Merchants of bling pant over pet market
Owners are prepared to spend big on treating their furry companions
PETS are having a merry festive season this year.
There’s almost no limit to what some pet owners are prepared to spend to keep their furry friends in the lap of luxury, and top designers are keen to cash in.
Versace have come up with a pet bowl for R11 500 which the Italian fashion design company describes as a “Barocco canine dining enhancer”, made of porcelain with 22ct gold-leaf edging and accents.
Gucci is top dog with its R8 000 designer dog collar and Louis Vuitton has a version that goes for R5 175. Roberto Cavalli has an entire range devoted to canine couture and upmarket New York department store Neiman Marcus has a R1 500 cashmere sweater with crystal detailing on offer.
Even Lady Gaga has launched a fashion and accessory line for pets.
For the dog that kicks up a stink a French company has created Les Poochs VIP — the 120ml bottle will set you back R60 000. It is “picked and distilled only once every two years from the petals of the rare Osmanthus flower”.
For fat cats Swarovski has created a studded cat flap for the moggy that wants to make a R25 000 entrance. If that strains the budget, a Swarovski crystal kitty collar is yours for a mere R3 000.
And at the end of the Christmas day, the dog-tired mutt can get his forty winks on a bed from the biggest online pet boutique, Posh Puppy.
The Beverly Hills Black & White Bed, upholstered in Italian pearlised white vinyl with a black faux fur bottom and bolster pillow, goes for a cool R24 000.
Of course, there are more reasonable options.
A DVD is a far cheaper gift — and if reviews are anything to go by, will be far more appreciated by your feline. On offer from Amazon is the Cat Sitter DVD Trilogy for R450. Apparently Volume II, 70 Exotic Birds!, is the most popular.
Mewvie, The Motion Picture for Your Cat is available online at a cost of R225 for either episode 1, “Backyard Buffet” or episode 2, “Birdland Bonanza”.
Here at home, although the choice is not as expansive or as expensive, pet parents still indulge their furry children.
Amber Jordan, owner of A Pets Life, South Africa’s oldest online pet store, says sales rise significantly during November.
The store sells a range of niche items that are not available in the average bricks and mortar pet store, including doggy life flotation jackets, car hammocks, High Top dog shoes, water fountains that purify, filter and aerate the water, cat laser toys and a selection of food treats including rooibos dog biscuits.
“I have a very personal relationship with my clients,” said Jordan. Clients regularly sent in photos of their pets with their orders. “I often add a little treat into the parcel.”
She generally had a handle on the market, she said, but it could be hard to predict what would take the fancy of pet “parents”.
“Lately we have had a huge growth in a Canadian brand high-protein pet food and at one point we went through a stage of not being able to keep up with the demand for bling — everyone wanted a diamanté collar.”
She has had some odd requests over the years.
“At the outset I had a spate of requests from people in India wanting me to send them baby ostriches. We also have regular requests for wedding outfits — people who want their dogs to be ring bearers. I haven’t been able to provide that service yet, but I’m working on it.”
We went through a stage of not being able to keep up with the demand for bling