FEATURES
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Pet Pampering
words Magnus Huntly-Grant
H
ave we gone barking mad? The credit crunch Christmas is upon us and
pampering and expensive jewellery seem a little further out of reach than
last year. But there’s a small and somewhat more hirsute section of society
who would snort derisively at anything less than the finest. Despite having no income
themselves, they are immune to the credit crisis. They are the world’s pampered pets.
Paris and Britney unwittingly unleashed a culture which is less accessories for
pets than pets as accessories. Juicy Couture for day wear plus a bit of bling around
the neck and designer handbags as transport, it seems a pampered pooch is the
ultimate status symbol.
So, how pampered is yours? The answer is likely to be ‘very’ if recent research
from Mintel is anything to go by. The pet accessories and healthcare market
enjoyed a four per cent increase on last year, bringing the UK market towards a
national spend of £484 million. Sales have grown by a whopping 19 per cent since
2003 and it’s not just the super rich who are following the trend. 27 per cent of
owners treat their pet like a child and are happy to spend a fortune on them.
Pet grooming per se is not such a new trend, even in Edinburgh - ‘Christines’
on Gorgie Road has been caring for pooches since 1964 - but the pet market is
more extravagant than ever. This summer Harrods opened a huge pet department
where dry biscuits sit alongside fake fur coats for the four legged.
Stateside, Evangers Dog and Cat Food Company will prepare whole mackerel
and joints of beef for your hungry little connoisseur, animalstars.com hand make
specialised diamond collars, and www.holisticpetpampering.com take a more
natural approach to your pet’s health by offering reiki and the likes.
The devotion we have developed for our pets may be a little eccentric but more
concerning are the extremities of the growing trend in China and Brazil for canine
F r o n t i e r s
cosmetic surgery; procedures designed to improve the animal’s cuteness ratio.
That’s definitely pampering in extremis but if it’s simply a case of ‘treat others
Clothing that’s
as you want to be treated’, pet lovers could be checking in to London’s five star
a little bit different
Milestone Hotel. The ‘Pampered Pet Package’ caters for four legged guests and
their owners, offering one night’s accommodation, a pet gift basket, a customised
16 Stafford Street
massage for two and a grooming session at Pet’s Perfection, dinner and martinis
Tel: (0131) 476 3449
for you and your partner and a gourmet meal for pooch plus Pet Turndown
Service. All this, with a framed photo of you and your pet taken during your stay,
254 Canongate Royal Mile
from £575. Now, where did that saying ‘it’s a dog’s life’ come from..?
Tel: (0131) 556 2791
www.milestonehotel.com
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 10am - 6pm
Christine’s Dog Parlour, 478 Gorgie Road, EH11 2RY, Tel: 0131 337 1391,
Sunday: 12 - 5pm
www.christinesdogparlour.co.uk
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