UK dog and cat owners are spending approximately £11.6 billion annually on gifts, special diets and activities for their pets, found Asda Pet Insurance.Asda revealed that British dog and cat owners spend an average of £495 a year on activities and gifts for their pets. Over the past 12 months this totals to approximately £11.6 billion.The single biggest spend is on trips to the vet (£150 per year). Other significant expenditures include special diets (£58 per year), grooming treatments (£43 per year) and even holidays (£41 per year).
High spending pet parents
Pet owners in London spend the most on average each year by far (£1,284) while those in Wales forked out the least out of all the UK cities (£292).
According to the study, IT professionals were found to splash on average £1,752 a year to look after their cats and dogs, over three times the national average. In contrast, those working in retail and healthcare are the most frugal with their pampering, spending just £338 and £356 a year respectively.
Occupation was also revealed to be a pivotal differentiating factor when it comes to choice in breed, especially amongst dogs. Asda found that healthcare professionals are most likely to favour Spaniels over other breeds of dog. Those working in education meanwhile were most likely to own Retrievers. Finally, manufacturing and construction workers were most likely to be owners of Terriers.
Alistair Ball, head of insurance, Asda Money commented: [Our research shows that we are a nation of pet lovers and when it comes to taking care of them we are willing to go above and beyond, showing just how important our furry friends are. At Asda Money, we want pet owners feel safe in the knowledge that they are protected at all times."
The study was based on research of 2,004 nationally representative UK adults (aged 18+) conducted by Opinium Research for Asda from 7th to 10th April 2017.