To turn our collective attention away from the sinking economy, incessant downgrades, mortgage horrors, unemployment, riots, monsoons and other seasonal niceties; we can look at how the economy is effecting those nearest to us: our pets. After reading a short piece in The Guardian recently about Christmas austerity for our animals – spare a thought for our fine furry friends and how they might be suffering through the global downturn also.
According to a source in the article, Scott Jefferson, marketing director from Pets at Home, “Smaller gifts such as hamster beds are very popular and affordable and our advent calendars for dogs are in high demand. Customers are downsizing where necessary but don’t want to miss out on celebrating Christmas with their pets.” So there you go, Chrisitne Lagarde from the IMF may not have to step in and subsidize Christmas with a highly disputed loan injection after all. The statistics, at least in America, suggest that ‘pet spending’ is still on the rise every year despite the tough economic climate.
And America, of course, leads the way in all things ridiculous and seasonal attire for domestic animals is no exception. Apparently, “Flashing antlers and collars with bells tend to be popular in America,” whilst their transatlantic cousins in Britain prefer a more subdued Santa hat for dogs, or ‘seasonal snuggle beds’ for rabbits. Either way, the piece warned of the dangers of feeding your pet too much from the family table, especially chocolate, which is toxic for many critters. Be careful, and no matter how tough it is out there, don’t be tempted to serve the family pet instead of the usual fare – that is, unless, you are China, Vietnam or Korea – then, remember to remove the flashing antlers first. Happy Christmas.
