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Britons spent £2.6 billion on cat and dog purchases in the past five years, according to Halifax Pet Insurance.

Dogs account for the greater proportion of this, figures published by Halifax show, with about £2 billion spent on purchasing a canine companion.

Meanwhile, £639 million was spent on feline friends at an average cost of £92 per cat.

Vicky Watson, product manager for pet insurance at Halifax, said: "The research reinforces the perception of Britain as a nation of pet lovers who are happy to spend large amounts of money to purchase their perfect pet."

However, she added that it is "worrying" that a majority (59 per cent) of pet owners stated they had not investigated the potential costs of veterinary treatment or recurring expenditure on food.

On average, men were seen to spend more on dogs, while women preferred cats, spending more than twice as much per animal than their male counterparts.

The firms Spanish wing, Banco Halifax Hispania, this week advised holidaymakers to "start early" if wishing to travel with their pets as the countrys animal passport process may take up to six months to complete.

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