Diary of a Cat Mom

Gifts for a Cat Mom I Don't Want Anymore | Ep. 115

By Dagmar Gatell — Creator & Host of Diary of a Cat Mom Season 1 Episode 115

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0:00 | 3:59

When I first became a cat mom, I loved receiving cat-themed gifts. Every mug, shirt, bag, and decoration made me smile because it celebrated something I loved so much.

Over the years, though, I realized something had changed.

Some gifts no longer reflected my values, while others simply became things I already had too many of. In this Diary of a Cat Mom podcast episode, I share the cat gifts I no longer want and why my perspective has changed after living with cats for many years.

Sometimes growing as a cat mom also means becoming more intentional about the things we bring into our cats' lives—and our own.

What You'll Learn In This Cat Podcast Episode

  • Why my favorite cat gifts changed over time
  • The cat toys I no longer feel comfortable giving my cats
  • Why safety matters more than novelty
  • Why personalized gifts feel more meaningful to me today
  • How my values as a cat mom have evolved

Timestamps & Chapters

  • 00:00 Why I don't want the same cat gifts anymore
  • 00:42 When cat-themed presents stopped feeling special
  • 01:20 Why I avoid toys made with real feathers or fur
  • 02:10 Cheap cat toys that became a safety concern
  • 02:58 Why I don't need another cat mug
  • 03:22 Cat gadgets I no longer trust
  • 03:45 Final thoughts & question for fellow cat parents

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

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SPEAKER_00

Diary of a cat mum. Gifts for a cat mum? I don't want anymore. Welcome to Diary of a Cat Mum. Was a young cat mum and totally excited with my kitties and everything. My friends and my family started to give me presents around cat themes. Cat t-shirts, cat tops, cat bags, cat classes, cat tablecloth, cat dishes, whatever you can imagine. And the beginning was beautiful because I'm yeah, totally enjoy it. But over the years, it never ended. It became like more and more when you already have cats you take care of in your house. You like to have your own little space where it's a little bit just you and your other interests outside the kitties. So I started communicating to my friends that I love their presence, but their specific toys I don't want anymore. Like if they want to give me toys like cat mice with real feathers, where they took the feathers from ducks or from chickens or from real birds and used that in the cat toy production. No. Or toys with real fur pieces in it. I don't want that my cats play with a piece of another dead animal. I want to give my cats enrichment and happiness, but in a way that's it fits my ethic too. And I believe in coexistence. So all living beings exist next to each other without destroying each other. The other cat toy I don't want anymore is these cheap cheap cheap cat toys. When you give it the cats, and after a minute, they're already digging inside this play mice because it makes some sounds. So they're killing the playmice and opening the little tummy to get this equipment out. Then I have to pull up this little voice maker out of their mouth many times because it's so little that I'm scared they are swallowing it. Another thing is there are so many beautiful personalized cat items that I don't want to have another 31st cat mark. I already have so many cat marks with cats on it. I cannot drink enough tea to really use all of them. And it's not that I don't appreciate my friends thinking of me. I normally donate the cat marks for another cat mom who doesn't have any. So I think personalizing a cat mark with the person's name or with the kitty's name is something beautiful and something unique and something you share in a different way. And then the last thing I really don't want to have more gifts for cat moms is these cheap equipments like cheap cheap cat forehead temperature measurement where it sounds beautiful. You can hold it in front of a cat's forehead and you could measure the temperature. I always do a butt check of the temperature. And so far I never got an equipment giving as a present who came in any way close to the real temperature the cat had at the time I did the comparison. And I don't want to risk that I'm relying on something that is not reliable. Are you a cat mama or cat dad? And do you get presents from your friends and family? They are cat themed. What do you think about them? Would love to hear your approach in the comments. So thank you so much for joining me for this diary of a cat mom. There's always another lesson, another story, another insight ready to be shared right around the corner. Waiting to see you at my next entry. Bye. Diary of the cat mom.