Pets are part of the family, and they love gifts, too! Here are some ideas to help you find the purr-fect gotcha day, birthday, holiday, or just-because gifts for your pets!
Gypsum Co.
Dress your favorite pet in style with a handmade bandana ($13) from Gypsum Co. Some bandanas tie and others close with Velcro, but all Gypsum Co. bandanas have a sleeve that fits right over your pet’s collar. They come in styles and sizes for almost every pet, including cats and dogs and even ferrets and rabbits with a custom order. The bandanas are machine washable and come in many different patterns to fit your pet’s personality — or maybe one for each season and special day!
Your dog isn’t into wearing bandanas? How about a new collar ($16 – $25) or a paracord leash ($28+)? Gypsum Co. owner Kasey Nguyen is working on some new variations of paracord leashes to include short-handled and even tandem leashes for when you walk two dogs. Currently, these products are made on a custom-order basis but will be making their way to Kasey’s Etsy shop soon. She can also make a custom collar that does double duty by adding a reflective strip to keep you and your dog safe on those nighttime walks.
Do you love to take your pets on long walks or hikes but hate lugging their water bowl? Kasey has fashioned a waterproof vinyl water bowl that folds up and collapses into a taco shape that zips closed on itself. This portable and collapsible dog bowl ($20) is the perfect solution to long days outdoors with your furry best friend.
If you have an idea that you don’t see in the shop, let Kasey know and she will do her best to custom-make it just for you! Kasey is leaving Las Cruces soon and moving to Tennessee, but her products will still be
available in her Etsy shop.
Better Life Pet Foods
We all enjoy a yummy treat after a long day, and our pets are no exception! Treats made with natural ingredients are the best and Better Life Pet Foods has a plethora of options. Grab a bag of Grandma Lucy’s Organic Oven-Baked Dog Treats ($9.99) for your fur baby! Flavor options include cranberry, blueberry, sweet potato and banana, pumpkin, and apple.
Fixin’ to go have fun on the water at Elephant Butte and want to make sure your pup is safe? Better Life Pet Foods is offering 50 percent off life jackets ($25 – $100) for dogs of all sizes while supplies last.
There is no better duo than a dog and its bone. Opt for a white ($7.99) or brown ($7.49) knucklebone or a cow ear ($2.99). These are great gifts for good behavior or birthdays and are sure to keep your pup busy for hours.
Have a fish tank that needs some character? Treat your fishies to some bling. Add a CaribSea Dry Rock or Beliz Branch ($8 – $12 per pound) to your fish tank to take their home up a notch.
Don’t worry, we didn’t forget our feline friends. You can never go wrong with catnip! Better Life Pet Foods carries OurPets 100% Natural Catnip ($7.49 – $11.99), made in the USA and perfect for filling your cat’s favorite toy or sprinkling on their cat tree. (See our article on page 64 for more uses for catnip.)
Cross City Exotics
Cross City Exotics is a great spot to get your pet reptiles, sugar gliders, chinchillas, ferrets, or hedgehogs a fun treat. Get a new cozy hide ($12.99 – $29.99) for your ball python or bearded dragon. Treat your gecko to a nutritious and hydrating treat with Komodo Jelly Pots ($1.25 per pot) or the Pangea gecko diet ($12.99 – $36.99). You can even find all-natural food for your sugar gliders ($12.99), chinchillas ($14.99), ferrets ($12.99), and guinea pigs ($10.99).
Wild Birds Unlimited
Not a pet owner but enjoy taking care of the birds that visit your yard? Wild Birds Unlimited has great gifts for your wild feathered friends. Stock up on natural hummingbird nectar for the summer and attract those tiny friends to your yard for a break from the sun. They have ready-to-go liquid ($12.99) or a powder ($5.99) you can combine with water. Speaking of a break from the sun, they sell a bird feeder ($95.99) made from recycled milk jugs and plastic bottles that offers hungry birds shade and protection from the elements while providing a comfy place to rest. Get creative with one of their seed-cylinder creatures ($19.99) made from all-natural birdseed. Your
backyard birds are sure to enjoy it!
Pet Portraits
Surprise your fellow pet lover with a watercolor portrait of their pet painted by Las Cruces artist Phil Yost. Phil offers 8-by-10-inch commissions ($75) of any type of pet. That’s right! He can paint your cat, dog, rabbit, lizard, or bird. The price of the painting includes a frame handmade by Phil. Send him a large, high-quality, and detailed photograph of your pet and he will take care of the rest. Special items like a favorite toy or hat can be added — just let Phil know and give him specific details or a photo.
Jewelry & Figurines
Pet-focused jewelry for animal lovers ranges from fun and funky to lavish. At the Farmers’ and Crafts Market, scout out Desert Impressions for pins, jewelry, and ornaments laser cut from Masonite, then hand-painted and finished with epoxy to create whimsical pieces customized with your favorite breed of dog or color of cat ($10). Or go upscale and head to La Zia in Mesilla where you can find fine hand-crafted Navajo silver jewelry ($139-$179) of dogs, horses, and turtles.
While you’re at La Zia, go next door to Del Sol for mugs ($19.95) with comical caricatures of cats and dogs.
Also at La Zia, you can pick out a brightly-colored T-shirt ($19.95) made with organic cotton and non-toxic dyes depicting cats, dogs, and horses for the animal lover on your list.
Shop Here
Better Life Pet Foods
315 S. Telshor Blvd.
shop.betterlifenaturalpetfoods.com
575-522-0115
Cross City Exotics
1414 S. Solano Dr.
575-652-4059
Del Sol
2322 Calle de Principal, Mesilla
delsolstores.com
Gypsum Co.
714-702-7267
[email protected]
etsy.com/shop/GypsumCompany
Las Cruces Farmers’ and Crafts Market
Main Street Downtown
Fcmlc.org
La Zia
2340 Calle de Principal, Mesilla
facebook.com/la.zia.752
Phil Yost
[email protected]
Wild Birds Unlimited
2001 E. Lohman Ave.
575-523-5489
order.wbu.com/lascruces
Story and photography by Olivia Belcher
Originally published in Neighbors magazine
Posted by LasCruces.com
