Pawsitively Purr-fect: Dog and Cat Birthdays Outshine Baby Showers and Gender Reveals!

We know how important your furry friends are to you — after all, pet parenting is a big responsibility. This got us thinking. Everyone likes to spoil their pet every once in a while, like by celebrating when their birthday comes around. At the same time, when a new baby is on the way, adoring mothers enjoy throwing baby showers or gender reveal parties to celebrate the arrival of a new little human. But what are people more interested in? An all-out super cute baby shower with gender reveal balloons and cakes, or putting their dogs and cats in party hats with pet-safe birthday cakes aplenty? Let’s find out.

What we found was a little unexpected. Birthday parties for pets have been increasing in popularity in the last three years, whereas baby showers and gender reveal celebrations are decreasing in popularity.

Paw-ty Animals to Bark-tastic Bashes: Pet Parties on the Rise

Each month, the UK makes around 124,000 online searches about birthday parties and gifts for their cats and dogs. This is compared to around 104,000 online searches relating to gender reveals and baby showers. And, it seems like dog owners are more interested in throwing parties for their canines than cat owners.

Taking a look at the numbers, there are on average, 76,000 searches relating to dog birthdays and gifts, compared to 48,000 for cat birthday-related search terms.

Commonly searched questions on the theme of pet birthday parties, according to data from AlsoAsked, include “How do I celebrate my dog’s birthday” and “How do you give a cat a birthday”. Well, we’ve got some ideas.

Memorable Ways to Celebrate Your Pet's Birthday!

Keen on throwing your own purr-fect birthday party? Here’s a mini checklist to make sure you’ve got all you need to celebrate your pet’s big day.

Guest Paw-ticipation

What’s a party without the people? (and pets!). Before the party, get those invites out. You can use cute pictures of your dog or cat on the invitations and get guests hyped for your pet party. Plus, why not ask humans and their pet babies to wear themed matching outfits? It’s sure to be a winner. You could also have a guestbook open and ready with an ink pad to collect paw print signatures when your esteemed guests arrive. You’re welcome!

The Gifts

Aside from the doggy bag at the end (literally or figuratively) presents can be a little difficult. Your pet probably has a whole load of toys already, some of which started off as your left shoe or a forgotten hair scrunchie. So why not opt for something more practical? Colourful, adjustable dog harnesses can give your pup a bit of vibrant style and you a bit more control on long and exciting walks. Pair with a matching lead, and accessories for a cohesive look. For cats who like to take a wander further than you’d like, get a customised ID tag in your chosen design so people know they’re chipped. That’s the last time Mr. Floofle gets posted in a local Facebook group as “lost”.

The Paw-ty!

Decorate your chosen space with balloons, buntings and pictures of the birthday boy or girl. Just make sure your decor is placed safely up in higher places, so curious guests don’t mistake it for their new favourite toy! Customised and themed food (especially the cake) can go a long way, just make sure you’ve got human and dog/ cat menus available for everyone to feast on. Organise some fun activities, like dog races or cat agility — even if they don’t “work” in the conventional sense, they’ll still be a lot of fun!

The Diminishing Allure of Gender Reveals & Baby Showers

Interest in gender reveal parties has dropped 28% in the last year and 13% in the last three years, according to Google UK search data. It’s not really surprising, given a lot of the British public thinks they’re stupid, with couples pulling stunts like dying pigeons pink. In fact, some common questions around this type of celebration include “Are gender reveals stupid?” and “Are gender reveals tacky?”.

Baby showers, which celebrate the impending birth of a baby, have also declined in popularity. Over the last three years, interest in baby showers has dropped by 21%. But online interest in gender reveals and baby showers still have an audience, especially on social media. Recently, celebrities like Khloe Kardashian are keeping the gender reveal trend going, with a captive audience interested in the baby’s gender.

The idea of a gender reveal party found legs over the pond, 13 years ago in Los Angeles. Equally, the modern “baby shower”, though it has its roots in Ancient Egypt, gained traction in post-world-war America for the baby boomer generation. Even now, gender reveal parties have over 23.2 billion views on TikTok, with 3.1 million related Instagram posts at the time of writing — often still a US-based phenomenon.

So, Why Are Pet Parties So Popular?

Again, celebrities are the main protagonists when it comes to making anything popular, and pet birthdays are no exception. From Paris Hilton to Amanda Seyfried, a lot of celebrities have their own Instagram accounts for their pets. In the age of influencers and the influenced, celebrities often start trends which many people copy in order to try and become their idols through purchases or imitating their lifestyle. And, with the line blurring between celebrity status and social media famous, many people want to create sharable content like adorable cat or dog parties to engage their audience and gain more followers.

But, copying celebrities isn't the only reason pet parties are popular. They’re a great opportunity for your pets to socialise with other animals and learn to improve social skills in or outside an environment they’re familiar with. It’s not just your pets who might benefit either. Pet parties give their owners the opportunity to socialise with friends or make friends with new, like-minded individuals too.
Of course, it goes without saying that a pet's birthday is a unique opportunity to bond with your pet. Cats and dogs are emotionally intelligent and will recognise when their human is paying them special, undivided attention — making the pet party an enjoyable experience for all involved.

Top Harnesses & Accessories for Top Dogs!

At Topdog, we’ve got a range of affordable dog accessories, harnesses and leads to give your dog on their special day. These sturdy and stylishly designed options are a practical gift to stand the test of time and create lifelong memories of enjoyable walks with your furry friend. Our harnesses can be reversed to change the style, or adjusted to fit growing pups for more choice at less of a cost.

Plus, we use as many recyclable materials and packaging — so you can feel reassured you’re making an environmentally friendly choice. Each one of our harnesses represents a different charity, so for every harness sold, we donate £1 to the chosen charity. By choosing us for your dog harnesses, leads and accessories you are helping increase our donations and raise awareness for important issues and organisations.

Explore matching leads and collars, or take a look at some accessories to make your dog's day.