10 best gifts for cat lovers that are purr-fect for Christmas and beyond

This coffee-table tome is filled with sprawling photographs of – you guessed it – cats, captured by Walter Chandoha throughout his 75-year career. The photographer’s working relationship and love for capturing felines on camera first started when he adopted a stray, whom he called Loco, who would become his first muse. As his photography took off during the Fifties and Sixties – from magazine covers to cat-food labels and street photography – some of his shots have a glossiness and style reminiscent of the time, while others capture quiet and candid moments. We like that the foreword (which is written in English, German and French) provides background to his work and, from perfectly timed leaps to crystal-clear close-ups, we were delighted with this from start to finish.

Like delving into your Christmas stocking, treat-stuffed hampers are always exciting gifts to receive. This Gus & Bella bundle is choc-full of goodies that cats and their human companions can enjoy. With the theme of the bundle changing every month, Gus & Bella delivers its gift boxes either as a subscription or a one-time buy – we tried the one-off (and oh so Christmassy) Santa paws box, which you can order throughout December.

The contents for this month were varied – from healthy cat treats and catnip to funky and practical stuff for humans too, including a Christmas card, Pusheen tea towel and Gus & Bella pouch bag.

Our whiskered, wide-eyed tester happily devoured three different types of turkey and cranberry cat treats before going wild over the furry catnip-stuffed Christmas tree. One of the hightlights for us was the Santa Paws leaflet featuring adorable ‘Wall of Fame’ snaps of happy cats with last month’s hamper.

This is a unique gift that is sure to strike a chord with doting cat parents and moggies alike.

If the cat lover in your life has mountains of beauty products (and likes pretty things) this embroidered cosmetics bag is as practical as it is beautiful. The design was hand-painted by Elizabeth Scarlett herself, before being re-created on this inky-blue cotton velvet, and depicts two jaguars (the third-largest cat species in the world) lolling under the rainforest canopy.

Whether for storing make-up or packing over night, the deep-blue fabric embroidered with twinkly golden thread is a welcome dose of luxe – but the bag is genuinely practical too, with four separate pockets inside for small bottles and make-up brushes, and a waterproof lining for wiping away any product spillage fiascos. The bag is also available in teal, if you think your giftee would prefer something brighter. We also love the fact Elizabeth Scarlett pledges 2 per cent of its profits each year to animal preservation.

While we may know him best as the figurehead of pop art, Andy Warhol was also a cat person. The artist lived with a multitude of feline co-inhabitants for a period, and created a number of cat-themed works throughout his life, including a book of illustrations entitled 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy, followed by this humorous piece several years later. The graphic style and bold splash of colour paired with the quietly amusing cat face peering through is bound to charm your cat loving friends and family. Even more so if they are collectors of prints (or have especially sparse walls in need of livening up).

Without a frame, the print costs £10, but it can also be framed with five different finishes, including the silk black we plumped for, and arrives strung, with hanging instructions.

There’s something so lovely about getting into a pair of matching pyjamas, and these from luxe label Desmond & Dempsey are a real treat. Made with 100 per cent cotton, they’re pleasingly soft on the skin – though not hugely warm, as the fabric is very lightweight.

But it will come as no surprise that we are here for the print – this is a gift for cat lovers, after all, and this two-piece set with sprinting black and blue jaguars is an ode to one of the biggest. If the recipient of these loves spending lazy Sundays lolling in loungewear, the tailored fit makes these PJs perfect for pottering around the house. They can also be personalised with your giftee’s monogram, for no extra cost, which automatically lends them to thoughtful gifting.

These handmade and rather amusing ceramic coasters were designed by ceramics artist Hannah Turner. With individual cat characters painted on each one, you can expect to hear some chuckles around the coffee table, but these don’t feel like novelty items in the slightest.

Well made, and with a little bit of weight to them, these charming ceramic coasters are protected with a layer of foam backing, while the mellow orange, grey, green and white colour scheme has a pleasing retro feel to it. This feels like a considered gift with a handmade touch, right down to its recycled cardboard box, sealed with an illustrated sticker. They’re ideal if your giftee loves quirky homeware. We almost didn’t want to cover the little faces with our cups of tea.

If your recipient hasn’t bought a reusable coffee cup but has been meaning to for yonks, we think we may have found just the one. This whimsical coffee cup is the result of a collaboration between Chilly’s and cult pottery brand Emma Bridgewater, and it combines what each brand does best – the high-grade stainless steel cup does a fabulous job of keeping coffee hot for longer, which also means the cup never gets too hot for our paws.

We took it to work, but don’t expect it to be spill-proof in your bag, as the drinking hole can’t be sealed. The pièce de résistance for cat lovers is the illustration of cats playing with string and being generally mischievous. We’re certain any cat enthusiast will be absolutely smitten but also, this is one gift they can use every day of the week.

A tea towel may not seem like the most thrilling present you could find, but we think the quirky illustrations and bold colour scheme will automatically make this one a kitchen-sink talking point.

The tea towel is made with natural European linen and features a charmingly stylised illustration by Anne Bentley, depicting five feline characters and an array of pot plants in an aesthetically pleasing design with a pop of pink.

We noticed it is much bigger than your average tea towel, so if your giftee thinks it’s too lovely to use on the dishes, it’s certainly lovely enough to be a wall hanging too. As this is linen, it will crease, so will need ironing, if you want to keep it looking its best.

Mischievous, gentle and sometimes hilarious, everything that is unique about cats is captured in this book of largely black-and-white photography. The images were taken by the distinguished The Observer photographer Jane Bown who had an affinity with felines, and managed to snap shots before or after assignments.

What we really love about this collection is it is so natural and candid, as Bown captures her whiskered subjects out in their own world, with all their subtle characteristics and mannerisms. They can be seen clambering around, looking into the distance, or lazing about on branches and watching (read: silently judging) as the world goes by.

Aside from a very short foreward, this series, spanning decades of photography, is more than entertaining without words – our tester received this book as a gift a few years ago and has adored it ever since.

If the recipient of your gift loves pizza as much as they love cats, you really can’t go wrong with this little fellow. The paw-fect present for introducing some humour into their cutlery drawer, this pizza cutter from Oliver Bonas is small enough that it can be stored easily (if they don’t want it out on display) and is made from sharp stainless steel, which means we had no trouble at all slicing through our slightly singed margarita pizza.

We were suprised by how easy it was to wash too – which will need to be done by hand, as this can’t be put through the dishwasher. We think foodies will be over the moon with this slightly deadpan moggy and, given the price, this culinary tool would be a nice budget present, secret Santa or Christmas stocking filler for foodies.