Top Humane Gifts for Cat LoversWould you like to give a gift to your favorite cat person, and at the same time, make a difference in the universe of cats and other animals? These non-profit organizations make that all possible, with a win-win situation for everyone involved, especially the cats who are helped. I've visited several of this organizations for my shopping needs year-round, and they make the holidays especially meaningful, for both me and the recipients. Best Friends Animal Society, created by the founders of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, operates the Best Friends Store. You can give a gift as small as a key fob, or one of the photo-laden books. You can also purchase a can of Kitty Kaviar for your favorite cat's Christmas Stocking. This store is definitely on my holiday shopping list. The Hermitage Cat Shelter Store is a small one, with only magnets, pins and a (really cute t-shirt), and you can only order by snailmail by printing out a PDF order form. However, I really love the "Adopt a Shelter Cat" pin and magnet, and at $5 each, I can buy several of them for gifts for friends and family. They are a great way of spreading the message year-round, and each purchase helps to benefit this no-kill, no-cage cat sanctuary and adoption center, located in Tucson, AZ. (The store link is on the left of the page.) Rescue Cats, Inc. is a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue agency in Georgia. Its store includes apparel, jewelry, home accessories and more (see the sidebar on the left of the linked page for more options. I have the "Cat in Fish Bowl" pin, and it always draws comments when I wear it. Nothing like a cat-related t-shirt or accessory to draw out other cat lovers in a crowd of strangers. The Independent Cat Society is a non-profit, no-kill shelter in Westville, Indiana. Its Cafe Press store includes an array of t-shirts and other gifts with some pretty cute images. I particularly love the t-shirts featuring cats that have been adopted out by the shelter, with the message "Shelter Cats are Beautiful" underneath each photo. This shelter cleverly chose "Catty Shack" as the name for its cafe press store. The store features a number of cleverly designed images, but I was wild over the C.A.T. Cats one, partly because the photo looked so much like our Jaspurr. I couldn't help myself, but had to order a ringer shirt for son Lance, who is a slave to our three cats. The ASPCA Holiday Store markets holiday cards (can be personalised) and ornaments. Its year-round store sells apparel, accessories, mugs, books, and more. You'll certainly find one or more suitable gift for a loved one, along with helping to fund the ongoing projects of this great organization. I particularly like the " We Are Their Voice" black t-shirt, featuring a tabby cat picture. The Alaska Humane Society's store offers t-shirts and other (Cafe Press) items featuring the society's logo. If you or your recipient live in Alaska, any one of these items would be a great gift to help benefit the wonderful work of this society. The Animal Rescue Site is the one you may be familiar with, where a daily click helps feed homeless animals. To date, You can shop for jewelry, many items with their signature pawprint; Paw Print Car Charms; all sorts of apparel, accessories for your home and garden, and much more. Each gift item, when selected, shows how many bowls of food your purchase will help feed a hungry animal. My five gifts last year provided 70 bowls of food, and I definitely plan to shop at the Animal Rescue Site again this year. The Humane Society of the United States includes a cute plush "take-along" cat or dog with a $50 donation, along with a gift membership to the person of your choice. I confess that even if it wasn't a store for a cat rescue organization, I'd have snagged up some of these adorable t-shirts featuring some very clever artwork and messages. You'll need to scroll past the cat beds (maybe order one of them for a favorite cat), and the t-shirts are closer to the bottom. The down side is that there is no online order form and you have to send an email to order. Whether your friend loves Meezers, or is crazy about cats in general, you'll find something for every cat lover in this store. Proceeds benefit the Siamese Cat Rescue Center. My pick here was the Kitten With Yarn Sweatshirt. Although a donation in honor of a friend is not a gift per se, you may have a special friend who would be thrilled and honored to receive a card notifying him or her of this $25 donation. All proceeds go to benefit the many cats rescued each year by Tabby's Place. I recently donated in honor of our Bubba, who we lost nearly two years ago and had the notification sent to my husband, who was Bubba's favorite human. He was very touched when he received the card. | 
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