Cat owners buy twice as much sparkling as dog owners

According to a recent survey of more than 1700 pet owners by wine retailer Cellarmasters, cat owners drink more than double the amount of sparkling wine than dog owners.

Meanwhile, pooch pals prefer to drink big red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

“A lot of our customers fall into one of two camps; they’re either lovers of whites and sparkling, or fans of big, bold reds," said Christine Ricketts, Cellar Director at Cellarmasters.

"It’s surprisingly black and white, and reminded us of the divide between dog and cat lovers. So when we got the survey results, it blew us away that there’s a correlation between these two camps.”   

The survey also showed cat owners drink more Sauvignon Blanc than dog owners. 

Dr Robert Zammit of Vineyard Vet said he was not surprised by the findings. 

“Cats are the aristocrats of the world, and regal cat owners especially are quite sophisticated, so I’m not surprised cat owners enjoy bubbles,” said Dr Zammit.   

“Dog owners like to spend time outside with their furry friends, and there’s nothing better than coming home to a glass of warming red wine, so it makes complete sense.”

Dr Zammit added that this disparity is especially visible in the pet show circuit.

“In between shows, cat owners will take their pets with them and enjoy lunch and bubbles, while dog owners tend to stay ring-side with a glass of red,” he said.

The Vineyard Vet himself has several cats, 14 dogs and other pets such as birds. 

“I guess that means I like to drink a bit of anything – and I have two wine fridges full to the brim! Joking aside, if I had to choose, I am definitely more of a dog person and just like the data suggests, I prefer reds,” he said. 

The name of Dr Zammit’s practice – Vineyard Vet – comes from the namesake area in NSW where it is located. This was the region where the first vines were planted in Australia. 

Christine’s wine recommendation for dog owners: Cat Amongst the Pigeons Alley Cat Barossa Shiraz 2016. "This elegant style of 2016 Barossa Shiraz is made from a few small parcels of fruit, and the result is a rich and spicy palate of dark berry and cassis fruit, with fine-grain tannins on the finish."  

Christine’s wine recommendation for cat owners: Riversdale Estate Crux Sparkling NV Tasmanian sparkling is renowned for being on par with the quality of French Champagne. "This sensational Tassie sparkling comes from an award-winning boutique winery that's been gaining acclaim for the quality of their cool climate wines. With pleasant soft fruit and yeast flavours that linger, the quality of this Australian sparkling gives French champagne a run for its money."