What to put in a cat Christmas stocking (and what to leave out)
Quick answer
A good cat Christmas stocking has four things: something to sniff (fresh catnip), something to kick, something to chase and a treat. Everything else is for you, not the cat. Here's how to fill one at £10, £20 or £30, and what to keep out of it.
Let's be honest about who the stocking is for. The cat doesn't know it's Christmas. The cat knows there's a sock-shaped thing on the floor that smells interesting, and that's enough. The stocking is for you: it makes the cat part of the morning, and it takes about five minutes to fill properly.
The trick is filling it with things that'll still be in use in January. Here's how.
The four things every cat stocking needs
Something to sniff. Fresh catnip, sealed in its pouch so the scent stays strong until the morning. It's the cheapest thing in the stocking with the biggest reaction. Ours is grown on a family farm, air-dried and packed leaf and flower only, and the 30g pouch is £9.99 as a one-off (or £4.99 for your first pouch on Subscribe & Save, then £7.49 every eight weeks, if it's for your own cat).
Something to kick. A kicker toy: long and soft, grabbed with the front paws and kicked with the back ones. It's how cats treat prey, and it's the toy most likely to survive the year.
Something to chase. A ball, a crinkle ball, a toy mouse. Small, light, no glued-on parts.
A treat. A sachet of proper cat treats. Not human food, and nothing from the Christmas table.
That's the whole formula. The rest is budget.
The £10 stocking
- A pouch of catnip (£9.99)
- The box it came in, cut open, with a pinch of catnip inside
Yes, that's it. A fresh pouch of catnip and a box is a better Christmas than most cats get, and both will still be in use in February.
The £20 stocking
- A pouch of catnip
- One kicker toy
- A crinkle ball or toy mouse
- A sachet of treats
The four-thing formula, done. Rub a pinch of the catnip into the kicker toy on Christmas morning and the whole stocking becomes interesting at once.
The £30 stocking
- The Duo: a pouch and a 60ml catnip spray together, £19.99
- One kicker toy
- A crinkle ball
- A sachet of treats
The spray is the upgrade. It turns anything into a catnip toy, which means the stocking keeps working after the first week: a mist on the kicker toy when it goes quiet, a mist on the scratching post that's been ignored since October.
If you'd rather one box than a stocking, the Chew & Chase Play Set at £21.99 has three kicker toys, a wand, a scratch board and the spray, in a gift box.
How to fill it (five minutes)
- Catnip at the bottom, sealed. It's the heaviest thing and it anchors the stocking.
- Treats next, so they're not crushed.
- Toys on top, sticking out. A kicker toy poking out of a stocking is the photo.
- Hang it low, or just leave it on the floor. Cats don't do mantelpieces.
- On the morning: open the catnip, rub a pinch into the kicker toy, step back.
What to leave out
- Tinsel, ribbon, curling ribbon. Swallowed, they can tangle in the gut and need surgery. Not in the stocking, not on it, not on the floor nearby.
- Toys with glued-on eyes or bells. They come off. Stitched features only.
- Chocolate, mince pies, anything with raisins. Toxic to cats.
- Turkey skin, stuffing, gravy, anything with onion or garlic. A sliver of plain cooked turkey breast is the only thing from the table a cat should get.
- Costumes. Thirty seconds for a photo, then off.
- Catnip for a kitten under about eight months. Nothing wrong with it; they just don't react yet. Save it.
If your cat shrugs
A lot of cats don't respond to catnip, and it's genetic. The toys and the treats still work. And if you bought the catnip from us, our money-back cat guarantee covers it: tell us within 14 days of delivery and we'll refund, nothing to send back. Silvervine is the next thing to try for those cats.
Order by 21 December
Free UK delivery, 2 to 3 working days, and everything fits through the letterbox, the Duo and the play set included.
Related guides: Christmas gifts for cats · Gifts for cats by budget · The Catnip Guide
Questions cat owners ask
Do cats actually care about a Christmas stocking?
They care about what's in it and about the stocking itself as a thing to investigate. The ritual is for you. That's a good enough reason.
Can I put catnip in a cat's stocking?
Yes, sealed in its pouch. It's the cheapest thing in the stocking with the biggest reaction, as long as it's fresh. Keep it sealed until the morning so the scent stays strong, and wait until kittens are about eight months old.
What shouldn't go in a cat stocking?
Tinsel, ribbon and curling ribbon (swallowed, they can tangle in the gut), toys with glued-on eyes or bells, chocolate or anything with raisins, and human treats with onion or garlic. Plain cat treats only.
Where do I get a stocking for a cat?
Any small stocking works; a child's one is the right size. Pet shops sell cat-shaped ones. The stocking matters less than what's in it.
What's the last order date for Christmas?
21 December with us. Free UK delivery, 2 to 3 working days, and the pouch fits through the letterbox.
