Brits are choosing to get a new pet in place of starting a family, according to a new survey. A total of 37 per cent of people said they would get their broody partner a pet instead of having children, according to the research conducted by Petplan, the UK’s leading pet insurance provider. The decision to put family life on hold in favour of nurturing a four-legged friend was almost equally divided between men and women, a meagre one per cent majority of men preferring pet ownership to fatherhood.

One in 20 married couples surveyed admitted to having already purchased a cat or dog instead of starting a family while 17 per cent of people got a pet because they didn’t like coming home to an empty house. A dog was the most popular pet to have in place of children followed by a cat.

The survey also revealed that you can forget names like Rover, Buster and Fluffy, pets are more likely to be named Molly, Alfie and Charlie.

The popular human monikers have now become favourites among pet owners with eight of the top ten pet names more commonly used to name children.

A spokesman for animal insurance specialists Petplan, said: “This research shows that we are treating our pets more like members of our family than ever before, and we are even naming them as we would our children. Our records show, the way we name our pets often reflects what is happening in society at any given time. For example, we saw a sudden rise in the name ‘Alfie’ when Shane Richie’s character in Eastenders became popular. And just last week, we had a customer register two kittens named ‘Credit’ and ‘Crunch’!”

Further findings from the survey showed:

• Molly and Willow are the most popular names for a cat, while Molly is a common name for dogs, rabbits and reptiles. Oscar is the favourite name for a rodent such as a gerbil or hamster, and Holly, Bobby, Rocky and Sparky are among the top choices for birds;
• A worried 32 per cent of people practised calling possible pet names out loud before making a final decision to make sure the name wasn’t too embarrassing;
• Twenty-three per cent of people say their pet’s name was chosen by a combination of family members, while 18 per cent let the children decide what to call the animal;
• Forty-five per cent of people chose their pet because it was loving and 34 per cent said its faithfulness was the main reason for choosing it; and
• Eleven per cent of Brits named their pets after a food or drink.

New research from Petmeds.co.uk, the leading online UK pet health store, has revealed the cost of keeping a pet has increased by £7.6million a week in the past two years, with UK adults now spending £93.6 million a week on their animals*.

But Petmeds warns this is just the beginning and says things are set to get much worse as soaring pet food and medication costs push up animal costs and could lead to millions of pets being abandoned or failing to get vital medication and veterinary checks.

RSPCA figures show an increase in abandoned animals left with the charity last year, up from 6,500 in 2005 to 9,500 in 2007 and Petmeds is calling for the Government and the pet industry to work together and establish a Pet Poverty Fund to prevent the situation getting worse.

Petmeds argues the fund should be available as an option of last resort to which pet owners struggling in the face of rising costs can apply for help. As part of a Pet Poverty Fund initiative, Petmeds is prepared to provide flea and worming treatment for all pets bought in pet rescue centres for the next 12 months as part of a Pet Poverty Fund to help under pressure pet owners.

“The UK is rightly known as a nation of animal lovers but the reality is that many pet owners are really struggling to pay higher food and medication bills for their animals when they are already facing huge increases in their own food, energy and household costs,” states Petmeds.co.uk managing director Ricky Thomas.

“We believe the Government should look at funding a Pet Poverty fund for those pet owners most in need. If people feel compelled to start abandoning their animals or can’t afford to buy vital medication and veterinary treatment, we could face a major national problem which would fall upon charities, local authorities and the Government to address. By providing a Pet Poverty fund we can at least start to address these issues and work with owners to ensure their pets remain safe, well and in the family home.
“We’d also urge pet owners to look for sensible ways to save money on pet costs during the current climate without compromising their animals’ health or wellbeing, such as looking for bulk buy discounts or ways to source medication for less.”

Petmeds has launched its own forum for pet owners to exchange tips and ideas on caring for pets and also aims to undercut the cost of medication from vets by an average of 50%.

Petmeds is a leading and trusted UK pet health store supplying the public with genuine veterinary items at discounted prices. The company offers over 2,000 items for all animal health needs including prescriptions. Most items are sent within 24 hours and Petmeds guarantees to beat any price by 5% or more.

* Findings based on PetMeds analysis of ONS Family Spending Survey statistics

Covent Garden based design and build agency CogWorks have created the first UK website for Agria Pet Insurance.

The website was created to introduce Agria, the largest pet insurance company in the Scandinavian region, to the UK market and to provide a platform to launch a range of new products and services in the future.

“The website has been designed to keep in-line with the Agria brand in Sweden.” said Adam Shallcross, Managing Director of CogWorks. “The site will be updated over the coming months to provide more information about Agria and the range of services they provide” he added.

Agria Animal Insurance, who purchased Petpartners Plc last year, is a specialist company of the Länsförsäkrings Alliance which is comprised of 24 regional mutual insurance companies together with the jointly owned Länsförsäkrings AB, the hub of the Alliance.

The research firm Datamonitor has forecast that the pet insurance market in Britain will grow to almost £600 million in 2011, from nearly £380 million in 2006.

“We are very pleased with the new website, and feel it is a good base to work from.” said Matthew Henderson, of Agria.

The cost of routine visits to the vet has shot up in the last five years meaning owners are having to fork out more to keep their pet healthy. Figures from the Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons show that since 2002, the price of regular treatment has soared over 20%*.

Tesco Pet Insurance is offering a 40% discount to new customers buying cover online (20% over the phone) from 6th March until 2nd April 2008.

Allan Burns, head of Tesco Pet Insurance, comments, “Vets fees are becoming more expensive and it is important to know that in the event of an accident or unexpected illness your pet’s medical treatment can be paid for. We are offering a special discount to encourage pet owners to ensure their cat or dog is protected. Pet owners are responsible for ensuring their pets are kept healthy and happy and that includes picking up expensive vets fees if they’ve no insurance“.

According to research by Mintel, just over one third of pet owners (38%) feel they cannot easily afford all the veterinary costs for their pet(s). Perhaps now they can. Prices start from as little as £5.73 per month for dogs and £3.24 for cats.

*Information from Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons. Analysis of vets fees between 2002 and 2007.

A leading provider of pet health insurance, announced today that health insurance for pets in the United Kingdom is growing at a record rate.

CEO, Russell Smith stated, “According to Mintel, a leading analyst firm whose U.K. research spans more than three decades, the pet health insurance market in the U.K. is worth more than GBP 245 million, or over $495 million. There are currently over 1.85 million pet health insurance policies in place, and approximately 50 pet health insurance providers in the country.”

He continued, “U.K. Pet Health Insurance providers include: TESCO, a major online grocery store, Blue Cross, an international leader in healthcare insurance services, Pedigree, Pet Plan (an Allianz company whose gross premium income exceeds GBP 1,634 million), The Kennel Club, Equine & Livestock and AXA Insurance (a company that serves more than 50 million customers with more than GBP 1,091 billion in assets).

“Providers of health insurance for pets in the United Kingdom understand the importance of sophisticated pet health insurance programs that provide ‘lifetime coverage’ and other important benefits. At ensurApet, we understand this need, which is why our plans are currently the only program in the United States to offer lifetime coverage along with other critical benefits desired by pet owners. As the market grows for pet health insurance in the United States, we are confident that our plans will set the standard for excellence in the industry.”

A combination of growing financial difficulties, the rising cost of owning a pet and the ‘Christmas present’ factor could make 2008 one of the worst years for pets being abandoned

Petmeds.co.uk, the UK pet health store, believes that 2008 could be one of the worst years ever for people abandoning pet cats and dogs, and it is concerned that many rescue centres will not be able to cope with the influx of animals.

To help animal rescue centres cope with the influx of abandoned animals, the company is offering them below cost-price medication as well as giving free flea and worming treatments to the new owners.

The company says that there are three key factors behind the possibility of 2008 being one of the worst years ever for pets being abandoned:

1. Financial difficulties: A growing number of people are struggling financially due to rising bills and an increase in their cost of living. Therefore, pet owners in this category may see their animals as an unnecessary cost or an expense they cannot afford, even with pet insurance available to help towards any medical costs

2. The rising cost in owning pets: Veterinary fees and the rising cost of medication for pets have meant that owning an animal is now more expensive than ever before. Indeed, Petmeds.co.uk, which offers attractive discounts on animal medication, has seen average costs rise by around 7% over the past 12 months(2).

3. The Christmas pet rush: Research(1) from Petmeds.co.uk reveals that 1.3 million people planned to buy a dog for Christmas, and 875,000 intended to purchase a cat. Sadly, once the excitement of having a pet fades and people become aware of the full responsibility and cost involved in owning a pet, some decide to get rid of their animals.

Ricky Thomas, managing director of Petmeds.co.uk said: “People often get excited about buying a pet, without really taking into account what pet ownership entails. With dogs for example, you should always consider the characteristics of the different breeds, the time needed to look after the animal properly, and the costs of food, vaccinations, vet bills and insurance. A dog can cost well over £10,000 during the course of its lifespan, and this can often be a major contributory factor to pets being abandoned. And in the current difficult financial environment, people become more aware of the costs involved in owning a pet.

“Animal rescue centres have a difficult enough time trying to look after and find new homes for unwanted pets, so the least we can do is help them out with the costs of the essential treatments needed to look after neglected animals. In a nation of animal lovers, we urge any companies or individuals who care about the welfare of our animals to get behind the incredible work performed by these organisations, and donate what they can.”

(1) PetMeds commissioned the consumer omnibus research conducted by GfK NOP to interview 1,000 people between 30th November and 2nd December 2007. GfK NOP uses a large sample size that reflects the demographic profile of GB. Given this it is possible to extrapolate figures and make projections from the research results within appropriate confidence intervals
(2) Based on the prices of the 100 best-selling pet health products available through PetMeds between May and December 2006, and May and December 2007.