I like cats. I like to pet them. I like to feel them purr. I like to watch them play.
For most people this translates into: Oh, she must want a ceramic/stuffed/glass/wooden cat! This might be over-the-top, cheesy, or ugly, but it's a cat so I'll bet she LOOOOOVES it! Unfortunately one of those people was my mother so I'd feel bad about getting rid of the said cat things. Also, it's not like I've chosen a lucrative career so while I can pay my rent/mortgage, it has never been for anywhere palatial. So I don't know where to put anything decorative.
Now I LIKE gift cards. My mother says, "Oh, I'm sorry. But I didn't really have time to shop this year. I didn't pick out something special." I say, "Oh mom, it really is the thought that counts. I love you!"