Nearly a third (30%) of pet owners would take their pets to church with them, for Midnight Mass this Christmas, if they were allowed to, according to a survey conducted by www.wamiz.co.uk – the UK branch of Europe’s number one pet website Wamiz.
The Wamiz survey found that 70% of UK pet owners will be cooking or giving their pets a special meal for Christmas and, whilst 79% of pet owners will be buying their dog or cat a present, as might be expected, in 27% of cases, the animal will also receive a gift from the owner’s friends and family, with the practice having become an annual custom.
Whilst the majority of pet owners will spend under £10 on a gift, one-in-twelve say their pooch’s or puss’s present will cost over £50, with some owners intending to spend up to £500.
Toys top the list of things Santa is likely to bring a dog, whilst cats can look forward to the number one feline gift – cat treats and nibbles.
Pets will certainly feel the love in most cases, as 95% of owners will spend Christmas with their pet. Just as they cannot bear to be leaving them behind when casting their vote, so too they cannot let them miss out on the party poppers and festive cheer.
The survey by Wamiz follows one that examined the sense of loss that pet owners feel when their beloved pet passes away. That survey found that more than 38% of pet owners would want to organise a religious service, to commemorate their pet, if they could.
Wamiz’s UK Country Manager, Emilie Heyl, says: “The evidence of our survey suggests that pets are now an integrated part of the family unit and that owners really do not want to do anything without them.
“Humanisation within the pet sector, or anthropomorphism as it is also known, is becoming ever more evident, with owners wishing to provide their pets with the same experiences enjoyed by the people around them, even culinary and religious ones when it comes to Christmas. They also wish to mourn their passing in the same way as they would a human. Society is definitely changing when it comes to pets.”
Lots of pet information and news can be found at www.wamiz.co.uk where advice on choosing a pet is available. Thorough research into what it takes to be a pet owner is a good way to ensure that a pet is not a Christmas gift that ends up in a rescue centre days later.
