The holiday season is upon us, and pet owners are keenly aware of the opportunities that lie ahead to show their four-legged friends some love. According to a CivicScience survey of more than 3,500 pet owners, 65% of pet owners report they’re at least somewhat likely to purchase their pet(s) a holiday gift this year.

Another survey found that 62% of pet owners have a holiday pet budget this year. Rebased below to show only those spending on pet gifts, most plan to keep their pet gifting budget under $50, with smaller, but not insignificant, percentages spending upwards of $100 or more. 

Pet owners that are buying gifts for their animals this year are more likely to be looking forward to the holidays as usual this year, as compared to those who are not.

In general, owners of just felines (as well people who own both dogs and cats) are much less likely to shop for their pets this holiday than dog owners. This is shadowed in specific spend data: among people who are buying pet gifts, dog owners, as well as those who have at least one dog and cat, are spending more than cat owners overall. 

Location, Location

Among holiday pet gifters, online retailers are seeing a lot of love. Amazon is the top destination for holiday pet shoppers at 20%, but Chewy and Walmart aren’t far behind at all, each at 14%. Holiday pet purchasers are much less likely to shop at Petco (7%) and even Target (5%). 

In general, we’ve seen a lot of year-over-year growth in adoption of Chewy.com, to the tune of 33% of U.S. adults reporting they’ve shopped on the website in 2020 (compared to 25% in 2019).

When comparing specific holiday shopping with funds allocated for pet gifts, pet owners purchasing their pooch’s gift at Target, Chewy, or Petco plan to spend the most this year.

Cat owners who are shopping this holiday for their animals are more likely to utilize Chewy, while owners of one of more dogs are the most likely to shop via Amazon. Dual pet owners (owners of one or more cats and dogs) are the most likely to opt for Walmart or PetSmart.

Who Is the Holiday Pet Shopper?

Middle-aged Americans are more likely to be purchasing pet gifts this holiday season, as are people in upper-income households. And, while it’s only slightly more, men are more likely to be purchasing pet gifts this holiday than women are.

Lastly, CivicScience data reveals that those who have been working remotely as a result of the pandemic are more likely than those who work somewhere in person to be purchasing pet gifts. Among other factors, perhaps spending more time with pets has strengthened the bond between pooch (or feline) and human.