It's a dog's life for Britain's pets

Despite the boom in the pet food and petcare market, a new report from MINTEL finds that pets are being squeezed out of our homes, due to the changes in traditional family life. This shift in British society has led to an increasing number of single-person households and households with two full time earners, leaving many British with little spare time to look after a four legged friend, especially ones that require exercise and company. Indeed, the percentage of British households with a pet has fallen from almost 55% in 1999 to fewer than half (48%) today.The falling number of children has also contributed to this decline in pet ownership, as they are often the driving force behind buying a pet. What is more, even in those families that do have children, the demand for pets may not be as strong as it once was, since many kids now prefer to immerse themselves in the world of computer games and TV programmes.