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It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. – Mother Teresa
Every year at Christmas it is a challenge to find nice personal gifts.
This year I will give you a paw by giving you a gift idea for each type of dog or cat: the best Christmas presents for the 5 types of dogs and cats.
In traditional Chinese medicine, everything is divided into one of five elements. These elements are: Fire, Earth, Water, Metal and Wood. Each element is associated with a season, color, organ, body part, function, emotion, etc. For example, water is associated with the season winter, the color black, the emotion of fear and with the bladder and kidneys.
You and your buddy each have all five elements in you. But usually, one or two of those elements are more prominent than the others. The element that is most evident is your constitution or your type. For example, we are talking about an Earth type or a Wood type.
Earth type animals are easygoing, friendly and calm animals. They are very loyal and caring and like to please or help others. When you are sad, this buddy comes to comfort you. They are not hard workers by nature, but if they do you a favor, they will want to work with you. But lounging on the couch all day is usually preferable. In general, Earth animals are medium-sized animals with a somewhat rounder physique.
The Earth element has everything to do with what you eat and drink and how you digest it. Food is very important in the life of an Earth animal. They like to eat a lot and everything. They are often looking for food all day long. Leaving something on the table or the counter is really not an option because when you get home it’s gone! As a result, these animals have a tendency to gain too much weight.
It won’t come as a surprise but you will make an Earth dog or cat happy with their favorite treats! Put together a package with your buddy’s favorite snacks. There are also all kinds of nice ready-made snack boxes available. A homemade snack or meal will certainly be appreciated as well!
Metal animals are brave, calm, and self-assured. They have a great need for structure, peace and regularity. They are hard and independent workers who have no need to be in the spotlight. But they do really like to be recognized and rewarded! They are “You ask, we deliver” types and “rules are there to be followed” is another of their mottos. They like to do their assignments well. They are introverted and do not clearly show their emotions. They are often reserved, especially towards people and animals they don’t know.
Hunting and working dogs such as Border Collies often have a lot of metal in them. With cats, these are the calm and confident cats that are a bit more distant and watch from a distance.
Metal types love to lose themselves in their work and then be rewarded for doing so well. However, this is work that they naturally enjoy. Think of tracking, frisbee, sheep herding, treibball, agility, etc.
You don’t do these animals a greater favor than to spend extra time with them at Christmas doing the sports/tasks they enjoy the most.
When the water element is in balance, water-type animals are alert and observant. They are calm and reserved. They prefer to look at everything from a distance and like to have space around them. They want to be able to oversee everything and be able to flee if necessary.
They are cautious and somewhat distrustful by nature. They are sensitive animals that are close to their feelings and instincts. They are very sensitive to the emotions and energies around them. They are often solitary and single-minded. They don’t always need contact with other animals or people.
They are smart animals. They are curious and love to learn new things.
Water is a yin element and water animals are therefore more likely to be cold. They often prefer warm spots such as near the stove or in the sun.
Fear is the emotion associated with water. Water animals will quickly become anxious if they become unbalanced.
These animals are intelligent and love to learn and puzzle. A puzzle or snuffle rug is therefore a good Christmas gift! They also love warmth, they will also appreciate a nice warm basket or blanket. A water-type cat will really appreciate a warm hiding spot.
A balanced wood animal is an animal that is there for you and works very hard for you. Wood animals love to move. They have to move around a lot to stay balanced. They are brave, confident, and courageous. They want to be the best at what they do. When they do what they like, they are very focused and go for it. Their competitive nature often makes them suitable dogs for dog sports. But if these animals are not given a “task,” they may become bored and exhibit undesirable behaviors. They look for work themselves.
They don’t naturally have a brake or off button. They will keep going until they drop. As the owner of a wood type animal, you will have to indicate when it is enough and time to rest. If they have something in their head, they won’t stop until they achieve it. This can lead to nagging for that toy or walk until they get it.
Wood animals don’t like borders. They will always keep looking for and crossing it. They have trouble with authority. They need friendly guidance that patiently sets the boundaries over and over again.
They are sensitive animals and cannot tolerate stress or be heavy-handed. They need a stable home situation with routine and regularity.
When they are out of balance, they can have a “short fuse” and become easily stressed, impatient or irritated. This can also lead to aggression problems. They may then lash out at other dogs or at people, for example. Cats may start to hiss or hit.
Wood type animals love movement and competition. The best way to please them is with a walk or a game. If you want to put something under the tree, give them a new toy that you can play and run with together.
Fire animals are happy, jovial and active animals. They have a lot of energy and don’t like to sit still. They love to play and have fun. They are often super happy when they see an acquaintance and show it exuberantly.
They like to be the center of attention and love attention. They often have a whole bag of tricks with which they try to get your attention.
They love company and physical contact. They love to play with lots of friends. They like to put a paw on you, lie against you or just come and lie on your lap.
Fire types are real talkers. They use their voice in all kinds of ways: squeaking, barking, meowing, etc.
Fire-type animals can also be very sensitive. They are sensitive to the moods and emotions around them. If you are sad, a fire animal will try to cheer you up by clowning.
They can only concentrate on a task for a short time. They get overexcited or “hyper” easily. They can also change moods very quickly. As a result, they can also have some “drama queen” in them. They easily dart from one side of the emotion to the other. If they’re happy, they’re over the top happy, and if they don’t like something, it’s the end of the world.
Because fire-type animals find attention very important, they are sensitive to separation anxiety or jealousy.
A fire type mainly wants attention and physical contact. How they get that attention doesn’t matter as long as they get attention. You can’t make your fire-type buddy happier than to involve him/her in everything during Christmas. Unwrapping presents together and playing with them, helping in the kitchen with cooking, and snuggling up on the couch at the end of the day for a good Christmas movie.
There you have it, the best Christmas presents for the 5 types of dogs and cats.
In which type do you recognize your buddy the most? What are you going to give your buddy for Christmas? I’d love to hear it!
