The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, including one for Fido sitting way over there…Christmas gifts for pets have become quite the retail industry, with pet owners lining up to spend sometimes hundreds of dollars on the latest and greatest for their beloved pooch or cat.  If you visit any pet store around this time of year, expect to see a vivid Christmas display filled with all kinds of ways to treat your favorite pet this Christmas.

As adults, most of us know that our pets really couldn’t care less about the holidays, except for the extra crumbs falling off of plates and the excitement from us I’m sure they can sense.  So what prompts people to buy stockings for their pets?  For our family, the pets have started getting presents too because the kids think they should.  I admit, it is fun to see the joy on our kids’ faces as the dog tears into a stocking filled with special treats.

For those pet owners without children, their pets often play that role instead.  It makes sense that a devoted pet owner would want to dole out money to buy lavish gifts for their furry “kids”.  In fact, before we had kids, we had a dog who received all of that maternal affection I had no outlet for, and yes, I admit, she also received her very own Christmas stocking.

While it is tempting to poke fun at the folks who do all this for their pets, it really isn’t a whole lot different than buying gifts for extended family or even kids – pet owners do it for the love they hold for their pets.  It really is true that it is better to give than to receive.