Growth in market for creature comforts
Products for pampered pooches are on the up as owners grow more attached to their pets, a study from Mintel Research suggests.

There have been 465 product launches worldwide this so far this year, one-and-a-half times the number recorded last year.

The pet paraphernalia ranges from haircare kits and doggy highlights to stress pills and sprays that mimic the pheromones in a lactating bitch, said to comfort dogs in stressful situations.

A spokesperson for Pets at Home, the UK's biggest pet retailer said: 'Pets have become an important part of the family and we like to indulge them as such. We want them to enjoy the same experience we do. Pet owners are now spending nearly£3.5 billion a year on grooming products for pets and this has risen by 25 per cent in the past five years. As the UK's leading pet care retailer, we don't see this trend slowing down.'

North America continues to dominate the sector, accounting for 58 per cent of product launches since 2003. Europe follows closely, with 16 per cent.