DIY New Cat Gift Basket

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #IAMSCat #CollectiveBias

I’m an unapologetic animal lover. I grew up with a dog and a cat and currently am a Mom to my own two fur babies. See, I use terms like fur babies — that’s how you know I’m crazy. I’m a big advocate for adopting animals from your local shelter (instead of paying thousands of dollars to a breeder) and truly admire everyone who saves an animal’s life by adopting them.

The truth is that adopting a pet can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time. When we adopted Harvey, our younger cat, he had a lot of things wrong with him (stomach issues, ringworm, and a cold, to be exact). I was happy to take care of him and nurse him back to health, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a lot of work. We made countless trips to the pet store to pick up medicine, cat toys, litter, etc.

This got me thinking — wouldn’t it be nice if new pet owners were presented with a gift basket with all the necessary items? When a friend recently adopted a cat of her own, I put together this cute “new cat gift basket” for her as a present.

To make your own, grab a basket or bin of your choice and fill it with all the goodies you want. I stopped in at Walmart to get a variety of treats and toys. I chose IAMS™ Hairball Care and Oral Care Daily Treats (the mega bag), a mixed bag of cat toys, a litter sifter/scooper, and a few cans of IAMS™ Purrfect Delights Tuna/Salmon Dinner Wet Cat Food.

IAMS™ new reformulation allows cat lovers to customize their cat’s nutrition through a well balanced lifestyle with IAMS™ dry food, wet food, and treats. They now offer functional treats by targeting specific dietary needs—Hairball Care, Digestive Health, and Oral Care. And they have gluten-free options, too, which is great since Harvey is allergic to gluten. It sounds crazy, I know, but cats can be allergic or intolerant to gluten or grains, and one of ours is. Speaking of the devil, here he is checking out the gift bag for himself.