Gifts for Pets is a booming sector this Christmas

One of the stranger trends in recent years has been the rise in Christmas gifts for pets. We don’t mean a tasty doggy treat or a squeaky toy, we mean high spend items like apparel or furniture. Earlier this year American Pet Products Association president, Bob Vetere, announced that pet industry spending in 2016 rose to a record high of $66.75 billion.  Besides demand for premium pet foods where is this money being spent? According to market research firm Mintel, “People want their pets to feel cared-for, comfortable and mentally stimulated. So there is driving demand for added-value products, often mirroring mainstream human styling and healthcare trends. As a result people are prepared to pay more for their pet care products and to replace them more often.” Now, pets are integrated in to their owners lifestyle and often go everywhere and do everything that their owners do. Personalization is another key driver with owners keen to buy products that suit an individual animal’s personality. Although we normally think of apparel being dog focused, its spreading to other categories. High-end designers such as Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson have incorporated cats into their recent collections. Health considerations is another factor driving product choice with products aimed at reducing pets neck strain, improving digestion and maximizing comfort.

If you are looking for Christmas gifts for pets, Kitty might like the Litter-Robot III Open Air Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box, for $499. Or for just $3,000 you can get a 22k Gold-Thread Pet Mattress for Fido. One good thing about the pet gift trend, it’s generated a lot of good puns. Pawsecco is now available for your dog (not the Italian wine Prosecco). Downton Tabby is a feline based parody on the popular TV series, whilst the Yoga Dogs features dogs in varying yoga poses. We reported earlier about a company selling pajamas for dogs which enable you to have matching pajamas with your pet. We will shortly be bringing out a onesie for your pet rabbit called a Bunzee. Only joking, but we are thinking about a dogs clothing line called Togs for Dogs, or maybe Paws for Thought, or our high end designer line will be Pucci – are you in?