YET ANOTHER consumer opinion poll has confirmed what pet owners in the UK already know – we love our animals and we spend millions of pounds on them every year.

The survey, carried out by TNS market researchers for Halifax Pet Insurance reports that annual UK spending on cats and dogs has topped £520 million.

On average, dog owners spend £282 a year on each animal and cat owners £92 for each cat. Men spend an average £335 per dog and women £229. On cats, men spend £41 while women splash out an average of £127 per cat per year.

When it comes to acquiring an animal 40% of dogs compared with 8% of cats, are bought from breeders. A third of cats are acquired from friends of the owner and 23% of dogs come from rescue centres.

Halifax says that we seriously underestimate the cost of vets’ bills, by on average 103%.
Nearly a third of cats came from friends of the owner, while 23% of dogs came from animal rescue centres.

* With thanks to Steve O’Malley, UK Pets