Owners to spend more than £100 on their pet this Christmas
Pet owners are planning to spend more than £100 on their beloved pooch or moggy this Christmas, a poll* commissioned by Blue Cross has revealed.
The money will be used to buy a special Christmas lunch, presents for their pet, gifts for friends and family from a pet, cards and even crackers, according to those surveyed.
With an estimated 17m pet dogs and cats in the UK, it means that the nation could end up spending more than £1.7bn on giving their pets a Happy Christmas.
Other findings from the survey include:
Over 50% of pet owners from the North East will buy their pet a Christmas present compared to 28% from the South East, and 30% from London
Men will spend more on a present for their pet than for their father-in-law
Cat owners were slightly more generous, spending an average of £106.29 on their pets compared to £103.51 for dog owners
While the nation's pets are being pampered, Blue Cross rehoming centres and pet foster carers will be looking after hundreds of unwanted animals this Christmas.
Mandy Jones, Blue Cross Head of Rehoming Services, said:
“It's lovely to know owners value their pets so much that, just like any other loved one, they're planning to spoil them this Christmas, but we urge people to spare a thought for those unwanted and abandoned animals who don't have a home to call their own at this time of year.
“On average, a pet in crisis arrives at one of our rehoming centres every hour and it doesn't stop just because it's Christmas. Because many are stray or abandoned, often we don't even know their names.”
Mandy added:
“We'll do everything we can to give them a Happy Christmas this year but we really need the public's support. Just £10 could pay for a health check for a homeless dog and £25 could buy scratch posts and toys to keep the cats in our care happy.”
The best present an owner can give their pet is a microchip, to ensure that they never have to spend Christmas without a home. Blue Cross offers free cat and dog microchipping.
Watch the Blue Cross Christmas video here.
