If this is the first December with a new animal, or the first year you have finally got both of them in the same shot, the card can star them. On Ottermagic you upload a clear pet photo, run Pet Swap (or Style Swap when the whole menagerie is in one frame), preview until the whiskers look right, then order a UK A5 card or take the e-card. You are not squeezing a puppy into a people template as an afterthought. Start with the least wriggly picture you have at Ottermagic.com.
This is the new-arrival and multi-pet card. Cards written in the pet's voice live in Christmas card from the dog / from the cat. Family-plus-pet, baby's first, and married-face mixes sit in family, pet, baby's first, married Face Style Pet Swap.
New puppy or kitten as the whole front
Pet Swap is built for one animal. That is the right tool when the story is "we did not have this face last year." Upload a photo with the whole pet in frame, eyes visible, ears not cropped off. Face-on or three-quarter. A treat at camera height beats shouting their name from the ceiling.
The "first Christmas" line can stay simple. You do not need a tiny Santa hat if the hat makes them hide. A clear face in Clay 3D, Cartoon, Watercolour, or Brick is enough. People who love the animal will know what the occasion is.
Message ideas:
- First Christmas with [Name]. We are already ruined (in the good way).
- Kitten's first December. The tree is a suggestion, not a rule.
- Puppy's first Christmas. Shoes remain at your own risk. Love from all of us.
- We did not have this chaos last year. Merry Christmas from [Name].
- Official new household member. Still learning stairs. Already learned biscuits.
US households can say "first holidays" if that is the language on the list. The photo path and the printed A5 are the same; US orders go by airmail in around 2–3 weeks.
Several pets, one card
Pet Swap wants one pet per upload. If you want every animal on the front, take (or find) a photo that already shows them together, then use Style Swap on that frame. All the faces need to be readable. A cat in sharp foreground and a dog as a blur by the sofa will become a card of the cat.
Do not expect the site to merge three separate portraits. Get them on the same rug, same light, same second. Easier said than done. Tips below.
If one pet is the star and the others are supporting, it is honest to Pet Swap the new puppy and mention the old dog in the sentence inside. That often looks better than a failed group shot.
Photo tips for wriggly puppies and kittens
- Daylight near a window, not the Christmas tree's colour-changing LEDs.
- Get on the floor. Ceiling shots make a tiny face tinier.
- One helper with a treat or a toy just beside the lens.
- Take twenty. Keep the one where eyes are open and the tongue is not a smear.
- After the zoomies, not during them. Post-nap kittens are gold.
- Skip heavy filters. Let Pet Swap or Style Swap do the drawing.
- If they will not look at you, a profile with a visible eye can still work; a back-of-the-head shot will not.
Phone photos are fine. A recent one beats a beautiful but tiny photo from the rescue listing.
For two species at once, feed both, wait, then shoot. Or go outside on a still day. If it never happens, make two cards. Nobody on your list is grading you.
Human photo rules, if people join in: how to choose a photo.
Styles that suit new animals
- Cartoon and Classic Cartoon for a readable pet face grandparents will recognise.
- Clay 3D and Brick when you want a figure-like keepsake of a puppy who still has huge paws.
- Chibi for a kitten who is already a round object.
- Watercolour and Sketch for a calmer "first Christmas" that does not shout.
- Action Figure and Bobblehead if your household is already like that.
- Photobooth if you caught a strip of silly expressions.
- Pixel Art or Retro Game for the person who named the cat after a boss fight.
Caricature of a pet can go odd. Preview it. Royal Portrait of a chihuahua is a gift. Royal Portrait of a nervous rescue may feel like a costume. You will know from the preview.
Live styles also include Emoji, Anime, Retro Halftone, Sticker Sheet, Tarot Card, Lucky Leprechaun. Most of those are extra, not the first try.
Face Swap is a people tool. For the animal, stay on Pet Swap or Style Swap. Text Swap can say "from the new puppy" with no picture; if you have a picture, use it.
Messages when the house has more than one pet
- All of them, for once in the same frame. Merry Christmas from the noisy end of the sofa.
- The old dog has opinions about the kitten. We have a card anyway.
- Christmas card with every pet we could bribe. Love from [names].
- Two species, one rug, a seasonal miracle. Happy Christmas.
- They do not share toys. They share this photo. That is enough.
Keep names on the inside if the likeness might confuse a distant aunt.
Print, e-card, wall
UK A5: 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, printed to order in the UK, Royal Mail around 3 to 5 working days, recyclable stock and water-based inks. A first-Christmas card is the sort of thing people keep. Give the post some working days; check Royal Mail's published holiday dates (posting deadlines).
The e-card is the hi-res download for last-minute lists, including US ones once Christmas is less than about three weeks away.
Posters and canvas are available if the portrait of the new puppy deserves a wall. Check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details.
Ready when you are
Put the new face, or every face you could gather, on a Christmas card. Upload a clear pet photo, run Pet Swap for one animal or Style Swap for a group already in one picture, and keep the preview you would put on the fridge. Print a UK A5 330gsm gloss card with an envelope, or download the e-card today. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
What is the best puppy's first Christmas Pet Swap card in the UK in 2026?
The best one is a preview of your puppy that still looks like them. Ottermagic's Pet Swap is the path. Try Cartoon or Clay 3D first, then Watercolour if you want it quieter.
Can I put the kitten and the dog on the same card?
Yes, if you have a photo with both of them clear, via Style Swap. Pet Swap is one pet per upload. If they will not sit together, make the new arrival the front and name the other inside.
The puppy will not stay still.
Shoot after a walk, on the floor, with a treat by the camera. Keep the sharpest of many attempts. Motion blur will not become a good swap.
Can the card be from the puppy's point of view?
Yes, in the wording. For a whole article of that voice, see from the dog / from the cat. The upload is still a photo of them.
Do you print to the US?
Yes. Printed A5 cards are made to order in the UK and sent by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks. Allow about three weeks before Christmas; after that, take the e-card.
