WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF PURINA'S FANCY FEAST CAT FOOD CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!

Purina started offering these unique and highly collectible Christmas ornaments for sale to cat lover's in 1984.

As of last Christmas, 2007, they are still popular and actually gaining in popularity.  Each year, they offer a new cat themed design.  I actually have a mid size tree which I ONLY use for my collection of Fancy Feast ornaments.

Materials used for these ornaments vary, you never know what to expect each year.  I have seen them made of satin, resin, metal....with lace, a drum, wreath.. a photo frame and more.

They are quickly becoming a very collectible item.  I am pleased to say I have every single one from the beginning.  Many people have told me they buy them for their own homes, give as gifts to their cat loving friends and I am sure there are many other reasons they are so very popular!!

NOW FOR SOME TIPS ON FANCY FEAST CHRISTMAS CAT ORNAMENTS!

1.)  Each year, check your Sunday newspaper coupon booklet from the beginning of October, there you can find the form.  Also, please see below to find out how to obtain the form if you do not get the newspaper. 

2.)  Along with the form, which allows you to purchase up to a maximum of 3 ornaments per household, you must submit 12 (may change from year to year) UPC codes, one from each Purina Fancy Feast Cat Food can.  There is also a small shipping charge, (this year, the cost/including shipping for 3 ornaments totaled only $8.97.  Sooo....actually the UPC codes from the labels you mail in along with your payment, are considered the price of the ornament.  You only pay a $2.99 shipping charge per ornament. (may change in the future?)

3.)  You do not have to purchase 3 ornaments, you may order 1, 2 or 3, if you wish.  Also, if you wish to get more than 3 ornaments, the rule by Purina is a limit of 3 per household.......so have them shipped to a friend or neighbor with their address.

4.)  Purina usually tells you that for you to receive your ornament/s, it is best to submit your check or money order about November 10th in order to receive them by Christmas.  Since I do not get the newspaper, this year, I went to the Purina website and emailed them and asked when the ornaments would be available.  Once they are shown to be available, the website has a form you can print out and mail your UPC codes along with your check or money order.  What I did this year, since my printer did not work.......was to have a friend print out the form and get my labels.  I checked the website daily so I could get mine mailed ASAP in order to get them by Christmas:)

5.)  HERE is where EBAY comes in..............since my 3 cats are older and used to their regular brand of food, I had to find those labels, right?  Well, as soon as I saw the form available on Purina's website, I went to EBAY and typed in FancyFeast in the search box.  Many people sell the form and/or labels for a very reasonable cost ranging from $1-$5.  These sellers usually have a lot for sale as their cats eat Fancy Feast so they have a whole year to save them up!  You can add Fancy feast on your EBAY home page in your favorites section and check daily to find these.  This is what I ended up doing this year and it worked out great:)

6.) EBAY sellers also sell the ornament as they receive them at reasonable costs.  By buying the ornament on EBAY, saves you the time of getting the form and labels.

7.)  EBAY has sellers offering these ornaments from previous years all year long.  A very good time to get a great deal on an ornaments you are missing from past years is after Christmas--Summer's end.  As we know, many people start looking for Christmas items around September and prices tend to go up.

8.)  Be sure when buying an older ornament on ebay that it is in MINT or EXCELLENT condition.  I have seen some for sale that have YELLOWED over the years.  If you are unsure of the pictures quality to show this...email the seller and ask if there is any yellowing at all or any other questions you may have.  Otherwise, you may end up with an item you are not pleased with!!!

9.)  PACKING YOUR ORNAMENTS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

Be sure to pack them individually to prevent any breakage.  Use a plastic zip seal baggie for each ornanament. Wrapping them each in a paper towel before placing them in the bag also helps to prevent breakage and this prevents air from getting to the ornament, thus preventing the air from causing yellowing on fabric ornaments.  Your best option is to have one of those rubber or plastic tote boxes you can seal them in from the air.  Place the box in a dark area, but free from moisture, such as a damp basement.  As all collectors know, it is always best to save the original box and any tags that arrived in the box from a collectible value standpoint.  Sometimes, you might need a bigger baggie to accomodate the size of the ornaments box.  If you have any ornaments that do not have the original box, placing them as stated above will work just fine.  Whatever you do, do not store them in direct sunlight or leave them unsealed if yours is a smoking home, this will also cause the dreaded yellowing.

10.)  Often we are all guilty of seeing an item for sale and wanting it then and there!  Like I said, I see these different ornaments for sale year round, so take your time and get a quality ornament.  You will be happy if you wait and get one that is in proper condition.

WELL.......if you are reading this, you must be a cat lover or a friend or relative of one, so I hope I have been of some assistance to you in writing this guide.  If I have been of help, please vote "YES' for this guide at the bottom of the page...(^-_-^)!!  Ohhh, Purina, please do not stop making these!

Here are 2 photos, the first, 1984 is a white satin stuffed cat and the most recent in 2007, which is a metal photo frame.