Americans are pet-loving people. What this means goes far beyond a description of people who love their pets. While this may not be breaking news, there have been some serious statistics in recent years that illustrate our status as pet-loving people.
According to the latest statistics compiled by the APPMA (American Pet Products Manufacturers Association), Americans are off the charts when it comes to spending on our pets.
For example, as of 2006, 73.9 million Americans own dogs and another 90.5 million own cats.
There are more than 16.6 million bird owners in the US and 11 million US citizens own snakes.
Show me the money
While the pet ownership numbers are impressive, how much money do you imagine is being spent on those millions of pets? Well, according to the APPMA Pet Industry Statistics and Trends report, Americans spent $34 billion on their pets in 2004. This represented a huge growth in spending that actually doubled American spending in the last 10 years.
It’s no wonder we treat our pets like members of our family. A regular routine is to groom your dog, and while he’s at it, why not rinse his ears? After all, it makes your pet more comfortable and healthy.
And then there is health care, which is another area of financial impact that is definitely felt by all families around the world. The family pet can now be covered too. In fact, some form of pet health care has been around for the last 20 years.
With pet accidents becoming more frequent than accidents involving humans, to the dismay of many families, 24-hour animal emergency rooms are a fixture in many communities.
Additionally, pet health care through medical plans is available, however the options are not as simple as you might think.
Pet health insurance is now competitively marketed throughout the United States. The policies and are written with the family titles and the options written in the policies for the human caregivers of the pet.
Documentation includes condition breakdowns such as species, age, pre-existing conditions, and even lifestyle (eg, indoor vs. outdoor cat).
Most policies start at the age of 6 to 8 weeks and have no age limit. Others have an age limit of up to 27 years. Deductibles average $100 a year and the policy costs a lot depending on the issuer.
Covered services include:
o Office visits
or exams
or all shots
o Any elective procedures (for example, dental care)
o Any surgery (for example, spaying or neutering)
o Hospitalization and more….
Annual plans cost an average of $99 up to $500 per year and most programs have monthly payment options from $10 per month to $50 or so. Many companies are adding pet care health insurance to their employee benefit packages.
In general, we are pet lovers and there are many benefits across the board for both pets and their human family. Psychologists have documented measurable improvements in lowering stress levels and lowering blood pressure levels for pet owners.
The stories of remarkable bravery and life-saving heroism of dogs in police service, as well as everyday domestic dogs and cats that have made dramatic rescues of family members, require no stretch of the imagination to recognize the importance of dogs. four-legged members of our families.
This article is a tribute to pet lovers everywhere.