Remember your pets when gift time comes

More than half of dog owners and nearly 40 percent of cat owners buy their pets gifts for Christmas or Hanukkah, according to the American Pet Products Association. [Photo By Mary Altaffer/Ap]

Ideas for celebrating the holidays with the nonhuman member of the family.

Pets are people, too - at least when it comes to holiday gifts.

More than half of dog owners and nearly 40 percent of cat owners buy their pets gifts for Christmas or Hanukkah, according to the American Pet Products Association, an industry trade group.

Potentially, that's 39 million dogs and 32 million cats on holiday lists this year, the group reports. And don't forget all those pet aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends, let alone pleasing favorite pet parents and all-around animal enthusiasts with human gifts just for them. Some ideas:

1 Pet toys: Flatties, some that squeak, are always popular, said Mardi Larson, a spokeswoman for the retail chain PetSmart. And they can be cheap. For the holidays, PetSmart has some with Christmas motifs, like a bright green dinosaur in a Santa cap.

"Pets just love to destroy their toys. Flatties are safe because they have no stuffing," Larson says.

You can't go wrong with balls. Lots of balls. Or go for durable toys in sturdy nylon or rope. Consider safety in such things as sewn-on doodads or other swallowable bits.