According to a study of search trends of Internet retailers and b2b sites this holiday season, pet owners will purchase 2.5 times more Christmas gifts for dogs than for cats.
Retail company SLI Systems researched the activity of eight pet market websites in the United States, UK, and Australia.
The findings show that dog gifts were far more popular than gifts for any other pet, and the type of gift a dog is most likely to receive is all about getting Buddy a good night’s sleep. “Dog bed” searches were more than twice as common as the next most popular search, “dog collar.” Other items dogs are likely to find in their stockings: toys, treats, coats, bowls, sweaters, crates, chew toys, and of course, bones.
Even though owners are more likely to shell out money for their pups, cats need not fear a blue Christmas. Bring on the kitty toys! The top searched item for cats this year was “cat toy” followed by “scratch” items, beds, catnip, collars, treats, carriers, bowls, trees, and the Rolls Royce of kitty luxury, the cat condo.
Another interesting analysis from the consumer pet search data: Californians love their pets!
According to the same study, 9.2% of all dog gift searches were performed by Californians. New York came in second, followed by Florida, and a tie between Pennsylvania and Texas.
And which states love kitties the most? California again, with more than 10% of cat-gift searches originating from the Golden State. New York came in second, followed by Pennsylvania, Florida, and Wisconsin.
No matter what their species, pets scored big in the 2016 holiday season, with the average pet owner spending $62 on gifts for their furry or feathered friends.