Survey Reveals Whether Cats Or Dogs Receive More Holiday Gifts

With the holidays around the corner, consumers across the United States are prepping their shopping lists. And to no animal lover's surprise, pets are a top concern for shoppers, a new poll conducted by SunTrust confirms. But what is a tad surprising? Holiday spending on pets is biased toward a specific type of furry friend, and the statistic might leave some pet owners shaking their head.

Last year was the first opportunity I had to buy holiday presents for my cats, and it was a pretty fun experience. That is until their interest wore off seconds after receiving the toys, with my little enchiladas preferring to sit in the empty boxes instead. I suppose cats and kids are similar in this way — there's just something so intoxicating about a cardboard cube, I guess.

Perhaps cats being hard to please explains why dog owners are 59% more likely to buy a gift for pet compared to 34% of cat owners. That being said, I'm surprised the difference is fairly high — cats deserve to be spoiled, too! What's more? As a cat owner myself, I can confidently say we don't give up, continuing to solider on in the face of ambivalence. So yes, I will get my tortie and calico presents again this year.

And in case you're wondering, pet owners spend an average of $137 on their pets for the holidays.

Speaking of presents, the most popular items are new treats and toys, ranking at 65% and 61%, respectively, followed by holiday clothing at 19%. Considering 99% of pets hate holiday clothing, this tracks.

Another fitting finding revolves around which generation spends the most on their pets. Younger pet owners are more likely to buy their pets a present this year, leading with Gen Z at 63%, followed by millennials with 57%. Gen X clocks in at 51%, while Boomers rank at 46%. Ok, boomer.

Of course, you're not a bad pet owner if you don't buy your pet a holiday gift, because I don't think they're keeping score. Scratch that — cats definitely have naughty lists.