PTertacks
HOLIDAY SHOPPING IDEAS
Jan Jaeger
When you're in retailing, you have to think ahead of the seasons. Regardless of the time of the year, I have trouble accommodating this time warp, and I have never gotten used to having Christmas displays blatantly in our faces before Thanksgiving Day. So I resist, even though many of my colleagues on Nantucket have skipped over the T'Day themes in favor of window decorations in red and green.

That doesn't mean I can ignore the reality of people shopping for holiday gifts, which continues virtually all year long, even though I tend to be a last minute gift grabber myself. At the shop, we tuck a Christmas tree discreetly in the back months ahead of the holiday season and have other holiday items available for sale, just not right up front.

After Thanksgiving Day, though, it's a different story and we will be scrambling to decorate and to accommodate all those on the lookout for that perfect pet gift, either for their own or for someone else's. To acquaint you with some of the items new in the marketplace, I'll stroll around the shop, pointing out things I think might catch your fancy.

Bling is big, and we've got bling! Elegant and classic black leather collars, in a variety of sizes, and matching leashes, are stunning with 1-caratsized bezel mounted Swarovski crystals in either single or double rows. For the smaller dog, Ultrasuede "Giltmore" vests are decorated with strips of Swarovski crystals for extra sparkle.

If you are traveling this season, the well respected manufacturer of pet carriers, Sherpa, has added some new styles and colors. Their "Passion" line is pretty in pink, perfect for that dainty girl dog, and the Legacy, in a black, brown and beige houndstooth pattern, has extra straps to be used backpack style as well as a handle for carrying.

Just in time for Christmas, always a big time for replacing pet beds, there are several new products and colors. Popular fleece roll-up mats are in new colors for this season, Red and Blue Swirl. The Big Sky line provides stylish comfort and elegant design in faux suede rectangular beds, and the handsome throws, faux suede-backed with a soft and comfy pile, are perfect for keeping pet hair off the living room sofa or car seat. A new shipment of our best selling donut beds just arrived with new colors. Rich in warm hues, there is a deep burgundy wine, a dramatic stripe in earth tones, oh-so-soft micro velvet in a camel and brown hounds tooth pattern and monochromatic paisleys in taupe or chili.

The easy on-and-off Fido Fleece coats have new colors for this winter season, but their brand new Luxury Couture line is just adorable. Three styles are available: a navy pea coat, with toggle fastener detail down the back, a shearling style with furry cream-colored trim, and a preppy, belted corduroy jacket in barn red.

While I believe getting a new puppy during the holiday season can be problematic because of all the extra hubbub and stress, if this has been an intellectual decision, then I have to relent. Planet Pet has just introduced a new line of puppy packs and puppy toys, specifically designed for young pups. Rather than red and green, we're talking pink and blue here, and a toy covering called baby blanket that is as soft as butter. The Kong toys also have a puppy line in their familiar shapes, except in a special teething rubber formula. If things for a new puppy are on your list, check these new items out.

Decorative wear is always popular for the holidays. Collars with shiny brass jingle bells, collars with snowmen or other holiday themed-ribbons, scarves or fluttery ruffs will add a festive touch to your pet for any holiday occasion.

If that special someone on your list has a small companion pet, then a Pawpoose, a sling carrier fashioned after the baby Snugli, might be the perfect gift solution.

We don't want to leave out kitty, and there are some really fun things to treat your feline friend. Holiday toys tempt with squeaks, bells, bounces and flounces. Hot Cats, the trademark tough denim tubes stuffed with organic catnip, is available in various sized gift packs with holiday colors.

To pamper that special pet, how about an elegant Spa Paw Treatment, a revitalizing and moisturizing bubble bath combining vanilla and milk thistle to soothe and soften paws irritated by sand, gravel, hot pavement or salt-treated roadways.

Anyone with pets will appreciate this product line for the home. Fresh Wave is available in a variety of products such as crystal gel, candle, spray and pearl pack sachets. This odor neutralizer naturally eliminates household odors and is particularly effective in areas where pet smells linger.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'll get to work on my Ho-

Ho-Ho while you ponder these suggestions. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Willie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.