Are you a pet owner? If
you are, you've probably helped spend part of an estimated $45.4 billion in the
U.S.'s
pet expenditures this year. According to
the American Pet Products Manufactures Association (APPMA), 37% of U.S. households
own a dog and 33% own a cat, adding up to over 74.8 million dogs and 88.3
million cats owned in this country.
Other animals seem to be less common – 3.9% own birds, while
just 1.8% own horses. Fish are by far the most commonly owned exotic animal –
found in 9,036,000 households! You can
see the full breakdown at the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) website.
How much does it cost to care for a pet? Food, toys, and shelter vary depending on
where you live and the level of care your particular animal needs. According to the APPMA, most of a pet owner's
budget is devoted to food; U.S.
pet owners spent an estimated $17.4 billion on animal food in 2009. The least amount of money was allocated to
pet services (like grooming and boarding) and live animal purchases at $3.4 and
$2.2 billion, respectively.
Routine veterinary care is pretty standard across the board
per animal, barring illness or injury.
What's the most "expensive" animal in terms of vet bills? You may be surprised. I certainly was!
(Data provided by AVMA's website):
 Vet expenditures: per
household/year
- Horses: $360
- Dogs: $356
- Cats: $190
- Birds: $25
Vet expenditures: per
animal (mean)
- Dogs: $200
- Horses: $92
- Cats: $81
- Birds: $9
According to the APPMA, $13.4 million was spent on reptiles
in 2007. In the same year, $16 million
was spent on birds, $88.3 million on cats, $74.8 million on dogs, and $142
million on freshwater fish ($9.6 million for their saltwater cousins). I never would have guessed people spent so
much on fish!
People are also buying high-tech
gadgets to help take care of pets. Some
items include digital aquarium maintenance, automated feeders, "smart" toys,
and computerized ID tags.
Do you own a pet?
Does your pet account for a large portion of your budget? What high-tech toys (for the pet's playtime
or your ease of use) do you have?
Resources:
http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/us_pet_ownership_statistics.html
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/resourcesgeneral/a/petstates.htm
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