Every Gift For All the Classy Cat People in Your Life

Colorful, sculptural, and oh so cozy! Meyou Paris makes some of the most beautiful cat beds around, available in a range of colors to suit the interior design style of just about any modern aesthete. Finally, a cat bed you won’t just want to hide away in the corner.

During the early days of the pandemic, interior photographer Paul Barbera — who has worked with everyone from Vogue Living to Hermès — began traveling around his native Australia, photographing cats in some of the country’s most beautifully designed homes. The resulting book is a joy to behold for cat lovers and aesthetes alike.

Without a doubt the most decadent item in this entire gift guide, the price varies based on what you want customized — anything from a clutch, box, or tray, to coasters, a lighter, a hand mirror, and more — and the complexity of your design. It’s true handmade couture with designer Edie Parker’s signature combination of luxury and whimsy. The entire process is 100 percent custom; you work directly with Edie’s team and choose the colors, design, fonts, everything, and they make it happen. It’s a unique and wonderful way to celebrate your unique and wonderful cat.

Pardon my French, but this candle is f*cking cool! As it melts, it reveals a metal skeleton hiding inside. Finally, a special-shaped candle you’ll actually want to light! The candle is unscented, burns for about 20 hours, comes in five colors (black, burgundy, white, mustard-yellow, and light pink), and is a solid 6.7 inches tall.

This adorable little porcelain sculpture measures at approximately 9 1/2 inches tall, is handmade and hides a small-but-mighty magnet in the kitty’s paw to hold your keys. So much cuter than a bowl you once used for morning oatmeal.

This thick and luxurious cashmere sweater doesn’t have cats on it or anything like that, but just look at it! Doesn’t it feel like a cat parent’s sweater? The colors, the pattern, the fit — it all just screams “cat person.” I mean, come on — can’t you imagine someone sitting by a fire, reading a book in this sweater with a lovely little tabby curled up beside them, nestled snugly in its cashmere softness? Also, I can’t help but feel like this sweater would actually benefit from a sprinkling of kitty glitter (a.k.a. cat fur). I don’t know why — I just do. It’s the kind of sweater that wants to be owned by someone who is owned by a cat. It just is.

These gorgeous cards, with their gold foiled edges and holographic details, were designed by artist Ivy Feng to commemorate the passing of her beloved cat, Bosco. They are presented in an equally gorgeous box with an explanatory booklet for tarot novices. 2023 is also the year of the cat in the Vietnamese zodiac, so this gift couldn’t be more timely, or, dare we say…auspicious.   

For customization hunters with a more homespun, crafty aesthetic, these Zozo’s General handmade ceramic candle holders are just the thing. They’re 4 to 5 inches tall and made to order, so if you want to get yours in time for the holidays, you better move fast. ZoZo’s General also makes incense holders, small lamps, and butter dishes, so, really, there’s something for everybody. 

“Iconic” is a word that is so overused it has almost lost all meaning at this point, but this classic wall clock is truly... iconic. Designed by Earl Arnault at the height of the Great Depression, this cheeky timepiece became a fixture of the American kitchen in the 1950s and has since been elevated to the level of high-kitsch. This dazzling piece of Americana comes in two sizes, is perfectly silent, and made in the U.S. 

Artist Leah Goren combines her enchanting artwork with smart, funny essays, and interviews that explore the enduring love and affection between women and cats. It’s a real gem. 

This handmade soap has a funky look that belies its gentle, soothing scent, which the paper packaging says is reminiscent of purring (awww!) and a fresh hairball under your foot (ewww!), but which really just smells of warm milk (what a relief!). Best of all, like all bar soaps, Whiskey River’s Soap for Cat People is sustainable. Well, it’s at least more sustainable than some plastic-bottled body wash.

Commemorate the special love you have for your little fur ball with a custom photo shoot in your home, facilitated by the wonderful BriAnne Wills. Sessions take between one and two hours and result in five to 10 fully retouched photos of you and your cat(s) and a special bonus solo photo of each of your feline friends. Wills’s services are only available to women and non-binary cat people in the New York City area (Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens), and all of your cats must be rescued or adopted in order to qualify. Wills also offers a sliding scale for BIPOC clients in need. 

It’s just so cute and silly! What’s not to love? Created by Los Angeles-based artist Aelfie Oudghiri, the pillow is made of 100-percent cotton with acrylic yarn embroidery, polyester filling, and measures about 17 inches in diameter. Adorable!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “ Cat-eye glasses for a cat-themed gift guide? Groundbreaking.” First of all: How dare you! And second of all: Fair. But they are cute. And the price is oh-so-right.

Cakes and cats. Holy Alice in Wonderland —  could there ever be a more pleasing combination? Possibly, but this is still pretty damn pleasing. And if you like this, just wait until you see all the other cat-themed dishware Rory Dobner makes. If you really are an Alice fan, you can’t overlook this candle featuring the Cheshire Cat.