A reason why ‘quiet’ should no longer be in your pet’s vocabulary.

Originally written for the Weber Forecast

Another brand just dropped a petwear line (looking at you, Adidas), proving one thing: the pet craze isn’t going anywhere. ​

But it turns out the real magic happens when brands let pets do the talking. No, we’re not saying you’re the new Dr Dolittle (sorry). What we are saying is that it might be time to bring in a bolshie British Shorthair or wise-cracking Weimaraner to get your audience’s attention. When a pet “says” what their humans are feeling or thinking – love, anxiety, pride or even pick up your own poop… it lands. ​

Let’s look at Tiki and Tika. Tiki is a shy foster pup who took over TikTok, they didn’t just melt hearts – they sparked a movement (cue: ugly crying). Through storytelling that blended Tiki’s struggles with foster mom Isabel’s honest, raw and unfiltered insights, they raised $100K for charity and inspired a wave of new foster applications . All in just 44 days. Tika the Iggy is an iconic influencer if we’ve ever seen one (with 1.5 million followers and counting), she’s serving fashion, but it’s her personable commentary and relationship with her humans (big and small) that really steals people’s hearts.​

This isn’t just a trend – it’s a generational shift. 86% of Gen Z own dogs vs 50% of Boomers. And it’s not because pets are trending on TikTok, it’s because they’re a chosen family. So much so that people are putting their pets’ preferences above their own – and brands like Bark AIR and Lynx are responding. (It’s time to ensure your partner is cat aprrrrrroved.)​

Speaking in the voice of a pet can help us get the message across without sounding like we’re trying too hard. Humans are fine. But pets? Pets are better.

Insight: Using pets as a voice boosts authenticity through emotional connection. Time to trial a pair of paws at the forefront of a future campaign.