and creative clothing and toys that are available via the internet – and which, if ordered soon, should make it in time for the holiday.
Moderntribe.com, a U.S. site, has a good selection of Chanukah-themed collars and leashes for your pet as well as plush toys including catnip-stuffed dreidels and gelt. For your cat and smaller dog, there are also Chanukah-themed bow ties and other clothing. Or perhaps a book titled How to Raise a Jewish Dog could be enjoyed by the whole family? The site has a section dedicated to such items.
Etsy.ca has both a Canadian and U.S. site and, in a similar way to eBay, allows vendors to post a variety of products for sale. What makes this site different is that most of the products are globally sourced and handcrafted by individual vendors. There is a great selection of Chanukah toys and gifts for your pet, especially on the U.S. site, though some of the vendors may not ship to Canada, so check that out first. A search of “Chanukah pets” on the site should bring up something your pet will enjoy. Etsy has a good selection of pet toys, T-shirts, hats and bandanas – including a dreidel-patterned harness outfit and double-sided bandanas that are also appropriate for your ferret!
Amazon.ca and Petsmart.ca are also good sites to browse because they both have shipping from Canada; but when using their search program make sure that you try a variety of spellings for the word Chanukah.
While it is a lot of fun to include our pets in the gift-giving tradition during Chanukah, it is also important to remember that the most important gift you can give your pet during this busy holiday season is your time. Time to exercise him or her, time to just show you return the love they give you every day of their lives.
It is also a time to be aware of the dangers that your pet may encounter at this time of year. Chocolate gelt can easily become accessible to dogs – and chocolate is very toxic for animals. Also, the temptation to treat your pet with the delicious food we humans indulge in at Chanukah can make them very sick. Latkes, with their onion component, can cause damage to red blood cells and the sugar and fat found in traditional doughnuts can cause digestive disorders in your pet. So, make sure your children know and show your love in other ways, perhaps with a stuffed singing dreidel, which can be found at multipet.com. It will be a hit with both dogs and kids, though after a few spins, you might be thankful that Chanukah, and the dreidel’s use, only comes once a year.
Leanne Jacobsen is a writer and longtime dog owner, as well as the director of sales at the Jewish Independent.