Best Xmas gifts for pets

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From toys to new furniture, Christmas presents for pets are growing - and so is owner indulgence.

Just in case your Christmas list isn't already long enough, increasing numbers of Kiwi pet-owners are making sure their beloved animals are not missing out on the fun - ensuring there's something under the tree for their dog or cat.

A previous survey by the Real Petfood Company, manufacturers of Jimbo's, showed 85 per cent of dog owners and 74 per cent of cat owners sometimes or always buy their pet a Christmas present.

"This ties in with our other findings that the majority of pet owners regard their animal as a part of the family," says country manager Dave Allan. "Making them feel like a family member is a priority for many pet owners; buying them presents at Christmas is part of that. Why should they miss out when everyone else is getting gifts?"

Allan says many owners don't necessarily buy large or expensive presents for their animals, with new toys and food treats popular choices. He adds that, as with human babies, often the wrapping paper is a greater attraction than what lies inside.

But not everyone's giving their pet a chew toy in bright paper. A survey of pet owners in the UK last Christmas showed more than half of owners were spending more on their animals than their parents, cousins or children.

Two-thirds of those surveyed had an annual budget of up to £100 (NZ$185) to spoil their pet over the festive season, giving them snacks, toys and accessories. The survey showed 79 per cent even admitted to buying an advent calendar so their pets could 'count down' to the big day.

After toys, the second most popular Christmas gifts for dogs and cats was a festive outfit, though whether that was appreciated by the pets themselves was not recorded. Treat foods, new beds and trips to the grooming parlour were other popular presents.

In the US, toys for pets are big business, estimated by market research firm Packaged Facts to be worth around US$1 billion, up from US $849 million in 2011. Toys for dogs and cats make up 28 per cent of the US$3.7 billion overall durable pet-care products market - and sales are projected to continue to increase.

The human-animal bond is played up in marketing, the company noted, with developing themes in pet toy marketing and new product development, including health-focused or exercise products, pet versions of human-style products and natural or eco-friendly attributes.

Technology and automation are other big features in the new generation of pet toys and other products, from self-cleaning litter boxes to automated feeders and waterers, to 'smart' collars using Bluetooth technology to monitor your pet's movements.

So, if you're looking to add a little something under the tree for your pet, what are the big sellers?

Popular items for cats range from simple rubber and rope toys to hi-tech items designed to help keep the pet active and entertained, such as robotic mice, play circuits with balls to chase and automated laser-pointers to produce a moving dot to drive cats wild.

Dogs are a bit simpler: top toys tend to be things that squeak, can be chewed or fetched, or preferably all three.

For the cat or dog that has everything, now they can have stylish furniture too. Swedish furniture giant Ikea has recently released a range of accessories for pets, from baskets and cat 'hideaways' to scratching posts, feed bowls, leads and collars, and even poo bags, in three different colours.

The range is called 'Lurvig', Swedish for 'shaggy', and is designed to integrate with the manufacturer's human furniture products. You just need a friend in Japan, France, Canada, the US or Portugal, where the range is available, to buy you some and get it shipped over in time for Christmas.