Pet owners set to splash £873m on Christmas gifts

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While men may be bracing themselves for aftershave and socks this Christmas Day, pets may receive far better treatment.

More than 60 percent of pet owners will buy their dogs and cats a present this year, Co-op research found.

The vast majority (82 percent) of Britons plan to splash up to £50 on their four-legged friends, despite the cost-of-living crisis.

However, it looks like the nation’s aunties and uncles are set to miss out, as two-fifths of those planning to spend big bucks on their pets say they won’t spend anything on gifts for extended family.

This year the cost of a traditional Christmas dinner has risen by more than a third.

Using the cheapest possible prices for a basket of 11 Christmas dinner items such as turkey and mince pies, the Good Housekeeping Christmas Dinner Survey found the festive meal would now cost £29.26, up from £21.71 in 2021.

Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of those polled said they will be giving their pets leftovers from their own dinner plate.

Some pet owners (four percent) even go so far as giving their precious animals a Christmas card.

Andrew Nevitt, head of Pet Insurance at Co-op, said: “Despite the cost of living, it seems we’re still a nation looking to include our pets in family traditions, with Christmas being a time when pet owners obviously want to make sure their dogs and cats are included in the celebrations.

“Our research proves how much our pets really mean to us.

“We also advise animal lovers to closely monitor their pets’ food intake, as their weight and appetite can be the telltale signs of several health concerns.

“Overfeeding your pet at Christmas, or offering them a one-off taste of human food, may do more harm to them than initially thought, so it’s best to stick to treats specifically manufactured for them.”

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