Can't decide what to get that cat-loving friend of yours for her birthday next weekend? Well I have some practical suggestions to help you find a useful gift that your friend and her cat will be sure to appreciate.

These gifts are guaranteed hits as they were compiled by a bona fide cat lover - me! Hint: Remember these the next time my birthday or Christmas comes around. :D Okay, subtlety obviously isn't one of my strong points. :P

You know that cats shed loose fur like people shed dead skin cells or loose hair, don't you? That's why cat hair can be found everywhere if there's a cat in the house. Cats have to be regularly brushed to remove their loose hair before they are shed on the furniture, and a good de-shedding tool will make this task a lot easier.

A good scratching post will not only keep the cat happy, it will make the cat's "owner" happy, too. Cats scratch to sharpen their claws, and they tend to do it on furniture if they can't find a suitable alternative.  Choose a scratching post that's sturdy enough to withstand the onslaught.  Scratching toys are good, too.

The cats already have collars, you say? An alternate collar is always welcome. I don't know about other cats, but mine always chew on each others' collars while they're playing until what was once a collar now looks like a fuzzy caterpillar. If you do decide to get a collar, you might want to find out first what your friend's preference is - what color, design, etc. - before buying one.

It's play time!  Cat toys will keep your friend's cat entertained for hours, and everyone knows that a happy cat makes a happy cat "owner".  There are a lot of toys made especially for cats.  If you're not sure what kind of toys to get, one with catnip in it is sure to be a hit with the felines.

But maybe your friend is a cat lover but doesn't own a cat? In that case, a nice book or magazine on cats would be perfect. I don't read magazines, but when a friend of mine gave me an issue of Feline Wellness, I was surprised how interesting the articles in it were. I would also suggest one of those LOLCat books from icanhascheezburger if he or she doesn't have it already. Don't ask what that is, just get it!

Finally, if your friend's birthday is tomorrow already and you haven't found anything yet, shame on you! Just kidding. :D Seriously, I personally would appreciate getting anything with cats on them, but since I tend to be on the practical side, I prefer gifts that I can use. T-shirts with nice cat designs, cute cat trinkets (I got one hanging from my cellphone), cat mugs (for coffee drinkers) etc. would make nice gifts, too.