Unique Gifts for Animal Lovers and Pet Parents

Animal lover gifts fall into a few groups: dinnerware, jewelry, embroidered home goods, portraits of a pet, practical gifts for pets and birds, and a handful of one-offs such as a garden sculpture or a gift to a family in need. Most groups below have examples from shops that sell them, so you can match the gift to the animal the person loves.

The person might love dogs or horses, or have just adopted a baby goat. Cat lovers can start with our cat merch. More gift ideas: bunny gifts, gift ideas for cat lovers, and gift ideas for dogs, cats, and other pets. Check each listing for sizes, shipping, and whether it can be personalized before you order.

Ceramic Mugs, Plates, And Other Dining Wares

Dinnerware is a gift people use every day. The picks below are a silver knife rest set, a set of animal plates, and a hand-painted coffee mug.

• Silver Knife Rest Set (BMTick UK-EU). This amazing art deco knife rest set is perfect for all your fancy dining needs. What's more, is that it comes in a gold-embossed exquisite wooden box.
• Animal Plates (West Elm). The perfect choice for someone who loves all kinds of animals…a selection of plates decorated with animals and birds wearing warm winter clothing! You can mix and match llamas, puffins, foxes, rabbits, woodpeckers, and lots more.
• Hand-Painted Coffee Mug (LeungWinesArt). This cute coffee mug is painstakingly hand-painted for your friend's personal pleasure. You can choose from a variety of animals, such as dogs, zebras, deer, and many others.

Personalized Pet Portrait Necklace And Other Jewelry

Jewelry can show a favorite animal or a pet the person lives with. The picks below are a personalized pet portrait necklace, a turtle bead charm, and a gecko hair comb.

• Personalized Pet Portrait Necklace (geopersonalized). This necklace is just the right amount of simple and elegant for both cat lovers and dog lovers. Your friend will truly appreciate the stunning engraving and the memories that come with it.
• Turtle Bead Charm (MythCharms). This cute bead charm makes a good present for any of your turtle-loving friends. Moreover, it's made of solid sterling silver, enough to ensure its longevity.
• Gecko Hair Comb (PopBangBoom). This colorful jewel-encrusted comb is a surefire way to please our lovely lizard-loving friends. Given this fabulous design, it can pass up as a gift for more formal events such as weddings or anniversaries.

Sweatshirts, Pillows, And Other Animal-Patterned Embroidery

Embroidery puts an animal on a pillow or a sweatshirt. If the person avoids animal products, check what a gift is made from, including fur or leather. According to PETA, an animal rights group, the production of wool, fur, and leather is very harmful to the environment and “contributes to climate change, land devastation, pollution, and water contamination.”

While ordering online is just as valid an option, embroidering by yourself is less expensive and an excellent excuse to try and get into a new creative hobby! You can also ensure the quality of the materials you're using or try to save more by digging up unused fabrics at your house. There are also affordable embroidery kits online for beginners.

Ready-made pieces are below for anyone short on time.

• Embroidered Horse Pillow (JulieButlerCreations). This burlap pillow is hand-embroidered with a cute horse pattern, perfect for your equestrian friends. It's also a lumbar pillow, suitable for easing some of that lower back pain they get from all the horse riding.
• Custom Embroidered Sweatshirt (TheLucyandLolaShop). These organic sweatshirts are custom-made with your chosen picture of pet portraits. The aesthetic design and the high-quality fabric will surely make it a quick favorite for any of your friends!

Custom Pet Portrait

A custom portrait puts the person’s own pet on the wall or the desk. Options include a framed photo with the pet’s name on it, a canvas print of a favorite animal, or a desktop sculpture.

Unique Practical Gifts For Pet Parents

Practical gifts help with the daily care of pets and wild birds. A carpet cleaner for pet stains is one option. The picks below are a glass hummingbird feeder and a drinking fountain.

• Glass Hummingbird Feeder (Kennedy Glass Studio). What’s a better gift for a bird lover than this beautiful hand-blown glass hummingbird feeder? These decorative feeders are made from one piece of durable glass and have a unique dripless design.
• Drinking Fountain (FluffyPalace). A must-have for any cat owner, drinking fountains ensure your cat friend is well-hydrated even on the hottest days. Ensure that the one you get is easily cleanable so as to keep the kitties healthy. Your friend will thank you for sending these helpful cat stuff.

Customizable Keepsakes For Animal Lovers

A keepsake can carry a pet’s photo or name: a mug with a pet on it, a pillowcase with a cat’s face, or a painting of the person’s pet. A short poem about the pet works too. A memory book can hold photos, old newspaper clippings, and cards from relatives.

Other Ideas For Unique Gifts For Animal Lovers

Puppy Parties

This gift is time with dogs instead of an object. Look for a business near the person that offers puppy parties, and check what it asks of guests before you book.

Mason Bee House (Gardener’s Supply Co.)

Help save the bees by giving this cool bamboo mason bee house designed to attract beneficial, pollinating mason bees to the garden. A study in the journal Oecologia reared larvae of six mason bee species on pollen from their host flowers and from other flowers. Female mason bees will fill the bamboo tubes with eggs, nectar, and pollen. 

The USDA Forest Service says mason bees and leaf cutter bees “nest in holes” and that blue orchard mason bees “readily accept the hollow tubes provided by the orchard grower for this purpose.” It also says home gardeners can have orchard bees in their own gardens “by placing hand-made or store-bought bee houses or bee blocks in their yards.”

Tiffany Style Turtle Lamp (Wayfair)

Know someone who’s crazy about turtles? How about surprising them with a cute art glass accent lamp in the shape of a turtle? This lamp has a pretty green glass shade and metal base.

Gnome Riding a T-Rex (Amazon)

Who says animal lovers don’t have a sense of humor? This garden statue shows a red-hatted gnome riding a T-Rex, with a white cat sitting behind him and an American flag on a pole. It is made for a patio, yard, or lawn, and it works indoors too.

Hedgehog Measuring Cups (Anthropologie)

Leave it to Anthropologie to come up with the cutest kitchen tools ever. These stoneware measuring cups with gilt detailing come in the shape of hedgehogs. What could be a bigger hit for that hedgehog lover in your life?

Give an Alpaca! (Heifer International)

Honor your favorite animal lover by giving an alpaca, goat, sheep, flock of chicks, or other farm animal to a family in need. The gift of an animal in your friend’s name means you can both help provide a family with basic necessities like milk, wool, and eggs.

Otter Tape Dispenser (ModCloth)

Your search is over. You’ve just found the cutest desk accessory ever! This cute otter tape dispenser is so cute you might just have to get one for your otter-crazy friend AND one for yourself too.

Panda Print Backpack (ASOS)

Check out this mini backpack by Eastpak in a cool panda print. What panda fan wouldn't love to walk around with a backpack covered in a whole bunch of cute pandas?

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo says giant pandas “have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo.” It also says: “Although scientists do not know why these unusual bears are black and white, some speculate that the bold coloring provides effective camouflage.”

Makeup

PETA lists Too Faced as cruelty-free. Its page for Too Faced Cosmetics (Estee Lauder) says: “Yes, Too Faced Cosmetics (Estee Lauder) is cruelty-free.” The Estée Lauder Companies, whose brand list includes Too Faced, says: “We don’t test our products on animals and we don’t ask others to test for us. We acknowledge our brands are sold in countries where animal testing on cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients is required by law.”

FAQ

What are good gifts for animal lovers?

Pick a gift that matches the animal the person loves or the way they live with animals. This page covers dinnerware, jewelry, embroidery, custom pet portraits, practical gifts for pets and birds, keepsakes, and one-offs such as a puppy party or a gift to a family in need.

What are some unusual gifts for animal lovers in the UK?

Most gifts above come from a shop or seller. The shop’s own listing or help page says whether it ships to the United Kingdom, so check it before you order.

What’s a better gift, clothing or kitchenware?

It depends on the person. Look at what they already wear and use. Someone who lives in sweatshirts may like the embroidered sweatshirt, and someone who cooks may like the animal plates or the hedgehog measuring cups.

What’s the coolest gift for animal lovers?

The coolest gift is the one that fits the animal they love: a charm for a turtle fan, a backpack for a panda fan, or a mason bee house for a gardener. If you are unsure, ask someone who knows them well which animal they love most.

Sources

• USDA Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Blue Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia lignaria)
• McAulay, Killingsworth, and Forrest, “Understanding pollen specialization in mason bees: a case study of six species,” Oecologia, 2020
• PETA, Wool, Fur, and Leather: Hazardous to the Environment
• PETA Cruelty-Free Companies, Too Faced Cosmetics (Estee Lauder)
• The Estée Lauder Companies, Animal Testing
• The Estée Lauder Companies, Too Faced
• Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Giant Panda