Study on pets' Christmas gifts
Do pet owners buy gifts for their pets at Christmas? What budget do they allocate? What types of gifts do they prefer? And how do they make their choices?
Do pet owners buy gifts for their pets at Christmas? What budget do they allocate? What types of gifts do they prefer? And how do they make their choices?
The holiday season, a cherished time to share moments with family and exchange gifts, isn’t reserved for humans. For the second consecutive year, Weenect surveyed its customers about their habits during Christmas. What special gestures do they reserve for their four-legged companions? This report presents the evolution of trends between 2023 and 2024.
To obtain a comprehensive and accurate perspective, the study is based on a customer survey conducted with around 300 French, German, Belgian, Swiss, and Austrian Weenect clients in 2024 and approximately 1,700 in 2023. The data provides detailed insights into their decisions, habits, and behaviors during the holiday season.
Discover the detailed results of our study, through a series of lessons learned illustrated by graphs.
In 2024, 76.9% of pet owners plan to give their pet a present for Christmas. In 2023, it stood at 82.5%. This small decrease could reflect a tighter economic context or a growing focus on responsible consumption.
Slightly more dog owners (80.4%) than cat owners (74.1%) continue this festive tradition. Despite a decline for both groups compared to 2023, this difference highlights the particular attention dog owners give during the holidays.
For 74.4% of owners, Christmas gifts for their pets are a tradition that began at the time of adoption.
In 2024, we can see that owners' budgets have shrunk. In 2024, 85.5% of owners spent less than 50€ on a gift for their pet, compared with 80.9% in 2023. Higher expenditure (between 50€ and 150€) is rarer with only 12.3% of owners compared with 17.5% in 2023.
Toys (38.6%) and treats (35.4%) are the most popular gifts, with treats showing a significant increase compared to 2023 (+8.2 points). Practical items such as bedding or bowls rank third (12%).
Dogs primarily receive toys (39.2%) and treats (36.3%), whereas cats receive from practical items like bedding (17.3%) alongside toys (37.8%)
In 2024, 66.5% of owners select gifts based on their pet’s preferences, up from 59.5% in 2023. This remains the dominant factor, reflecting an increasing desire to personalize gifts. Online research (15.2%) and price considerations (11.5%) follow as secondary factors.
For 44.8% of owners, their pet is seen as a full-fledged family member, motivating their decision to give a gift. Making the pet happy ranks second (39.1%), followed by the Christmas tradition itself (15.2%), a trend that remains stable from 2023.
In 2024, 54.5% of owners who did not give their pet a Christmas present thought that doing so was unreasonable, compared with 62.8% in 2023, marking a significant drop of 8.2 points. This shift may indicate growing acceptance of this practice. Meanwhile, 20% of respondents say they have never considered it, a figure that remains stable compared to 2023.
Although 40.9% of owners say they can't be persuaded to give their pet a Christmas present, others are sensitive to specific initiatives. Products designed specifically for Christmas (13.6%), promotional offers (12.1%), and positive testimonials from other owners (10.6%) appear as relevant levers.
In 2024, a special meal is the most popular practice (39.3%, +9.4 points from 2023), illustrating the desire to involve pets in the celebrations. Special outfits have seen a sharp decline (-36.3 points). Other trends include photo shoots (13.4%) and Advent calendars (10.2%).
In 2024, 42.4% of owners report that their family members also participate with gifts for their pets, a significant increase from 2023 (+10.7 points). This trend is evident for both dog owners (+5.6 points) and cat owners (+9.1 points), reinforcing the idea that pets are perceived as integral family members.
The Weenect 2024 survey highlights the importance of pets at Christmas. Despite a slight decrease in gift-giving (76.9% vs. 82.5% in 2023), toys and treats remain the most popular choices, often with a budget under 50€.
Traditions are evolving: festive meals, Advent calendars, and photo shoots are growing in popularity, along with increased involvement of loved ones (+10.7 points). Pets are increasingly seen as full-fledged family members.
This year, combine joy and solidarity: Weenect and KONG present a unique Christmas gift set starting at 79.99€. For each set sold, 5€ will be donated to animal shelters, along with KONG toys for their residents. Check out our sets for dogs and cats.
