Dogs and cats received 12 times more Christmas cards than those addressed to the more traditional figure, the Mother in Law, according to a report by leading greetings card company Clintons.

Tim Fairs, VP Marketing & eCommerce at Clintons, said: “Pets are considered by many to be a key part of the family, with people choosing to treat their pets with cards and presents at Christmas.

“We’re a bit alarmed at the relative volume of cards sold for Mothers-in-Law, however, and we’re going to be doing our bit to promote the central role that Mothers-in-Law play in our lives as Christmas approaches.”

He added: “There’s no doubt that the Christmas family picture is changing, and it’s fantastic that diversity is being celebrated. It’s a welcome change to have a wider range of cards available.”

Key professions reflected in the range include Doctor, Boss and Carer. There are also Christmas cards ‘from’ pets in the range, including cats, dogs and monkeys.

Sales data compiled by Clintons, the leading national card and gift retailer, paints a picture of the changing shape of Britain’s families.

Christmas cards for same-sex couples, including ‘Mum and Mum’, ‘Daughter and Girlfriend’, Brother and Boyfriend’, ‘Son and Son in law’, ‘Sister and Girlfriend’, ‘Son and Boyfriend’, ‘Daughter and Daughter in law’, ‘Brother and Brother in Law’, ‘Sister and Sister in Law’ and ‘Dad and Dad’, have increased substantially in the last two years. Clintons has many different same-sex cards in stock this year in anticipation of a continuing boom.