“If the world was all golden retrievers, there would never be any arguments,” my husband, Dan, once told me. Whether the furry source of love and joy in your home is a dog, a cat or some other critter, you know what he means. Those of us who are crazy about our pets know they make our world a better place. So this year, we are giving our beloved pets their proper due, showcasing them in our holiday decor.

For the first time ever at Nell Hill’s, our furniture store in Kansas City, we have created an inspiration Christmas tree that is a tribute to pets.

We knew we had to do it when we found the most wonderful line of pet-themed holiday decor this year. Animal ornaments. Paw print-patterned ribbon.

Be still my heart.

Normally, pets like to have a hand in holiday decorating. A customer once described how her cat redecorated her Christmas tree. She decorated her tree with an array of ornaments that included tiny red birds covered in real feathers. The next morning, she spied a little red pile on the floor below the tree. In the night, her cat had climbed the tree and carefully removed every red bird, without breaking or rearranging any other ornament.

My sister Judy came home from work to find the decorative pheasant in her beautiful holiday centerpiece had been removed and gutted by her cat, Pickles.

Not content to stop at dog and cat tree ornaments and ribbon, we snatched up garland featuring plaid dog bones and pets. Glass pet ornaments. We added some adorable stuffed animals to our fun pet-themed tree, too. For a New Year’s Eve celebration, we selected pet-themed poppers.

Whatever makes your heart happy, whether it’s your pets or something else altogether, find a way to celebrate it this year in your holiday decor.