Video of pets opening their Christmas gifts goes viral

Children weren't the only ones ripping open presents on Christmas morning; check out these pets opening their Christmas gifts.

The popularity of YouTube videos showing pets opening Christmas presents should be no surprise seeing that 62 percent of U.S. households have a pet, which equates to 72.9 millions homes, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), a trade group. And of those households, a 2011-12 survey by the APPA showed that 53 percent of dog owners and 38 percent of cat owners buy their pets Christmas gifts. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that consumers are expected to spend $52.9 billion on their pets this year, including on holiday gifts. That's up 4% from last year. Each year, owners can choose among more and more pet products and pet gifts. New trends highlighted by the American Pet Product Association this year take pet grooming to another level. For example, retailers that offer services such as a haircut, a quick bath and a nail trim, now offer the option of mouthwash and an electric toothbrush in a beauty session for some pooches. If your cat needs to relieve stress, look no further than a relaxing soak in a feline spa followed by herbal catnip packaged in a tea bag. Pets opening presents videos were hot on YouTube Christmas day, so Gawker's Jordan Sargent dug through them and picked out the favorites. Here's the top two: In the top spot is Mac, the Puggle, who "just loves unwrapping presents." Mac rips open his gift like a pro: Now check out Ellie, the pug, opening her first Christmas present of 2012. Ellie even strikes a pose with her gift for her viewers at the end: