Find out what owners are most likely to buy as a present
Leading online greeting card experts Moonpig conducted a survey to uncover the lengths people go to celebrate their furry friend's birthday.
It comes as no surprise that the recent survey, which polled 1,000 pet owners, revealed almost two-thirds (64%) celebrate their pet’s birthday or other major milestone moments in their life, such as their “gotcha day” (adoption day).
The research found that Gen-Z and millennials are most likely to throw their pets a birthday party with 83% and 79% saying they have done this respectively. While older generations (aged 55+) less likely to celebrate their pet's birthday, with just two-fifths (39%) citing they had done this.
Interestingly, the survey also confirmed the growing popularity of throwing your pet a birthday party, with more than one in ten (14%) respondents who hadn’t already done this admitting they would consider it.
Half of Brits sign a greeting card from their pet
Moonpig found that half of Brits (51%) sign a greeting card from their pets. Similarly, 47% of Brits have bought a greeting card for their pet, with two thirds of those aged between 25-34 most likely to buy their pet a greeting card, closely followed by those aged between 45-54 (48%) and 35-44 (43%).
When it comes to signing off your card, the research found that our furry friends are most definitely putting paw to paper with almost three in five women (58%) admitting they were likely to include their pet's name when signing a card, compared to just 46% of men.
Brits spend over £1.7 billion a year on their pet’s presents
The research found that pet owners spent an average of £80 on birthday presents for their companions, equating to a whopping £1.7 billion* a year across the UK!
Three in five Brits have given their pet a birthday present
The data revealed how Brits choose to celebrate their pets on their birthday, with 59% having bought them a birthday present. The data found that Brits are most likely to buy their pets a new chew toy (72%), gourmet pet food (64%) and go for extra walks or playtime (63%) on their birthday.
|
Rank |
Pet Birthday Activity or Gift |
% Who Have Done This |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Bought a new toy for their pet’s birthday |
72% |
|
2 |
Bought a gourmet treat or special food item |
64% |
|
3 |
Gave their pet extra walks, playtime, or affection for their birthday |
63% |
|
4 |
Bought a comfortable item (e.g. bed, blanket) |
63% |
|
5 |
Bought a practical item (e.g. leash, grooming tool) |
55% |
|
6 |
Posted about their pet’s birthday or milestone on social media |
57% |
|
7 |
Bought a fashionable item (e.g. clothing, collar, bandana) |
52% |
|
8 |
Held a party or celebration for their pet |
50% |
|
9 |
Included their pet’s name when signing a greeting card |
50% |
|
10 |
Gave a custom-made or personalised gift |
49% |
When looking at who were the most gift-giving pet parents, both males and females share affection for their pets equally, with 58% having bought their pet a gift or taken them for more walks or playtime. Both genders were most likely to treat their pets to a new chew toy for their birthday, 69% and 77%, respectively, and almost two-thirds (63%) of men were likely to gift their pet gourmet food, whereas over two-thirds (67%) of women favoured extra walks and playtime.
Britain’s most spoiled pets on their birthday
Interestingly, it wasn’t dogs or cats which came out as the most spoiled pets. When asked if they celebrated their pet's milestones, Guinea pig owners came out on top, with 80% saying they do this, followed by parrot (79%) and hamster owners (77%). Whilst only 62% and 68% of cat and dog owners said they celebrated their pet's birthdays and other milestones.
When asked about whether they posted about their pet's birthday on social media, almost two-thirds (62%) of cat owners said they did this in comparison to under 58% of dog owners. 56% of dog owners included their four-legged friend's name when signing a card, while 51% of cat owners did the same. Similarly, over half (56%) of guinea pig owners posted about their birthday on social media.
Over two-fifths of Brits consider pets as part of the family
When asked why they celebrate their pet’s birthdays, almost half (45%) of Brits said it was because they are considered a part of the family. Other main reasons Brits are so keen to celebrate their pets were because they deserve to be treated (42%), to show them they love them (40%) and it makes their pets happy (37%).
One in three Brits revealed that throwing their pet a party was a way to create lasting memories. Furthermore, one in eight said throwing their pet a party was so that they could create content on social media. Interestingly, men (14%) were more likely to do this than women (9%).
Sarah-Jane Porter, Moonpig’s Global Design & Licensing Director comments: “We know how much it means to celebrate milestone moments with our loved ones, and as a nation of pet lovers it’s not surprising we want to extend the love to our furry companions too. Over the last few years we’ve committed to building on and expanding our range of personalised cards to and from the pet as we know they are just as much a part of the family as anyone and celebrating the moments in their life is equally as important.”