If the subject matter appeals and the photography is good or the pictures humorous, these remain easy and inexpensive presents that come in all shapes and sizes.
Our suggestions: PDSA Pet Pawtraits Calendar £4.99 - Twelve pets with their celebrity owners photographed by Jason Fraser. Profits go directly to fund free care for pets whose owners are unable to afford veterinary fees.
New Yorker Dogs Deluxe Diary £9.99 - There are New Yorker cat and dog calendars too but the diary has a bigger selection of the wonderful cartoons that make you pleased the weeks rush by and it's time to turn over the page!
Real animals, imaginary animals, cartoon animals; coffee-table books and training manuals; picture books for children and art books for adults - the choice is legion.
Our suggestions: 'Dastardly Dogs' by Rex and Sparky £10.99 - The cover declares 'The perfect book for good dogs, bad dogs and the millions of people who love them'. This hilarious parody on the Dangerous Book for Boys is a must for all dog lovers this year. 'Twinkles, Arthur and Puss' by Judith Kerr £11.99 - From the pen that created Mog, a new picture book for younger pet owners about a cheeky black cat who has three meals a day at three different homes.
Range of boots at George Allan
The needs of the dog-walker are many and you can choose presents to fi t your budget from wellie socks to Barbour Jacket. People no longer wear hats and gloves to church but they do to take the dog out and fashion has reached wet-weather footwear too.
Our suggestions: Refl ective bands £3 to £11 - An unusual but very acceptable gift for the sensible dog owner. Designed for cyclists these make winter walking much safer.
Wellingtons £16.99 to £84.95 - New ranges of patterned boots make fun presents. At the other end of the scale Le Chameau's Vega Evolution boots are specially designed for longer distances.
Animal Snap and Rummy are still available and games make good family presents for pet owners who want an alternative to TV or what about a magazine subscription? Every pet from a goldfi sh to a horse has its own publication.
Our suggestions: Your Cat 12 issues £35.40 & Your Dog 12 issues £37.20 - Produced and published locally, these are the best-selling cat and dog magazines with good reason, containing about 100 pages including all aspects of pet care and breed information as well as entertaining articles.
Cat-opoly £24.99 - Buy your favourite cats, land on 'Catnip' and collect everything in the centre of the board or pay 'Dog Tax' to get past the neighbourhood Bulldog. A perfect gift for all cat lovers.
If you want to splash out, commission a painting or a diamond pin portraying a favourite animal or you could go for something more practical like our suggestions. Our suggestions: Pet Porte Microchip Catflap £95 - The best idea since sliced bread? This ingenious invention uses a cat's microchip therefore dispensing with the need for a collar and automatically detects light so you can keep your cat in at night.
Miele 'Cat & Dog' vacuum cleaner (TT5000) £189 - A cleaner with a charcoal filter to take away smells and turbo brushes to remove pet hair and fur. Fantastic for those with four-legged friends - it really works.
Our nearest PDSA shop is in Grantham, Le Chameau boots are stocked at Barnack Country Clothing, Cat-opoly is marketed by Hamley's (www.hamleys.com) and the Catflap is only available online www.petporte.com. All other recommended items are available in local shops.