Unboxing Gifts for the Pet Who Tolerates You

On the holiday gift list, your pet is the only recipient who will neither say “thank you” nor fake delight while quietly calculating the resale value of your choices.

Dogs will wag for a box of tissues. Cats will treat a $900 smart gadget with the same disdain they reserve for your Zoom camera. And yet, every December, we collectively decide that the creature who already owns the couch deserves more couch.

That “more” is now an entire economy. According to the American Pet Products Association, the American pet industry was a $151.9 billion machine in 2024, with $157 billion projected for 2025, numbers that make spoiling them a little feel less like a guilty pleasure and more like a macro trend.

The digital economy has helped, as direct-to-consumer pet brands, hyper-personalized products and subscription-everything have turned our animals into tiny VIP consumers. The result is a market where practical can mean artificial intelligence-powered, sentimental can mean custom-manufactured, and over-the-top is basically a category unto itself.

Here are nine funny, moving and mildly unhinged gifts that are absolutely in the spirit of the season, whether your pet celebrates or simply tolerates your singing.

1. The AI litter box that knows too much

If you’ve ever wished your cat’s bathroom habits were a dashboard, congratulations. The Litter-Robot 5 Pro exists, with AI-powered facial recognition and cameras that can track multiple cats and their output. It’s $899 because nothing says “I love you” like operational analytics.

2. A treat-tossing security camera for your dog’s alone time

The Furbo 360° Dog Camera is part pet monitor, part snack cannon, part “Yes, I’m that person.” It rotates, lets you talk to your dog and tosses treats. It’s priced around $129 to $210, depending on the setup and promos. Surveillance capitalism but make it comforting.

3. A biometric collar that makes your dog a wearable-tech influencer

The Invoxia “Minitailz” tracker reads like a CES press release for your Labrador. It has GPS tracking plus activity monitoring and a heart health scan, starting at $99. The upside is peace of mind. The downside is your dog now has better quantified-self metrics than you do.

4. A dog DNA kit (for the relative-finder plot twist)

Embark’s DNA tests sell the dream of pet self-knowledge. They give breed mix, health screening and “Who are your relatives?” energy. Prices vary, but the Breed + Health kit is listed at $199 (although it is often discounted). It’s the only gift your dog can’t chew and can’t argue with.

5. A custom plush clone of your pet (equal parts adorable and existential)

Cuddle Clones will turn your pet into a handmade stuffed replica. It’s sweet, slightly surreal and absolutely the kind of gift that makes visitors say, “Wait, why is there a second dog?” The Original Plush Cuddle Clone is listed on sale at $199.99.

6. A designer collar with “My dog has a stylist” energy

For the pet who would absolutely demand Italian craftsmanship if they could talk, Gucci sells pet collars in the hundreds of dollars, like a small/medium collar listed at $370. It’s not about restraint; it’s about branding. Literally.

7. A doghouse that’s basically a backyard real estate flex

There are doghouses, and then there are miniature architectural statements with optional lighting, heating and running water. One example is a hacienda-style doghouse with amenities that can run “upwards of £25,000 ($32k).” Your dog will still sleep on your bed, but your neighbors will feel something.

8. A cat exercise wheel (the Peloton your cat didn’t ask for)

One Fast Cat’s Cat Exercise Wheel is a dramatic circle of ambition that sits in your living room and silently judges your interior design choices. It’s listed at $169 (down from $199). Some cats adore it. Some cats ignore it with artful cruelty.

9. The final boss of over-the-top: pet cloning

If your holiday budget includes techno-miracle, Viagen lists dog and cat cloning at $50,000 (horse cloning, $85,000). It’s the most emotionally loaded item on this list and the one that invites the most ethical reflection. But as a data point in pet premiumization, it’s hard to top.

The punchline of holiday pet gifting is that the gifts are never just for pets. They’re for the humans who want to soothe separation anxiety with a treat-tossing camera, outsource scooping to robotics, or make the bond tangible with a plush that doubles as a keepsake.

Somewhere between silly and sincere, the pet gift economy is doing what the digital economy always does. It’s turning love into products, and products into stories, ideally with free shipping and a generous return policy.