Pet Gift Statistics 2026: 120+ Stats on Spending & Habits

By the Pet Lover Embroidery Editorial Team · Updated October 1, 2026

Pet gift statistics measure how many pet owners buy presents for their pets, how much they spend and what they choose: a median of 71% of US pet owners buy or plan to buy holiday gifts for their pets across four surveys from 2022 to 2025. This page collects 132 figures from 51 original publications, mostly US surveys from 2022 to 2026, for writers, journalists and gift buyers who need a number with a source. A total of 140 candidate figures were checked against the saved text of their original publication, and 132 are kept. Country and year are stated with each figure, the sample is stated where the source gives one, and weaker sources are marked in the line itself.

Key takeaways: the pet gift numbers that matter most

• 71% of US pet owners buy or plan to buy holiday gifts for their pets, the median of four 2022 to 2025 surveys with a range of 55% to 81%. (Pettable, December 2022), (Circana, December 2023), (USA TODAY / Blueprint, December 2024), (Chewy, December 2025)
• 52% of US dog owners and 41% of US cat owners planned to buy Christmas gifts for their pets in 2024, and dog owners lead by a median of 11 points across five US comparisons. (APPA, December 2024)
• $29.80 is the average per gift for US dog owners who buy Christmas gifts, against $30.70 for cat owners in 2025. (APPA, November 2025)
• $2.1 billion is the planned US spending on Valentine’s Day gifts for pets in 2026, up from $1.7 billion in 2025. (NRF, January 2026)
• 68% of US pet gift buyers bought food or treats in 2023, the top gift in the survey. (Circana, December 2023)
• 27% of Gen Z and Millennial US pet owners have commissioned a custom portrait or artwork of their pet. (The Harris Poll, July 2026)
• 88% of US pet parents say the holidays would not feel complete without their pets (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• $158 billion was US pet industry spending in 2025, up 3.7%. (APPA, March 2026)

How many pet owners buy gifts for their pets?

Most US pet owners buy gifts for their pets: surveys from 2022 to 2025 put the share between 55% and 81%. Dog owners buy more often than cat owners, and 35% of US Valentine’s Day celebrants plan a gift for their pet in 2026.

What share of US pet owners buy holiday gifts for their pets?

A median of 71% of US pet owners buy or plan to buy holiday gifts for their pets across four 2022 to 2025 surveys, and the surveys range from 55% to 81%. Each survey words the question differently, so the lines below keep the original wording.

• 78% of US pet parents buy at least one present for their pet at the holidays in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). It is the newest US figure on this list. (Chewy, December 2025)
• 81% of US pet owners planned to buy holiday or Christmas gifts for their dogs, cats and other pets in a September 2024 Blueprint/USA TODAY survey. It is the highest of the four surveys behind the median. (USA TODAY / Blueprint, December 2024)
• 55% of US pet owners buy holiday gifts for their pets in an October 2023 Circana survey. It is the lowest of the four, and it asks about buying, not planning. (Circana, December 2023)
• 64% of US owners plan to put a gift under the tree for their pet in Pettable’s 2022 survey of 1,000 Americans. The question is about a plan, not a completed purchase. (Pettable, December 2022)
• Nearly 80% of US pet parents plan to include their pets in holiday gifting in a 2022 Petco survey of 1,000 US dog and cat parents. The source gives no exact figure, so it stays out of the median. (Petco, October 2022)
• 70% of US dog and cat owners purchase gifts for pets during Christmas and winter holidays in the 2019 Packaged Facts report headline. The survey is older than the four behind the median. (Packaged Facts, November 2019)
• 96% of US pet parents had purchased holiday gifts for their pets in PetSafe’s December 2020 survey of more than 1,900 responses. It is the highest share on this list and comes from 2020. (PetSafe, December 2020)
• 31% of US adults will buy a holiday surprise for their pet in YouGov’s December 2019 data. The base is all US adults, so the figure is not comparable with owner-only shares. (YouGov, December 2019)
• 74% of pet parents purchase Christmas gifts for their dogs in a November 2025 Woofz survey of 2,000 pet owners, with amounts in US dollars and no country stated. The missing country limits how far the figure travels. (Woofz, December 2025)
• 50% of UK pet owners who celebrate Christmas get Christmas gifts for their pets in Petplan’s survey of 2,000 owners. The Petplan page carries no year, and a December 2025 trade report dates the survey. (Petplan, December 2025)
• 19% of Irish pet owners did not buy their pet a Christmas gift in 2022, up from 10% in 2021, in a Pet Sitters Ireland survey of 1,000 cat and dog owners. The share of non-buyers rose 9 points in one year. (Pet Sitters Ireland, March 2023)
• 76.9% of pet owners in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria plan to give their pet a Christmas present in 2024, down from 82.5% in 2023, in a Weenect survey of about 300 customers of its GPS-tracker brand. The drop is 5.6 points in a customer panel, not a national sample. (Weenect, December 2025)
• 84.18% of respondents in France plan to put a gift for their pet under the Christmas tree in Weenect’s 2025 survey of over 1,500 of its customers. It is a second customer panel, not a national sample. (Weenect, November 2025)

Do dog owners buy pet gifts more often than cat owners?

Dog owners buy holiday gifts for their pets more often than cat owners do in all seven comparisons below. The median gap is 11 points across five US comparisons and 9 points across seven comparisons that add the UK and Europe.

• 52% of US dog owners and 41% of US cat owners planned to buy Christmas gifts for their pets in APPA’s 2024 gift guide. The gap is 11 points. (APPA, December 2024)
• 50% of US dog owners and 41% of US cat owners purchase Christmas gifts for their pets in APPA’s 2025 gift guide. The gap is 9 points. (APPA, November 2025)
• 78% of US dog owners and 72% of US cat owners purchase special gifts or treats for their pets during the Christmas and winter holiday season in the 2019 Packaged Facts report. The gap is 6 points, and the question includes treats. (Packaged Facts, November 2019)
• 59% of US dog owners will buy a holiday gift for their pet, against 34% of cat owners, in SunTrust’s 2019 poll of 2,500 adults. The 25-point gap is the widest on the list. (SunTrust, November 2019)
• 34% of US dog owners said their dogs will receive a holiday present, and 22% of cats can expect presents under the tree, in a November 2022 Morning Consult survey of 2,200 adults for Personal Capital. The source states the cat figure as a share of cats, so the base differs slightly from the dog figure. (Morning Consult for Personal Capital, December 2022)
• 52% of UK dog owners and 45% of UK cat owners give their pets a Christmas present in Petplan’s survey of 2,000 pet owners who celebrate Christmas (December 2025, survey page undated). The gap is 7 points. (Petplan, December 2025)
• 80.4% of dog owners and 74.1% of cat owners in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria plan a Christmas present for their pet in Weenect’s 2024 customer survey of about 300 people. The gap is 6.3 points. (Weenect, December 2025)
• 83% of 1,123 readers of My Cat Magazine who answered a Catit poll planned to buy their cat a holiday gift in December 2025. It is a reader poll, not a representative sample. (Catit, January 2026)

Which generations spoil their pets with gifts most?

Younger owners lead older owners in every comparison below that splits pet gift buying or spending by age group.

• 5.46 gifts per year is the average for US pet owners under age 33, against 4.42 for all respondents, in an October 2023 Circana survey. Owners under 33 buy the most gifts of any age group. (Circana, December 2023)
• 63% of US Gen Z and 57% of US millennials will buy their pet a holiday gift, against 51% of Gen X and 46% of Boomers, in SunTrust’s 2019 poll of 2,500 adults. (SunTrust, November 2019)
• 21% of US Gen Z and Millennial pet parents spend $100 or more on holiday gifts for their pets, against 13% of Gen X and 4% of Boomers, in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• 39% of Gen Z pet owners aged 18 to 25 spoil their pets with birthday presents in a Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 US pet owners (fieldwork date not stated). Forbes Advisor names Gen Z the most likely group to do so. (Forbes Advisor, September 2026)
• £46 is the highest average UK spend on pet presents, held by Millennials ahead of Gen Z at £44, in Petplan’s December 2025 survey of 2,000 owners (survey page undated). (Petplan, December 2025)

Which occasions besides Christmas get pet gifts?

Pet owners buy gifts for Valentine’s Day, birthdays and everyday occasions, and dress their pets up for Halloween. The share of US Valentine’s Day celebrants who buy a gift for their pet rose from 19% a decade ago to 35% in 2026, a gain of 16 points.

• 35% of US consumers plan to buy Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets in 2026, a record in an NRF and Prosper Insights survey of 7,791 adults. (NRF, January 2026)
• 19% of people celebrating Valentine’s Day planned gifts for their pets a decade ago, and NRF reports that average spending on those gifts has more than tripled since. The 2026 share of 35% is 16 points higher. (NRF, February 2026)
• 68% of American pet owners plan to buy their pet a Valentine’s Day gift in a February 2026 survey of 1,000 US pet owners by Fractl for MetLife Pet Insurance. The base is pet owners, while NRF’s base is Valentine’s Day celebrants, so the two shares are not comparable. (MetLife Pet Insurance, February 2026)
• 29% of US pet owners are more excited to give a Valentine’s Day gift to their pet than to a romantic partner in the same MetLife Pet Insurance survey. (MetLife Pet Insurance, February 2026)
• 23% of US consumers plan to dress up their pets for Halloween in NRF’s September 2025 survey of 8,045 consumers. (NRF, September 2025)
• 58% of US pet owners buy gifts for their pets on regular or everyday occasions in an October 2023 Circana survey. That is more than the 55% who buy holiday gifts in the same survey. (Circana, December 2023)
• 51% of dog owners would pick a present for their pet over a treat for their partner in a November 2025 Woofz survey of 2,000 pet owners (country not stated, amounts in US dollars). (Woofz, December 2025)
• 37% of Australians surveyed buy their pet both a birthday present and a Christmas present in Budget Direct’s 2024 survey of 1,000 Australians aged over 18. (Budget Direct, October 2024)

How much do people spend on pet gifts?

US owners who buy Christmas gifts spend about $30 on each: APPA’s 2025 gift guide puts the average at $29.80 for dog owners and $30.70 for cat owners. The sections below report spending per gift, by occasion and on birthdays, because no primary source for a total of all holiday pet gifts was found.

What is the average holiday gift spend per pet or per household?

US dog owners who buy a Christmas gift spend an average of $29.80 per gift, and cat owners spend $30.70, in APPA’s 2025 gift guide. MetLife Pet Insurance’s 2026 survey puts the average planned Valentine’s Day spend per pet at $29.

• $29.80 is the average US dog owners spend per Christmas gift, and $30.70 is the average for US cat owners, in APPA’s 2025 Pets Add Life Holiday Gift Guide. (APPA, November 2025)
• $29 is the average US pet owners expect to spend on their pet for Valentine’s Day in a February 2026 survey of 1,000 US pet owners by Fractl for MetLife Pet Insurance. (MetLife Pet Insurance, February 2026)
• $137 is the average US pet owners planned to spend on their pets for the holidays in SunTrust’s 2019 poll of 2,500 adults. The figure is a per-owner holiday total, not a price per gift. (SunTrust, November 2019)
• 15% of US pet owners planned to spend $51 to $75 on their pets’ holiday gifts in a September 2024 Blueprint/USA TODAY survey. (USA TODAY / Blueprint, December 2024)
• 6% of US respondents in the same survey would spend more than $1,000 on pet gifts, as a combined total. (USA TODAY / Blueprint, December 2024)
• 4.42 gifts per year is the average US pet owners bought for their pet in an October 2023 Circana survey. (Circana, December 2023)
• 47% of US pet parents will buy three or more gifts for their pet in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• £37 is the average UK pet owners spend on Christmas gifts for their animals in Petplan’s survey of 2,000 owners (December 2025, survey page undated). (Petplan, December 2025)
• £42 is the average UK dog owners spend on Christmas presents, against £28 for cat owners, in the same Petplan survey (survey page undated). (Petplan, December 2025)
• 85.5% of owners in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria spent less than 50 euros on their pet’s Christmas gift in 2024, up from 80.9% in 2023, in a Weenect survey of about 300 customers. (Weenect, December 2025)

How much do owners spend on pet gifts for specific occasions?

Planned US spending on Valentine’s Day gifts for pets is $2.1 billion in 2026, and planned spending on pet Halloween costumes is $0.86 billion in 2025, according to NRF. Each total covers one occasion, so the figures do not add up to a holiday total.

• $2.1 billion is the planned US spending on Valentine’s Day gifts for pets in 2026, up from $1.7 billion in 2025, in an NRF and Prosper Insights survey of 7,791 adults. The rise is $0.4 billion, about 24% when computed from the rounded figures. (NRF, January 2026)
• $0.86 billion is the planned US spending on Halloween costumes for pets in 2025 in an NRF and Prosper Insights survey of 8,045 consumers. (NRF, September 2025)
• $700 million was the projected US spending on pet Halloween costumes in 2023, in line with 2022, in NRF’s September 2023 survey. NRF’s 2025 projection is higher. (NRF, September 2023)
• 3.1 million UK households will spend more on gifts for their pets than on any other family member, from an October 2025 Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults for Pets at Home (18% of 17.2 million pet-owning households). The figure comes from the Pets at Home press release as reposted by VetClick. (Pets at Home, December 2025)

How much do owners spend on pet birthdays?

UK adults spend an average of £75 on a cat’s birthday and £65 on a dog’s in Thortful’s 2023 survey, and 50% of US owners buy their pet a birthday gift in Circana’s 2023 survey. No primary US dollar average for pet birthdays was found.

• 50% of US pet owners buy a gift for their pet on its birthday in an October 2023 Circana survey. (Circana, December 2023)
• 44% of US dog owners and 32% of US cat owners purchase birthday gifts for their pets in APPA’s 2024 gift guide. (APPA, December 2024)
• 41% of US Gen Z and Millennial pet owners have organized a birthday party or celebration for their pet in an April 2026 Harris Poll of 919 owners. (The Harris Poll, July 2026)
• 34% of Gen Z pet owners aged 18 to 25 spoil their pets with birthday cakes in a Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 US pet owners (fieldwork date not stated). (Forbes Advisor, September 2026)
• £75 is the average a Brit spends on a cat’s birthday, against £65 for a dog’s, in an August 2023 Thortful survey of 1,500 Brits. (Thortful, September 2023)
• 61% of Brits buy their pet special presents for its birthday in the same Thortful survey. (Thortful, September 2023)
• 53.5% of Brits are willing to spend more on their pet’s birthday than they would for others in the same Thortful survey. (Thortful, September 2023)
• 32% of UK pet owners would spend more on their pet’s birthday than their own in a 2026 MoneySuperMarket survey (sample size not stated). (MoneySuperMarket, May 2026)
• 36% of UK pet owners share their dog’s birthday on social media in the same MoneySuperMarket survey. (MoneySuperMarket, May 2026)

What do people buy as pet gifts?

Food and treats lead US pet gift purchases: 68% of gift buyers chose them in Circana’s 2023 survey, ahead of squeaky toys and chew toys at 46% each. Clothing and personalized items are smaller shares.

Which pet gifts do owners buy most, and where do they shop?

Treats and toys are the two most common pet gifts, and the order depends on the survey: food or treats lead in Circana’s 2023 US survey at 68%, and toys lead in Pettable’s 2022 survey at 52%.

• 68% of US pet gift buyers bought food or treats, the top gift, in an October 2023 Circana survey. (Circana, December 2023)
• 46% of the same US gift buyers bought squeaky toys and 46% bought chew toys in the Circana survey. (Circana, December 2023)
• 58% of US pet owners pamper their pets with indulgent treats in the 2019 Packaged Facts report. (Packaged Facts, November 2019)
• 52% of US owners planning Christmas gifts will buy toys, and 34% will buy treats, in Pettable’s 2022 survey of 1,000 Americans. (Pettable, December 2022)
• 37% of US pet owners plan treats as their Valentine’s Day pet gift, the most popular pick, ahead of toys at 30% and clothing at 10%, in a February 2026 survey for MetLife Pet Insurance. (MetLife Pet Insurance, February 2026)
• 65% of US pet gift buyers choose new treats and 61% choose toys, the two most common holiday gifts for pets, in SunTrust’s 2019 poll of 2,500 adults. (SunTrust, November 2019)
• Nearly 75% of US pet parents typically get their pets toys for the holidays in a 2022 Petco survey of 1,000 US dog and cat parents. (Petco, October 2022)
• 39% of US Gen Z and Millennial pet owners have subscribed to a monthly pet subscription box for toys and treats in an April 2026 Harris Poll of 919 owners. (The Harris Poll, July 2026)
• 30% more dog gift searches and 16% more cat gift searches were recorded year over year on Etsy in August 2026. It is marketplace search data, not a survey. (Etsy, August 2026)
• 90% of US pet gift buyers shopped in store and 70% shopped online in the past year, in the October 2023 Circana survey. The shares exceed 100% together because many buyers use both channels. (Circana, December 2023)
• 64% of UK owners give treats and specialty food, the most popular Christmas pet gift, in Petplan’s December 2025 survey of 2,000 owners (survey page undated). (Petplan, December 2025)
• 38.6% of pet owners in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria give toys, the most popular Christmas gift for pets in 2024, ahead of treats at 35.4%, in a Weenect survey of about 300 customers. (Weenect, December 2025)
• 66.9% of French respondents give toys, the top item on the Christmas gift list for pets, in Weenect’s 2025 survey of over 1,500 customers. (Weenect, November 2025)

How many owners buy clothing and costumes for their pets, and how big is the clothing market?

Clothing is a smaller part of pet gifts than treats or toys in US gift surveys: 9% in Pettable’s 2022 survey and 19% in SunTrust’s 2019 poll. Four research firms estimate the 2025 global pet clothing market at a median of $6.52 billion.

• 9% of US owners planning Christmas gifts will give new clothes and accessories in Pettable’s 2022 survey of 1,000 Americans. (Pettable, December 2022)
• 19% of US pet gift buyers choose holiday clothing in SunTrust’s 2019 poll of 2,500 adults. (SunTrust, November 2019)
• 49% of US respondents were buying clothes for their pets in a September 2024 Blueprint/USA TODAY survey. The wording is buying clothes for pets, not clothing as a gift type, so it is not comparable with the shares above. (USA TODAY / Blueprint, December 2024)
• 45% of US pet parents have already picked out matching outfits or accessories for the holidays in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• 47% of US Millennial and Gen Z pet parents dress their pets in sweaters or hoodies for the holidays, against 21% of Boomers, in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• 30% of US Gen Z and Millennial pet owners have dressed their pet in designer clothing in an April 2026 Harris Poll of 919 owners. (The Harris Poll, July 2026)
• 32% of Gen Z pet owners aged 18 to 25 spoil their pets with clothing or costumes in a Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 US pet owners (fieldwork date not stated). (Forbes Advisor, September 2026)
• 9.8% is the figure NRF gives for a pumpkin, the most popular pet Halloween costume, in its September 2025 survey of 8,045 US consumers. (NRF, September 2025)
• 25% of UK adults say they are more likely to buy a new festive outfit for their pet than for themselves in an October 2025 Opinium survey of 2,000 adults for Pets at Home, as reposted by VetClick. (Pets at Home, December 2025)
• $5,693.6 million is the global pet apparel market in 2025, growing 5.3% a year to 2035, in a Future Market Insights estimate. It is a research-firm estimate with an apparel scope. (Future Market Insights, April 2025)
• $6.12 billion is the global pet clothing market in 2025 in an Expert Market Research estimate. It is a research-firm estimate, not audited sales. (Expert Market Research, 2026)
• $6.92 billion is the global pet clothing market in 2025 in a Market Data Forecast estimate. It is a research-firm estimate. (Market Data Forecast, September 2026)
• $7.13 billion is the global pet clothing market in 2025 in a TechSci Research estimate, growing to $9.79 billion by 2031. It is the highest of the four estimates. (TechSci Research, 2026)

Do owners buy personalized pet gifts and gifts for other people’s pets?

Personalized pet gifts attract 27% to 29% of owners in three surveys with different bases: 28% planned a pet portrait in 2024, 29% of dog owners give personalized gifts such as nametags and bowls, and 27% of Gen Z and Millennial owners have commissioned a custom portrait.

• 28% of US pet owners planned to treat themselves and their pet to a special pet portrait in a September 2024 Blueprint/USA TODAY survey. (USA TODAY / Blueprint, December 2024)
• 27% of US Gen Z and Millennial pet owners have commissioned a custom portrait or artwork of their pet in an April 2026 Harris Poll of 919 owners. (The Harris Poll, July 2026)
• 29% of dog owners give personalized dog gifts such as nametags and bowls in a November 2025 Woofz survey of 2,000 pet owners (country not stated, amounts in US dollars). (Woofz, December 2025)
• 17% more cat portrait searches and 7% more custom dog portrait searches were recorded year over year on Etsy in August 2026. It is marketplace search data, not a survey. (Etsy, August 2026)
• 50% of US pet parents planned to buy a present for a friend’s or relative’s pet in Petco’s November 2016 survey (sample size not stated). The survey is older than five years. (Petco, November 2016)
• 86% of US pet parents include pets that are not theirs on the holiday shopping list in PetSafe’s December 2020 survey of more than 1,900 responses. (PetSafe, December 2020)

Pet Lover Embroidery’s personalized pet gifts guide compares embroidered pet gifts by recipient and occasion.

How are pets part of holiday celebrations?

Pets are part of holiday celebrations for most US pet parents: 88% say the holidays would not feel complete without their pets in Chewy’s 2025 survey.

How many owners include pets in holiday traditions such as stockings and travel?

Between 54% and 97% of US owners include pets in holiday traditions, depending on the tradition: 97% in seasonal activities in PetSafe’s 2020 survey and 54% give pets their own stocking in Chewy’s 2025 survey.

• 88% of US pet parents say the holidays would not feel complete without their pets in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• 97% of US pet parents include their dog or cat in seasonal activities such as caroling or watching Christmas movies in PetSafe’s December 2020 survey of more than 1,900 responses. (PetSafe, December 2020)
• 54% of US pets get their own holiday stocking in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• 63% of US holiday travelers will travel with their pet in Pettable’s 2022 survey of 1,000 Americans. (Pettable, December 2022)
• 80% of Petco shoppers in the US consider their pets part of the family when celebrating and gifting during the holidays in a 2023 Petco shopper survey (sample size not stated). The base is Petco shoppers only. (Petco, October 2023)
• 43% of UK pet owners plan their festive celebrations around their pets in an October 2025 Opinium survey of 2,000 adults for Pets at Home, as reposted by VetClick. (Pets at Home, December 2025)

How many owners take holiday photos with their pets and put them on cards?

Holiday photos with pets are common: 64% of US pet parents take holiday photos with their pets in Chewy’s 2025 survey, and 51% of pet parents in the same survey put those photos in holiday cards.

• 64% of US pet parents take holiday photos with their pets in Chewy’s 2025 survey (sample size not stated). (Chewy, December 2025)
• 55% of UK dog owners include their pet in family photos, against 36% of cat owners, in Petplan’s December 2025 survey of 2,000 owners (survey page undated). (Petplan, December 2025)
• 26% of UK pet owners say their pet features in every family photo in an October 2025 Opinium survey for Pets at Home, as reposted by VetClick. (Pets at Home, December 2025)
• 10% of UK pet owners say their pet is the sole star of the family Christmas card in the same Opinium survey, as reposted by VetClick. (Pets at Home, December 2025)

Should pets be given as gifts, and what does research say?

Giving a pet as a gift rarely lowered attachment in a 2013 US survey published in the journal Animals: only seven of 222 recipients reported that it decreased their love or attachment. The measure is the recipient’s attachment, not the animal’s welfare.

• 222 respondents said they had received a dog or cat as a gift in the past 10 years or so in a 2013 peer-reviewed US survey in the journal Animals. (Animals (MDPI), October 2013)
• 7 of those 222 respondents reported that receiving the animal as a gift decreased their self-perceived love or attachment in the same study. (Animals (MDPI), October 2013)
• Nearly 1 in 10 people in the UK know someone who has been given a dog or cat as a Christmas gift in a December 2025 Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults for Petgevity. (Petgevity, December 2025)

The bigger picture: US pet spending and ownership

US pet industry spending reached $158 billion in 2025 and 95 million US households own at least one pet, according to APPA.

How much do Americans spend on pets each year?

Americans spent $158 billion on pets in 2025 according to APPA, and Packaged Facts estimates the US pet market at $155 billion, a gap of 1.9% between the two.

• $158 billion was US pet industry expenditure in 2025, up 3.7%, in APPA’s State of the Industry Report (March 2026). (APPA, March 2026)
• $155 billion is the current size of the US pet market in a Packaged Facts research-firm estimate (Pet Market Outlook 2026 to 2027). (Packaged Facts, 2026)
• $102.8 billion was US pet expenditure by the end of 2021, up from $57.8 billion in 2013, in Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys. BLS measures consumer expenditure, so the figure does not line up with APPA’s industry total. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2023)
• 77.9% was the rise in US pet expenditure between 2013 and 2021 in the same BLS data. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2023)
• 22% of US pet owners spent less on their pets in 2025, a 10% increase from 2024, in APPA’s March 2026 report. (APPA, March 2026)
• 69% of US dog and cat owners would cut spending on themselves before cutting spending on their pets in a July 2026 Harris Poll for AICPA of 1,419 owners. (AICPA, August 2026)
• 62% of US pet owners have a budget for spending on their pet in the same Harris Poll for AICPA. (AICPA, August 2026)
• 42% is how much higher the prices of US pet services such as vet bills and grooming are than in 2019, against a 22% rise for pet food and treats, in a May 2025 Bank of America Institute report. (Bank of America Institute, May 2025)
• 32% of Canadian dog and cat owners spend between $50 and $99 monthly on food, treats and litter in a 2026 Caddle survey of 2,184 owners for Pet Valu. (Pet Valu, 2026)
• $21.3 billion is the estimated amount Australians spent to feed and look after their pets in a 2025 Animal Medicines Australia national survey. (Animal Medicines Australia, September 2025)

How many US households own a pet?

95 million US households own at least one pet in APPA’s National Pet Owners Survey for 2025, and survey estimates of pet ownership among US adults range from 62% to 77%.

• 95 million US households own at least one pet in APPA’s National Pet Owners Survey for 2025, reported in its March 2026 State of the Industry Report. (APPA, March 2026)
• 77% of US adults own at least one kind of pet, up 3 points since 2024, in an April 2026 Harris Poll of 2,070 adults. (The Harris Poll, July 2026)
• 62% of US adults own a pet in an April 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 5,073 adults, and 35% own more than one. (Pew Research Center, July 2023)
• 42.6% of US households own a dog (56.3 million households) in the 2025 AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook, an opt-in online survey. (AVMA, 2025)
• 32.6% of US households own a cat (43.1 million households) in the same AVMA sourcebook. (AVMA, 2025)
• 48% of US adult citizens currently have at least one dog in a January 2025 YouGov poll of 2,223 people. (YouGov, January 2025)
• 36% of US adult citizens currently have at least one cat in the same YouGov poll. (YouGov, January 2025)
• 73% (7.7 million) of Australian households have a pet in a March 2025 Animal Medicines Australia national survey. (Animal Medicines Australia, September 2025)
• 62% of UK households own one of the UK’s 36.5 million pets in a January 2026 UK Pet Food survey of 8,951 respondents. (UK Pet Food, January 2026)

Do owners consider their pets family?

Most pet owners consider their pets family: 97% of US owners say pets are part of their family in Pew Research Center’s 2023 survey, and 95% say so in a 2026 AICPA survey.

• 97% of US pet owners say their pets are part of their family in an April 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 2,963 pet owners. (Pew Research Center, July 2023)
• 95% of US pet owners consider their pet a member of the family in a July 2026 Harris Poll for AICPA of 1,419 dog and cat owners. (AICPA, August 2026)
• 88% of US pet parents agree that their dog is part of the family in a February 2026 Rover survey of 1,000 pet parents. (Rover, February 2026)
• 76% of US respondents completely agree that their pets are part of the family in a January 2024 Packaged Facts survey of pet owners. (Packaged Facts, January 2024)
• 51% of US pet owners say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member in the April 2023 Pew Research Center survey. (Pew Research Center, July 2023)
• 87% of Canadian pet owners agree their pet is a full family member in a 2026 Caddle survey for Pet Valu. (Pet Valu, 2026)

Median pet gift statistics across studies

The medians below are calculated for this page from the primary figures cited in the sections above, and every row lists its inputs by publisher and year. Each median uses the single stated figure of each study, and unlike samples are never averaged.

How it was calculated: each median is the middle value of the listed inputs, and with four inputs it is the mean of the two middle values. The dog and cat gap is the dog owner share minus the cat owner share in each survey, in percentage points. Petco’s 2022 “nearly 80%” is left out of the first median because it is not an exact figure, and adding it as 80% moves the median to 78%. The highest market estimate is 25% above the lowest, and each firm defines the clothing category in its own way. The first median mixes questions about plans and about purchases, so it describes the middle of a range and not one measured rate.

The table above compares two readings of the same measure in the same survey series. The percentage for Valentine’s Day spending comes from figures rounded to $0.1 billion, so it is approximate. APPA’s $158 billion and Packaged Facts’ $155 billion for the 2025 US pet market differ by 1.9%.

The ownership table lists five US sources side by side without averaging them, because each source counts a different unit and uses a different method.

Cite this chart: <a href="https://petloverembroidery.com/pet-portrait-guides/pet-gift-statistics/">Pet gift statistics (Pet Lover Embroidery, 2026)</a>

What these pet gift statistics mean in practice

• A median of 71% describes the middle of a wide range, and the range of 55% to 81% is the safer number to quote. The four surveys ask different questions of different samples, so a writer citing one survey should repeat its wording.
• APPA’s 2025 per-gift averages sit near $30, and 6% of respondents in one 2024 survey planned to spend more than $1,000, so a single average hides a spread.
• Dog owners are the larger gift market. More US households own a dog (42.6%) than a cat (32.6%), and dog owners lead cat owners by a median of 11 points in the US comparisons, with the same direction in the UK and Europe. Younger owners lead older owners in every comparison that splits results by age.
• Treats and toys dominate pet gifts, while clothing is 9% to 19% in the two US gift-type surveys that isolate it and personalized items draw 27% to 29%. A personalized gift is made for one pet, which is how it differs from the treats and toys that lead the surveys.
• Gift buyers choose by recipient first. Dog Lover Gifts, Cat Lover Gifts and Dog Mom Gifts list embroidered gifts for that kind of pet owner, including portraits made from a pet photo.

Methodology

Sources were found by searching for the question each section answers and tracing every figure back to its original publication: the survey owner, a trade association, a government statistics office or a market research firm. Roundup articles and news coverage of other organizations’ surveys served only as leads, and a figure that could not be traced to an original page was not used.

The page uses primary sources only. Each figure appears in the saved text of its source page, and the number was checked against that text. All source pages were retrieved and checked on October 1, 2026.

Every line states the country and the year of the survey or report, and the sample where the source gives one. Within each list, US figures come before figures from other countries, and non-US figures carry their country. Surveys older than five years stay as labeled context, with the year in the line, when they add a comparison or cover a question that newer primary surveys do not.

A line carries a caution label when the source does not state its sample size (several retailer and brand survey pages), when the poll is a reader poll or a customer panel, when the data is marketplace search data, when the figure is a research-firm estimate, when the page is a reposted press release, or when the page carries no year.

Duplicate figures, figures from secondary reports, figures from vendors without a stated method, figures whose country or year could not be established and figures for a wider product category than the question were left out. No figure on this page comes from a survey run by the publisher.

Derived figures use the single stated figure of each study and never average unlike samples. The inputs, the formula and the rounding of each derived figure appear in the tables above. Amounts keep the currency of the source and are not converted.

The page is reviewed every quarter for dead links and newer figures from the same sources, and it is updated each year. The URL stays the same across updates.

How to cite this page

Cite the page as: Pet Lover Embroidery, Pet Gift Statistics 2026, updated October 1, 2026, https://petloverembroidery.com/pet-portrait-guides/pet-gift-statistics/. To link to it, use <a href="https://petloverembroidery.com/pet-portrait-guides/pet-gift-statistics/">Pet gift statistics (Pet Lover Embroidery, 2026)</a>. When quoting a figure, cite the original source named in its line.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of pet owners buy gifts for their pets?

A median of 71% of US pet owners buy or plan to buy holiday gifts for their pets across four 2022 to 2025 surveys, with a range of 55% to 81%. Circana’s 2023 survey found 55%, and Blueprint/USA TODAY’s 2024 survey found 81%.

Do dog owners buy more pet gifts than cat owners?

Yes. Dog owners lead cat owners in all seven surveys compared, by 6 to 25 points, with a median gap of 11 points in the US. APPA’s 2024 gift guide found 52% of dog owners and 41% of cat owners planned to buy Christmas gifts.

How much do people spend on a gift for their pet?

US dog owners who buy a Christmas gift spend an average of $29.80 per gift and cat owners spend $30.70, according to APPA’s 2025 gift guide. UK owners spend an average of £37 on Christmas gifts for their animals, according to Petplan.

What do people buy as gifts for their pets?

Food, treats and toys lead. In Circana’s 2023 US survey, 68% of gift buyers bought food or treats and 46% bought squeaky toys, while Pettable’s 2022 survey found 9% giving new clothes and accessories.

How much do Americans spend on pets each year?

Americans spent $158 billion on pets in 2025, according to APPA, and Packaged Facts estimates the US pet market at $155 billion.

How many US households own a pet?

95 million US households own at least one pet, according to APPA’s 2025 National Pet Owners Survey. Survey estimates among US adults range from 62% in Pew Research Center’s 2023 survey to 77% in The Harris Poll’s 2026 survey.

Sources

1. AICPA and CIMA with The Harris Poll, pets are family and budgets show it (August 2026)
2. American Pet Products Association, 2024 Pets Add Life Holiday Gift Guide (December 2024)
3. American Pet Products Association, Pets Add Life Holiday Gift Guide 2025 (November 2025)
4. American Pet Products Association, US pet industry reaches $158 billion in 2025 (March 2026)
5. American Veterinary Medical Association, US pet ownership statistics (2025)
6. Animal Medicines Australia, pets in Australia national survey (September 2025)
7. Animals (MDPI) via PubMed Central, pets given as gifts survey (October 2013)
8. Bank of America Institute, US pet ownership (May 2025)
9. Budget Direct, pet care survey (October 2024)
10. Catit, over 80% of cat lovers buy their cat gifts (January 2026)
11. Chewy, holiday trend report (December 2025)
12. Circana, Tis the season for pet gifts (December 2023)
13. Etsy, Etsy insights on pet shopping trends (August 2026)
14. Expert Market Research, pet clothing market (2026)
15. Forbes Advisor, pet ownership statistics (September 2026)
16. Future Market Insights, pet apparel market (April 2025)
17. Market Data Forecast, pet clothing market (September 2026)
18. MetLife Pet Insurance, puppy love vs people love (February 2026)
19. MoneySuperMarket, pet spending boom and birthday trend (May 2026)
20. National Retail Federation, Halloween spending survey 2023 (September 2023)
21. National Retail Federation, Halloween spending survey 2025 (September 2025)
22. National Retail Federation, pets get all the love this Valentine’s Day (February 2026)
23. National Retail Federation, Valentine’s Day spending expected to reach new records (January 2026)
24. Packaged Facts via PR Newswire, 70% of dog and cat owners purchase gifts for pets during Christmas and winter holidays (November 2019)
25. Packaged Facts, Gen Z and Millennials as pet market consumers (January 2024)
26. Packaged Facts, US pet market outlook (2026)
27. Personal Capital with Morning Consult, more Americans plan to buy gifts for their pets than in-laws (December 2022)
28. Pet Sitters Ireland, pet survey (March 2023)
29. Pet Valu with Caddle, Canadian pet industry statistics (2026)
30. Petco, 2016 survey on holiday gifts for pets (November 2016)
31. Petco, holiday shop and shopper survey (October 2023)
32. Petco, one-stop holiday shop for pets and pet parents (October 2022)
33. Petgevity, should pets ever be given as Christmas gifts (December 2025)
34. Petplan UK, Christmas traditions (December 2025)
35. Pets at Home press release on the Opinium survey, reposted by VetClick (December 2025)
36. PetSafe, survey shows that 96% of pet parents give their pets gifts (December 2020)
37. Pettable, holiday pet survey (December 2022)
38. Pew Research Center, about half of US pet owners say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member (July 2023)
39. Rover, pet parenting trends (February 2026)
40. SunTrust, Financial Confidence Index holiday pet gift poll (November 2019)
41. TechSci Research, pet clothing market (2026)
42. The Harris Poll, 2026 The State of Pets (July 2026)
43. Thortful, how much Brits spend on their pet’s birthday (September 2023)
44. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we love our pets and our spending proves it (November 2023)
45. UK Pet Food, UK pet population (January 2026)
46. USA TODAY with Blueprint, pet spending holiday statistics (December 2024)
47. Weenect Lab, pets Christmas gifts study (December 2025)
48. Weenect, pet budget survey press release (November 2025)
49. Woofz, Christmas gifts for dogs (December 2025)
50. YouGov, holiday gifts for pets, not coworkers (December 2019)
51. YouGov, most dog and cat owners say their pets know them well (January 2025)