Animal prints 

(Charlie’s business: Clawing the couch.) Ron, on the other hand ... let’s just say I’m considering an intervention (catervention?).

Ron is a sweet, big-boned tabby (don’t call him fat), but he’s not the smartest kibble in the bits. He goes absolutely nutso with catnip — rolling around in it, sliding on his back through it, and then pausing to furiously lick himself before repeating the whole act.

OK, I need to stop before I pull out my phone and start showing everyone photos. Sorry, I can be a bit of a pet parent. Anyway, let’s talk animals — rawr!— and not just stuff for them, but also everything that reminds you of them.

Sabi (3703 N. Western; 525-1717) always has a fantastic collection of unique finds, but I was surprised by how much is animal-themed. Being a cat lady, I immediately made for the kutani neko, the good luck cat. These vintage cat figurines from Japan are available at Sabi either sleeping (nemuri) or, my favorite, beckoning (maneko). If you’re more of a dog person, there’s also the kutani inu.

For the upcoming Chinese New Year (Feb. 3 this year), check out the adorable papier-mâché animals that the co-owners told me are handmade by a Japanese man and his family. These delicate animals — representing the Chinese zodiac — have bobbleheads and intricate designs. Pick up the rabbit, the animal for 2011.

If you’re shopping for your pets, Sabi has great ceramic food bowls covered in vintage ads by Mario’s World Pet Products and squeaker toys by Planet Dog.

One of the coolest things, however, has to be the donation barrel for the OKC Pet Food Bank. Bring unopened bags and cans of dog or cat food to donate, or you can even just bring a check.

Anyway, let’s talk animals — rawr!

At Full Circle Bookstore (1900 Northwest Expressway; 842-2900), animals get the book treatment in gorgeous coffee table tomes or beautifully illustrated children’s classics.

I loved “Animals Up Close” by Igor Siwanowicz. Not just a book of photography, “Animals Up Close” imparts interesting facts, statistics and descriptions on each page. And it’s not just cuddly creatures, either — check out the elephant hawk moth or the crested gecko. I also liked “Bird Songs” by Les Beletsky, which includes lovely illustrations of birds plus audio of their songs courtesy Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology.

In the children’s section, the classic illustrations of “The Wind in the Willows,” with illustrations by Michael Hague, and the large “A Beatrix Potter Treasury” are must-buys.

On a Whim (5850 N. Classen Blvd.; 848-3488) makes animals glam with MacKenzie-Childs pet bowls in the classic black-and-white checked pattern (available in three sizes) and the whimsical pottery by Mary Rose Young. Check out a small, rabbit-footed bowl done in a cream-and-gold polka dot or the larger bowl with multicolored rosettes and animals (like a mouse, snail and rabbit) perched on the rim.

In the small children’s section, I loved the MacKenzie-Childs dishware done in pretty pastels and with cute, watercolorstyle illustrations of animals. Or, check out the huge collection of Jellycat stuffed animals. My favorite? Definitely the highland cow (or, in my top-notch Scottish accent, the heelin coo).