Brits spend over £150m on pets this Xmas

New research from Gocompare.com suggests that 69% of pet owners will be buying Christmas presents for their furry and feathered friends this year, spending on average £10.86 on each animal.

Food treats (59%) and toys (56%) top the gift list, with over a third of dogs and cats looking forward to a Christmas stocking, while a quarter will receive a special Christmas meal. Amusingly, 11% already have an advent calendar.

63% of cat and dog owners admit they will spend more on their pets this Christmas than on many of their close friends, and many will also see their pet spend top that allocated for their partner or close relatives. 4% plan to spend more on their pets than their partner, 13% say their parents will be getting less than their pets, while 26% say that they will give more expensive gifts to their cat or dog than to other close relatives.

However, the research also showed that despite the lavish spending, nearly 60% of cat and dog owners still don’t have pet insurance.

Lee Griffin, business development director at Gocompare.com, said:

“For many people their cat or dog is as much a part of the family as Auntie Mable, so it is perhaps only natural that they should want to share the joys of Christmas gift giving with them. Sadly, it looks like more thought may have gone into the dog’s present than for some of the other people sat round the Christmas table this year. It is a growing trend, and retailers are being more creative each year with their pets Christmas range, so it looks like catnip advent calendars and Santa costumes for dogs are set to become Christmas traditions in this country.”

“However, it is important to remember that caring for our pets doesn’t just mean including them in the Christmas celebrations. Vet’s bills can rival the post-Christmas January credit card statement when it comes to unwelcome surprises, therefore having insurance to cover such events can make a lot of sense.”

(Photo by ShawnXian.)