Vital Pet Group said that owners are cutting the hair of their pets during lockdown and has reported a 15% increase in sales of pet brushes, combs, clippers, salon scissors and nail trimmers in the last eight weeks.

Heather McManus, the wholesaler’s sales and marketing director, said that because of the colder weather, the same trend hasn’t affected sales of pet shampoos and conditioners yet, so it appears that pets are ‘benefiting’ from a dry cut rather than a more comprehensive make over.

Ms McManus said that maybe it’s time to make sure that pet owners receive a little extra expert guidance from retailers before they are let loose on their pet,

She said: “The evidence seems to point to results that are more Sweeny Todd than Vidal Sassoon. Enthusiasm can be a wonderful thing but grooming a pet is a highly skilled job.

“If pet owners have time on their hands, there’s lots that they can do to improve the appearance and health of their pets. If customers are determined to go all ‘Edward Scissorhands’, make sure they are given some helpful hints. Sticking to brushes, combs, even pet sprays or colognes, will ensure there’s no nasty niffs and doesn’t generally cause the sort of embarrassing mistakes that might take a little longer for a trained groomer to sort out.”