Clothes For Pets

Clothes for Pets
Years ago my Gran used to put a peculiar little blanket-type-thing on her ancient Yorkshire Terrier when taking it for a walk.
The children who would pass her by used to laugh as the tiny shivering dog waddled along in its hideous green outfit. I declined the invitation to accompany my Gran on her walks as often as I could, but sometimes I simply didn't have an excuse to hand.
Having endured the laughter of my peers I quickly learnt two things; 1) how to make up excuses on the spot, and; 2) animals in clothes are funny.
From my old Gran's Yorkie's green body warmer, to the now retired Tetley's Tea commercial apes, pets in clothes are pretty much a guaranteed laugh, especially with kids. However, pet owners outfitting their pooches with pullovers, and moggies with macs is becoming more and more common.
Clothes for pets, especially cats and dogs would appear to be rather big business, as a quick Google search will show. Prices range from, a surprisingly expensive, £15 for a 'Beware of the owner' T-shirt, to £190 for a matching 'Blushing Brides' wedding gown and 'Bridegroom Tuxedo'. Curiously, clothing for ferrets can also be found easily, and ranges include hoodies, sweaters, and even a hat incorporating miniature reindeer horns...for Christmas, naturally.
With all this clothing on offer for your pets, there is inevitably an ethical and moral issue. Again trawling the depths of a Google search, one sees an active debate on the issue of pet clothing. Those against the idea in any form are certainly vocal in their opposition: “It's terrible!!!!!!!! It should be illegal” is one reply to the question of dog clothing.
Another user says that “It is a human fad and not at all fair on the animals”, but later backtracks a little with “...if a dog is old and feels the cold a well fitting coat is probably OK...”
Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, a spokeswoman for the department of veterinary medicine, has said that: “While I am not generally in favour of clothes for pets 'just because', I do believe that jackets and outerwear do have a purpose, depending on the pet and the climate.”
Invariably, as is the custom these days, it is celebrities who are partly responsible for this current trend of dressing up our pets. Trust-fund socialite Paris Hilton is barely ever seen without her chihuahua Tinkerbell, who regularly displays the latest in canine fashion. Even rapper Snoop Dogg is keen to cash in on the 1.2 billion dollar pet clothing industry, with his own line that includes basketball jerseys and a 'Doggfather' hooded sweatshirt.
However seriously the advocates of this fashion trend take the industry, I am inclined to feel doubt as to whether we will all be outfitting our beloved cats and dogs in years to come, but, as something to merely bring out the inner child in us, whether dressing them up or laughing them down, pets in clothes will always be funny,