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This Christmas, we’re celebrating the precious bonds between pet parents and their four-legged family members – because it’s not Christmas without them! We got together with some of the UK’s best-loved personalities, as well as friends from the extended Lily’s Kitchen family, to capture the quiet moments of connection that we all enjoy with our dogs and cats over the festive period. It’s what we affectionately like to call Lapland.
TIME TO GET COSY
Dancing stars Tasha Ghouri and Pete Wicks, TV personalities Vicky Pattison and Kai Fagan, boy band hero Harry Judd, podcaster Em Clarkson and digital creators Riyadh Khalaf and Zainab Jiwa all let us into their living rooms to share glimpses into the cherished relationships with their cats and dogs. The result is a series of beautiful portraits that show the private, candid expressions of love between pets and their humans.
We hope you enjoy our gallery below, and if you feel like recreating your own Lapland moment, don’t forget to share on social and tag us so we can see!
Kai & Tinkerbell
Pictured: Kai Fagan with his gorgeous puppy, Tinkerbell. Follow Kai at @kaifagan_
VICKY, ERCAN, MAX & MILO
Pictured: Vicky Pattison, Ercan Ramadan and their dogs Max and Milo. Follow Vicky at @vickypattison
HARRY, MORRIS & BILLY
Pictured: Harry Judd with ragdoll Morris and Labrador Billy. Follow Harry at @harryjudd
TASHA & LUNA
Pictured: Tasha Ghouri and podenco, Luna. Follow Tasha at @tashaghouri
RIYADH, CLAIRE & LUCA
Pictured: Riyadh Khalaf, Russian Blue Claire, and Luca, a Russian Blue x Chartreux mix. Follow Riyadh at @riyadhk
PETE & ERIC
Pictured: Pete Wicks and Eric, who he rehomed from Dogs Trust. Follow Pete at @p_wicks01
ZAINAB & BANKSY
Pictured: Zainab Jiwa & Banksy. Follow Zainab at @zeewhatidid
EM & BUA
Pictured: Em Clarkson and Labradoodle, Bua. Follow Em at @em_clarkson
THE POWER OF TOUCH
Exploring the science behind the emotional and physical benefits of these bonds, we commissioned The Tactile Connection, a report that reveals the role of touch in human-pet relationships and its positive connection to wellbeing. Bringing together findings from 40 academic studies and new data from a poll of 2,000 pet owners, the report was created in partnership with Dr Manos Tsakiris, Professor of Psychology at Royal Holloway University London.
THE STUDY¹ REVEALED...
- ‘Affective touch’ – gentle, slow, and caressing strokes, in particular – promotes emotional closeness and the release of oxytocin – the bonding hormone.
- Between human and pet this type of touch promotes feelings of safety, warmth and trust.
- Physical tactile contact with a loved one helps the regulation of our stress responses and increases oxytocin levels while reducing cortisol levels, whereas lack of touch can lead to heightened levels of stress.
