Small Choices, Big Paw prints: Why Shopping Small Matters

As the holiday season tiptoes in with twinkling porch lights, early sunsets, and cats rediscovering the joy of curling up in every cardboard box that arrives, many of us begin thinking not just about gift-giving but about spending in general. Lists grow, budgets tighten, and the small decisions we make around money start to feel heavier than usual.

Somewhere between the gift guides and the pile of shipping boxes your cat has claimed as a personal real-estate portfolio, it’s easy to forget that every purchase still tells a story.

And thinking about that reminded me of a moment that has stuck with me for years.

Years ago, I bought a handmade bookmark at a tiny independent bookstore. The kind of place where the shelves are lovingly stuffed with covers and the staff is so sweet and helpful, and the shop cat basks in a sunbeam by the front window. The type of place you hope to stumble upon when you're wandering around town. The bookmark wasn’t expensive. It was just a spontaneous little something to remember the place by. 

But when I brought it to the counter, the owner beamed and said, “Oh! My daughter made these. Each one helps her save for vet school.”

It was such a small thing. A bookmark. A few dollars. But to her, it wasn’t small at all. My choice supported a dream I didn’t even know existed.

That moment taught me something I never forgot: you never know who’s on the other end of your purchase. But it’s almost always someone trying to create something good.

That’s why small choices are not so small after all.

If you’ve ever watched your cat decide whether to sit in a box, on a bag, or on the one piece of paper you actually needed, you know cats are masters of intentional choice. Cat people aren’t much different.. we notice the little things.

We know which toy sparks pounces and which one earns a side-eye.
We know when our cats need stimulation, comfort, calmness, or a good pretend hunt.
We choose their things with thought, curiosity, and care.

That instinct, to observe, to understand, to choose consciously, is your superpower.
And it flows directly into how you shop.

When you choose a product made with purpose, whether from Dezi & Roo or another small brand you love, you’re not just picking out enrichment. You’re supporting:

• higher safety and quality

• sustainable or ethical materials

• thoughtful design rooted in real feline behavior

• local manufacturing

• community jobs

• charitable support for animals

And it seems like such a little thing, but yes indeed, your choices truly make a difference.

Small businesses don’t grow because they shout the loudest.
They grow because someone (someone like you) chooses them with intention.

We often think change requires something dramatic; big money, big movements, big moments. But the truth is softer, quieter, and more heartwarming.

Often change starts with tiny, everyday decisions: choosing a small maker over a big box store, choosing local mom and pop shops over next day shipping, choosing heart over hype.

Small businesses, especially the ones that manufacture in the U.S. and support local workers, feel those choices deeply. They feel it in the extra hours they can give an employee. In their ability to donate to shelters. In their freedom to innovate. In their commitment to quality.

But here’s the part that matters most: you are the reason those good things happen.
Not the company.
You.

When you make a conscious choice, whether that’s buying a holiday toy for your cat, gifting a local product to a friend, or simply spreading the word, you create the momentum that keeps community-rooted companies alive.

And those companies, in turn, support:

• families

• workers

• rescues

• foster programs

• local suppliers

• and the future of ethical pet care

All because one customer made one thoughtful choice. That’s how big paw prints get made.

As your cat curls beside you this season, leaving fur spots on the one blanket you wanted to keep clean, I hope you remember your choices matter. Your values matter. You make a difference.

When you shop small, whether it's my business or another heartfelt maker, it's not simply a transaction. You're supporting a product. You’re supporting people, pets, communities, and a way of doing business that puts compassion first.

Your cat already knows you are their hero.
It’s nice to remember you’re one for your community, too.

Thank you for supporting us and in turn letting us support you. We are forever grateful for our amazing customers and retailers.