To give or not to give?

The holidays are just around the corner (they must be, since Christmas commercials are already starting to run rampant these days). That being said, there is an age old debate as to whether or not pets should be given gifts on Christmas, birthdays, and so forth.

So where do I stand in this debate? Well, my furballs are like my children, and so they absolutely get gifts for Christmas and their birthdays. Do I get them gifts for every little occasion? No. And do I give them extravagant gifts that break the bank? No. But my little furballs are my family, and so of course I include them in my Christmas celebrations, and of course I celebrate their birthdays (or at least their "maybe birthdays", as I call them for my furballs whose birthdays are unknown).

Now, Rosie will give you some examples of some of the most recent gifts she's received.

This is Rosie on Christmas two years ago. She received the yellow and brown "crinkly bed" she is lying on in this picture -- she loves "crinkly beds", as she seems to enjoy the noise they make when she moves around on them. (Excuse Rosie's pose in this one, as she was too busy scratching to look at the camera.)

This is Rosie on her birthday last year. On that birthday, as seen in this picture, she got a catnip toy shaped like a banana. She enjoyed it immensely. (Also note that she is lying on the bed that she had received on the previous Christmas.)

This is Rosie just over a month ago, on her 21st birthday. She got a box of her favorite treats, which for whatever reason are very hard to find these days.

Those constitute just a sampling of the gifts Rosie has received. Over the years she has accumulated more toys, treats, beds and blankets, and other goodies than I can even count. Her young housemates are also starting to learn the joys of receiving gifts, but Rosie is still the Queen and remains rightfully spoiled.