Gay Comfort

Barking Mad

Do lesbians pamper their pets?

In the UK and US we’re spending billions pampering our pooches and mollycoddling our moggies. ERICA ROBERTS asks if lesbians are joining the big spenders in the luxurypet market Britney Spears may have been voted the world’s worst celebrity dog owner, but the US pet industry no doubt adores her.

Granted, the minute she clocked ex-hubby Kevin Federline, her three Chihuahuas seemed to disappear, but in the days when her prized pooches still accompanied her on red-carpet outings, La Spears probably spent the annual combined income of DIVA readers keeping Bit Bit and his canine pals decked in bling.

There’s money in them there Hollywood hills, and pet industry moguls are rubbing their paws in glee. La Spears probably spent the annual combined income of DIVA readers keeping Bit Bit in bling

But pampering pooches isn’t the sole preserve of stars. As in other areas of US consumption, celebs set the standard, the masses follow. If you can’t be famous, at least you can fake the style – and now, so can your pet.

Commercially canny celebrities well know that should their star be waning, there’s always a buck or two to be made from the furry friend market.

Eschewing the traditional ‘release a branded perfume’ business, Snoop Dogg has just brought out a line in pet products. Gangsta gear for hamsters could well be the next craze among US shoppers.

The US pet industry is worth a whopping $36bn, and is overtaking even the toy industry. The market’s flooded with all kinds of wacky pet products and

services: ‘barkmitzvahs’ for Jewish dogs, pet weddings (including designer dresses and tuxes for the blushing brushed bride and groomed groom), luxury pet retirement homes (for those, presumably, who can’t deal with witnessing the twilight years of their beloved owners), designer handbags large enough to carry your Legally Blonde status sleeve-dog, gourmet organic pet food, pet clothes encrusted with Swarovski crystals, elaborate funerals, pet detectives to find Rover when he goes a-roaming – the list’s endless.

And the UK seems to be catching up. In December 2006, Sheba announced that Hollywood director Martha Fiennes is to shoot its latest cat food ad campaign.

Based on Alice in Wonderland, the £1m three-part commercial will be the most expensive pet food ad ever made. The British market will probably yield good returns on that ad budget: a recent survey by British pet charity The Blue Cross found that we spend over £5bn on our pets, with a substantial part of that going on pet food. There’s also a growing trend for pet accessories – most of the high street fashion chain stores have, in the last six months, introduced a pet section.

Julie Rimmer, founder of UK website Gay People With Pets, and devoted owner of Dachshund Guy, says; ‘We’re about three years behind America, but the UK will definitely go as extreme. You can now get pet bakeries and dog birthday parties here – and Harrods has just hosted its first dog wedding. Recently, they did a "catwalk" for dogs, showcasing the latest in high-end designer doggie fashions.’