The price of pandemic pets
Lockdown sees the cost of dogs and cats soar
PET prices have soared as lockdown loneliness has convinced many to invest in a cat or canine companion. A new report by price comparison website Go Compare has shown that the cost of some dog breeds has shot up more than fivefold since the pandemic began.
The Brazilian dogo, a muscular walking dog from South America, has seen the highest price rise, of an astonishing £2,250 - or 450 per cent.
Before the lockdown, this breed would typically cost £500. Now dog lovers will have to part with an average of £2,750.
But retrievers are the most inflated breed. Prices have rocketed by 456 per cent, from £450 to £2,500.
The most expensive breed was the toy bulldog, which now costs an average £3,572.64. The breed has also seen the third highest increase, of £1,728.64, almost double the £1,844 cost before the lockdown.
Across 50 dog breeds analysed by Go Compare - based on 580,474 quotes for pet insurance since September 2019 - the average price more than doubled, from £932.27 before lockdown, to £1,898.96.
Meanwhile, among cats the black longhair has seen the highest average rise, of £687.50 from an average of £200 before lockdown, up to £887.
That was followed by the domestic longhair. Before March 23, one of these cats could be purchased for an average price of just £42. Now, the cost has shot up more than 15 times to £662.
Sally Jaques, Pet Expert at Go Compare said: “Since spending more time at home in lockdown, the demand for pets has skyrocketed.
“While people have more time to spend with their pets at the moment, you also have to consider the longterm commitments of being a pet owner.
“For example, working from home will allow you to tend to your pets with more flexibility, but there will inevitably be more time constraints in a post-lockdown world, especially if you will be returning back to work outside the home.
“We would always recommend researching the breed you are interested in and speak to other owners if possible.
“Make sure you understand the nature and personalities of different breeds and their unique needs in relation to what you can offer them.”
The French bulldog was the most popular lockdown dog breed. One of these flat-faced dogs now costs an average of £1,977 (a £736 price rise since before March 25).
Data shows that out of the 97,732 puppies born during lockdown, 9,324 of these were French bulldogs making it a clear Covid-19 favourite.
This breed is loved by pop star Lady Gaga, who offered a $500,000 reward for the return of her two stolen French bulldogs last month. Koji and Gustav were reunited with the singer - and her other dog, Asia - after they had been taken by dog snatchers who shot her dog walker.
Second most popular breed was the labrador retriever, with 7,255 puppies born during lockdown. In third place was the cocker spaniel (5,269 puppies). The least popular breed out of 50 which were analysed, was an akita, with just 204 puppies born.
The most popular cat was the low maintenance moggie, with 12,972 kittens born, followed by ragdolls (704 kittens), a docile breed which first appeared in the UK in the 1960s.