In a nation of animal lovers it was only a matter of time before pet food producers cut out the middleman and started to appeal direct to the consumers.
Last week saw Britain's first television broadcast targeted directly at pets with a commercial aimed at selling cat food to cats. But it is not only on the small screen that animals are being given priority.
The pet-friendly advertisement for a top brand of cat food was designed to excite the feline sensibilities with a series of abstract multi-coloured shapes drifting across the screen accompanied by the sounds of birds cheeping and mice squeaking.
Animal behaviourists were recruited by Pedigree Petfoods to design the commercial which producers said would appeal to 60 per cent of cats. The feline experts claimed the domesticated animals would respond to different stimuli from humans and twitch their ears to let their owners know what excited their appetites. Sceptics said their pets showed little interest in the broadcast and the stunt was little more than a clever attempt to get the public talking about a product which is fighting for brand share in a competitive market.
Surveys show that many people, especially the elderly, are willing to spend more on pet food than on their own meals, as manufacturers produce increasingly sophisticated and expensive products.
Pets' spiritual wellbeing is also being taken care of. Next month sees the launch in London of a book of Christian services for animals, including a burial service, healing liturgy and Eucharistic prayers. The 14 liturgies have been compiled by the Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey, a fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford, where he holds the world's first post in Christian Theology and Animal Welfare.