Comment
Rate
Share
Pet World: Animal lovers still rule in America
By Steve Dale
Do pets drive you crazy? If so, life won't be getting better for you anytime soon. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are just over 300 million people in America; and according to the just released 2007/2008 American Pet Product Manufacturer's Association (APPMA) National Pet Owners Survey, we have more than 245 million pets (not counting all the individual fish in tanks). In other words, there are nearly as many pets in America as people.
Actually, far more Americans have pets than have kids. The U.S. Census Bureau says 31 percent of household have a child under 18. According to the APPMA, 63 percent of households have at least one pet.
In fact, Americans spend more money on their pets than on hardware, jewelry, or even toys, notes Bob Vetere, president of the APPMA. Based on spending of $41 billion in 2006, pets are the eighth largest retail category (up from $38.5 billion devoted to pet food, toys and various products in 2005).
"For most Americans, pets have become a part of our lives," Vetere says. "And we must enjoy it because the trend is growing." Vetere points out that while the economy has hit some bumps since Sept. 11, 2001, spending on our furry, feathered and scaly friends has grown steadily.
Reptiles, as a group, have increased 22 percent in popularity since the last Pet Owners Survey for 2005/2006. Today, 13.5 million Americans say they have at least one cold-blooded friend. Vetere says lots of factors account for this, including glamorization from TV shows and commercials, and perhaps because reptiles help their owners maintain a link to nature in an urban environment (most reptile buffs live in big cities). Also, reptiles don't miss their people, making them attractive to owners too busy to care for cats or dogs.
If they're not downright domesticated, many pet reptiles are tame, even "personable." Some species are bred for temperament, making them easy and enjoyable to manage, including the leopard gecko, corn snake and bearded dragon lizard.
Still, only a limited number of people want to cozy up to a lizard or a snake. Cats remain the most popular of all pets; there are now 88 million cats in America, a drop from the 90 million counted in the 2005/2006 survey. However, Vetere points out that today there are actually more households with cats than during the last survey (38.5 million vs. 37.5 million) but fewer cats per home (an average of 2.3 cats down from 2.4).
Dog ownership has increased 1.2 percent since the 2005/2006 survey to the current 75 million. Also, the number of dog-owning homes jumped to 45 million (from 43.5 million). The average number of dogs is 1.7 per home, remaining stable since the last survey.
While other studies point to a rise in adoptions of shelter dogs, the APPMA survey shows the rate has fallen from 16 percent to 10 percent. Many people get their dogs from breeders (29 percent); 27 percent get a puppy from a friend or relative; 14 percent find pets through newspaper ads; and 7 percent visit pet stores.
Again, differing from other sources, the APPMA report indicates a significant number of people get their cats from friends or relatives (43 percent). Only 23 percent adopt cats from shelters. Nearly a third of all cats pretty much choose their people by just showing up at the door.
While nearly one third of all cats spend significant amounts of time outdoors, there's a definite trend to keep them inside. The number of cats kept only indoors increased about 10 percent from the prior survey to 63 percent.
Not only are more dogs than ever inside-only, but they're also inside the bedroom. In record numbers, dogs are sharing our beds. And it seems that where they sleep is, in part, dependent on their size: 37 percent of large dogs, 33 percent of medium-sized dogs, and over half of all small dogs share a bed with a household member.
(Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can't answer all of them individually, he'll answer those of general interest in his column. Write to Steve at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. Send e-mail to PETWORLD(at)AOL.com. Include your name, city and state. Steve's website is www.stevedalepetworld.com; he can be heard Sundays on WGN Radio, 8 to 10 p.m. (www.wgnradio.com to listen live), and hosts Steve Dale's Pet World and The Pet Minute, both syndicated radio shows. He's also a contributing editor to USA Weekend.)
© 2007 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
Subscribe To Lake AlertsActually, far more Americans have pets than have kids. The U.S. Census Bureau says 31 percent of household have a child under 18. According to the APPMA, 63 percent of households have at least one pet.
In fact, Americans spend more money on their pets than on hardware, jewelry, or even toys, notes Bob Vetere, president of the APPMA. Based on spending of $41 billion in 2006, pets are the eighth largest retail category (up from $38.5 billion devoted to pet food, toys and various products in 2005).
"For most Americans, pets have become a part of our lives," Vetere says. "And we must enjoy it because the trend is growing." Vetere points out that while the economy has hit some bumps since Sept. 11, 2001, spending on our furry, feathered and scaly friends has grown steadily.
Reptiles, as a group, have increased 22 percent in popularity since the last Pet Owners Survey for 2005/2006. Today, 13.5 million Americans say they have at least one cold-blooded friend. Vetere says lots of factors account for this, including glamorization from TV shows and commercials, and perhaps because reptiles help their owners maintain a link to nature in an urban environment (most reptile buffs live in big cities). Also, reptiles don't miss their people, making them attractive to owners too busy to care for cats or dogs.
If they're not downright domesticated, many pet reptiles are tame, even "personable." Some species are bred for temperament, making them easy and enjoyable to manage, including the leopard gecko, corn snake and bearded dragon lizard.
Still, only a limited number of people want to cozy up to a lizard or a snake. Cats remain the most popular of all pets; there are now 88 million cats in America, a drop from the 90 million counted in the 2005/2006 survey. However, Vetere points out that today there are actually more households with cats than during the last survey (38.5 million vs. 37.5 million) but fewer cats per home (an average of 2.3 cats down from 2.4).
Dog ownership has increased 1.2 percent since the 2005/2006 survey to the current 75 million. Also, the number of dog-owning homes jumped to 45 million (from 43.5 million). The average number of dogs is 1.7 per home, remaining stable since the last survey.
While other studies point to a rise in adoptions of shelter dogs, the APPMA survey shows the rate has fallen from 16 percent to 10 percent. Many people get their dogs from breeders (29 percent); 27 percent get a puppy from a friend or relative; 14 percent find pets through newspaper ads; and 7 percent visit pet stores.
Again, differing from other sources, the APPMA report indicates a significant number of people get their cats from friends or relatives (43 percent). Only 23 percent adopt cats from shelters. Nearly a third of all cats pretty much choose their people by just showing up at the door.
While nearly one third of all cats spend significant amounts of time outdoors, there's a definite trend to keep them inside. The number of cats kept only indoors increased about 10 percent from the prior survey to 63 percent.
Not only are more dogs than ever inside-only, but they're also inside the bedroom. In record numbers, dogs are sharing our beds. And it seems that where they sleep is, in part, dependent on their size: 37 percent of large dogs, 33 percent of medium-sized dogs, and over half of all small dogs share a bed with a household member.
(Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can't answer all of them individually, he'll answer those of general interest in his column. Write to Steve at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. Send e-mail to PETWORLD(at)AOL.com. Include your name, city and state. Steve's website is www.stevedalepetworld.com; he can be heard Sundays on WGN Radio, 8 to 10 p.m. (www.wgnradio.com to listen live), and hosts Steve Dale's Pet World and The Pet Minute, both syndicated radio shows. He's also a contributing editor to USA Weekend.)
© 2007 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
Share this Article
 |
||
| Opinion: The stealth cargo plane |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
