OT: need gift idea for people I've never met

[aggie94]

In case you haven't followed the "desperate kitty" thread, some generous people who I've never met before have offered to take my neighbor's abandoned cat (who I've been taking care of for a few months) into their home, knowing that he is FIV+. The alternative was going to be euthanasia, so I am extremely grateful and indebted to this couple.

DH is flying down to Dallas later this month to deliver Tiger to them. I would really like to send a nice gift along with him, but I don't know these people at all and have no idea what's appropriate. I've talked to her a few times by email, so I know that they are 25 and 28, married less than a year, no kids (and not planning to have any). He's an engineer and she's a publisher. They are, obviously, big animal lovers.

Money is a bit of a factor -- I'd like to keep it reasonable (i.e. less than $50). As it stands, this 'rescue' has cost us well over $1000 (between airfare, vet bills, food, etc.) -- and I hope to never see my neighbor again because I'm likely to poke his eyes out with a very dull stick.

I had considered a gift certificate to dinner at a nice restaurant in Dallas, but then I'd have to have DH find a place, pick something up once he gets there, etc. Since he's already taking care of this 'errand' for me, that's not something I really want to ask him to do! Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[SandyM]

How about a gift certificate to a nationally-available pet store? Or, a gift certificate for an online company (amazon.com, for instance)? If you know their exact address, you could probably call information and see if there was a Pet Supplies Plus or Pet Smart near them.

What a lovely thought, and bravo to you for handling this issue to the extent you have! (Even to the dull-stick situation, which of course, had me giggling and applauding at the same time!)

[joyous]

Sandy, what a great idea with the PetSmart gift certificate! I live in Dallas, and I can tell you that PetSmarts are everywhere, so these folks are bound to be reasonably near one.

[laughsandlaughs]

I think something even more homespun might be appropriate....these people sound busy, what about sending along a delicious homemade poundcake? It travels well and is inexpensive, but shows you've taken your time to thank them. I have a fabulous (not light) recipe if you're interested.

[SandyM]

I suppose I could be in the minority, but I'm wary of eating anything baked by strangers. You don't know if they've had cats trampling all over the counter, how clean their kitchen is, etc.

Not saying that you do, aggie, please do not misunderstand me. But think about it from your angle - if you accepted a cat from someone you didn't know, would you eat anything baked by them?

Maybe I'm overly paranoid......just my opinion.

[aggie94]

I tend to agree with you, SandyM, about baked goods. As much as I know that anything coming from my kitchen would be wonderful (and sanitary), http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif, they really don't know me or have any reason to trust me. And I'd hate to have something go to waste. Plus, it would be coming from DH. If they had a chance to meet ME, in person, they might have more of a reason to trust something I brought them. But with DH, who can tell! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

I like the idea of the PetsMart gift certificate, but if it were you, would you rather have something for you ? I know they have other pets, so I imagine they buy food, toys, etc. anyway, so I thought maybe they'd appreciate something for themselves rather than for the pets. But maybe I'm wrong -- maybe with the additional mouth to feed, a gift certificate that would cover another month of food would be more appreciated? What do you guys think?

[BlueMoose]

Maybe a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble...everyone likes books of some type, right? Cat books, vet medicine books, or something just for fun for themselves.

By the way aggie, you and your DH are awesome for doing this! ^..^

[sneezles]

I recently ordered flowers (live plants actually) from this company and did it all online. One was for my MIL for Mother's Day (the bonsai bouganvilla) and the other a thank you (the miniature rose in the cache pot). Both arrived in beautiful condition (very well wrapped) and both are doing very well in their new homes! I love the idea of potted flowers instead of cut as a gift. Here's the link to their website:
http://www.calyxandcorolla.com/

[Beth]

I've seen the catalog for those flowers, and they are fabulous.

You could be right about something homemade, but quite frankly, if something looked good and came from someone who posted on a cooking BB about theis kitty and put $1000 out of their pocket, flying to Dallas to deliver a sick cat to a loving new home, I wouldn't be thinking I couldn't trust what this person made. Consider the source: not the people I feel I have to be concerned about.

I was also going to recommend PetSmart (they are here in the Houston area and my favorite store here) for a gift card. They are both in the area and on line. If you can get a card in advance, you could put it together with something you have made.

Also, someone in Dallas might be able to supply the name, but there is a service that delivers meals from a number off restaurants. Maybe you could give them a delivered dinner, even pizza and Blockbuster gift cards, so they can enjoy a night at home getting to know their new cat.

I have tried to help some animals, wild and domestic, but a trip nearly cross country is far beyound anything we have done. A great thing you have done, so do something nice for yourself too.

[laughsandlaughs]

I just moved from Dallas, if you'd like a gift certificate to a restaurant, I could give you some recommendations.