Gifts for Crazy Cat Ladies

Female cat lovers are the easiest people in the world to buy gifts for. They always love anything and everything related to cats, whether it be cat-themed jewelry, books about cats, calendars featuring cats or cat-related home decor. Here are my top picks to help you with ideas for your "crazy cat lady" friends.

1) Photo Stamps With Personal Cat Pictures

Photo Stamps are the coolest thing to come around since catnip, in my opinion. Photo Stamps are the brainstorm of Stamps.com, and approved licensed vendor of the United States Postal Service. Sign up for free, upload your (or your friend's) favorite cat photo, then follow the links to purchase. You can change the border colors and perform other small edits of the photos online. Cost: around $20 for a 20-stamp sheet of peel-off stamps. Note: Do not submit copyrighted photos!

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2) Smell the Flowers Tote Bag

"Take Time to Smell the Flowers" is a valuable piece of advice for the busy woman, and a tote bag is an essential for carrying around all those things we can't leave home without. This one is decorated with a picture of kitten Joey enjoying his first day outside in a bed of colorful posies.

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3) Famous Artists Cats

Eve Riser-Robert's art is exquisite, and she has captured the style of several famous artists with her imaginative interpretations of how they would have painted portraits of their own cats. I chose Manet's Cats and Matisse's Cats for gifts, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the quality of the prints - a really affordable way of giving fine art to a favorite person.

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4) Tote Bag With Flower Cats

From the original "Crazy Cat Ladies Society" (and Gentlemen's Auxiliary), I picked this tote bag embellished on the front with "Flower Cats" by Beatriz Matar, a talented painter from Argentina, who is also a member of the CCLS. No crazy cat lady should be without at least one tote bag, and this one in 10 oz heavyweight natural canvas fabric, really fits the bill. By the way, the CCLS donates $3 from every purchase to Alley Cat Allies, so this would be a "double-duty" gift for her.

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5) Cat Note Cards

These cards feature your Guide's own cats, and cover a range of sentiments, from humorous to philosophical, to holiday cards

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6) B. Kliban 2006 Cat Calendar

Kliban cats are a perenniel favorite, and this calendar should not disappoint the most fanatical Kliban fan.

7) Sterling Cat Pendant

This pendant is so cute I've added it to my own "wish list." A whimsical sterling silver cat clings to the 18" sterling chain for dear life. His fat little tummy and priceless expression will please any ailurophile on your gift list.

8) Cat Digital Clip Watch

Unlike Alice's friend the rabbit, you'll never be late for an important date with this clip watch hangin' around. It can be clipped on a belt loop, a purse strap, or even a binder ring, so a cat-loving student will never be late for school. Cute silver-tone cat with an 18mm watch face works for me.

9) Movie: The Truth About Cats and Dogs

This is a "chick flick" movie and the cat comes out on the short end of the stick, but I think crazy cat women will enjoy it. Janeane Garofalo and Uma Thurman star as friends-become-rivals for Ben Chaplin. Although some explicit (phone) sex makes it definitely not a family movie, it's a fun flick to watch on a rainy Saturday night with your sweetheart.

10) "Cat Was Allergic" Hoodie

In cold weather or cool nights any time of the year, a hoodie is an essential garment. This one carries a humorous message along with a picture of my beautiful, snooty Billy, that should send a smile to the face of everyone who sees it.

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Top 6 Movies About Big Cats on DVD and VHS

Most cat lovers also love the big cats from which domestic cats descend. These DVDs and videos about the big cats - tigers, lions, and jaguars - will gain a new understanding and insight that will be helpful in understanding the physical and character traits shared by all cats, big and small.

1) Two Brothers (2004)

French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud successfully combined documentary with fiction in this film about two tiger brothers, Kuman and Sangha, who live in the Southeast Asian jungle among ancient temple ruins. Set in the early 1900s, the story is a rebuke to the era of British Colonialism at that time. The real stars of the movie, of course, are the stunning tiger brothers, who are separated early on in the story, but are united in an ending that will inspire both cheers and tears.

2) Born Free on DVD and VHS

A 1965 Academy Award winning movie (Best Song, Best Musical Score), Born Free still inspires both laughter and tears as the viewer follows the adventures of Elsa, who becomes a pet of British game warden George Adamson and his wife Joy. As Elsa grows from a cub to a lioness, George and Joy are faced with retraining Elsa to live in the wild, to keep the government from placing her in a zoo. The story is just as touching now, as it was four decades ago - tissues strongly advised.

3) In Search of the Jaguar

Glen Close narrates the stunning story of Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, biologist, author, and wildlife conservationist, as he explores the jungles of Brazil, Belize, and Panama in search of the jaguar, in order to protect the habit of this endangered big cat. Approximately 60 minutes long.

4) Hidden World of the Bengal Tiger Video

This encounter of a tigress trying to help her cubs survive through hunger and danger is more exciting than any fiction. Join the National Geographic wildlife filmmakers as they track 12-year-old Bengal tigress Lakshmi and her three cubs, over a three year period.

5) Tigers in the Snow

Approximately 300 Siberian tigers still survive, in the dense forests of coastal Siberia. Follow Russian and American scientists as their team member risk incredible odds helping to save these endangered cats from poachers and a shrinking habitat. Every minute of this 60 minute film is goosebump-inspiring. Available on DVD and video.

6) Magnificent Tigers

This two-video set features Hidden World of the Bengal Tiger, and Tigers in the Snow, both described above. Available only in the U.S. and Canada.