For most pet owners, a furry friend is an important member of the family so it stands to reason that, during the season of goodwill, we'd want to treat them too. But how about this - a quarter of owners say they plan to spend as much on their pets as their kids or partner this Christmas, including presents and their own christmas dinner.
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00:00 What do you think about pets getting Christmas presents on Advent calendars?
00:07 We get our mercy a little something, but it's usually just like a little treat, it's not
00:11 an overboard, no one spends thousands on and on.
00:14 A little £5 token.
00:16 A token of your appreciation.
00:20 Not me actually, but when my daughter lived with it quite a long time ago, nearly 20 years
00:25 ago or so, we had two cats and at Christmas she bought them some cat treats.
00:31 A pet?
00:32 No, I don't agree with all that, but then again I don't have a pet so I wouldn't know.
00:39 Some people it's a member of the family, so I can't really have an opinion on that, what
00:44 other people do is entirely up to themselves, but me personally, I wouldn't have pet presents
00:51 even if I had a pet.
00:53 There are around 17 million households in the UK with pets since the pet baby boom we
00:58 experienced during the pandemic helped to boost the number.
01:02 And it seems despite the cost of living crisis, we're not being put off spending on our furry
01:06 friends, especially over the festive period.
01:09 According to a study from Pets at Home, a quarter of owners will be spending just as
01:14 much on the animal members of their household as their human counterparts.
01:17 Yes, they're part of the family.
01:22 Pets have Christmas jumpers and will be getting a stocking, albeit full of sweets and biscuits,
01:26 but they will be getting presents.
01:27 Yeah, I mean it's a bit OTT, but yeah, I think it's...
01:31 They only think it's another day, but they get lots of sweets that day.
01:34 And why not, yeah.
01:35 Just like a child, it's another day, you get lots of sweets till they realise it's Christmas
01:38 and Santa's coming.
01:39 I think it's the feel good factor because you're giving something, even though it's
01:44 to a creature who doesn't understand.
01:46 Yeah, but they do understand love and affection, don't they?
01:49 Exactly, they like the...
01:50 And I think you just feel better that you've included your pet because it's part of the
01:54 family.
01:55 I think it's brilliant.
01:56 You know, they're like your baby, they're like your child.
02:00 I mean, I've got a son and the dog, he's just like a child.
02:03 He gets everything.
02:04 I mean, he gets Christmas presents, he gets sweeties, he gets the lot.
02:09 What my son would get, my dog gets.
02:10 So you've said you do all that.
02:13 What do you think is the perfect pet present?
02:16 Sort of like, you know, something to wear, something to eat.
02:19 Do you know what?
02:20 It gets on people's nerves and I know when you buy a dog this, they always say, "Oh,
02:25 what are you buying?"
02:26 "Speaker toys."
02:27 The dogs love it.
02:28 I've even actually had a bazooka which fires tennis balls.
02:33 So what can the pups and moggies of our nation be expecting to unwrap this December?
02:37 A quarter of owners plan to get their pets a Christmas jumper, just over 50% will be
02:41 treated to a Christmas dinner and half will even get their own stocking.
02:46 I have a black Bombay cat called Elga.
02:49 Love her to bits and she will be getting spoiled at Christmas, just like my two children and
02:54 their children, my grandchildren.
02:56 Christmas is a time to celebrate, not just for humans, for pets as well.
03:00 They're all God's creatures, so are we.
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