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A growing admiration for pets has Americans getting increasingly creative pet goods, from self-washing, toilet bowl-shaped cat litter boxes and dog strollers to tennis ball-launching doggie golf-club drivers, treat launchers and high-tech clippers. These hot new goods and hundreds of other individuals were unveiled at Worldwide Pet Expo, the pet industry's largest annual trade show in the world. Figures from the American Pet Goods Companies Association (APPMA) display investing on pets is at an all-time higher-an estimated $38.four billion this year.

So just where are these billions going?

• $15.two billion for food

• $9.three billion for supplies and over-the-counter medicines

• $9.four billion for veterinarian care

• $1.eight billion for reside animal purchases

• $2.7 billion for other solutions.

And it's not just the fundamentals. APPMA's National Pet Owners Survey shows 27 percent of dog owners and 13 percent of cat owners acquire their pets birthday presents, and 55 percent of dog owners and 37 percent of cat owners acquire their pets vacation presents.

All this spending and pampering has prompted ingenuity ranging from low-upkeep aquariums, matching sunglasses for dogs and their owners and spa treatments for your pet, to laser cat toys and adjustable heating and massaging dog beds.

Market experts point to a continued trend in the humanization of pet products. "Both baby boomers and young experts who are delaying having households in favor of careers are turning to pets to fill the void at residence," stated APPMA President Bob Vetere. "With these families' higher-than-common disposable incomes, their pets are enjoying elaborate high-finish and higher-tech goods as properly as revolutionary devices developed for comfort for the pet owner."

Pet owners report in APPMA's National Pet Owners Survey that they have a special bond with their pets and consider them a greatest friend, a companion or like a child or member of their family members.

Vetere likens it to his encounter with his golden Lab, Dakota. "I can sit and talk to him and tell him any dilemma I have and he just sits there with his tongue hanging out, smiling at me, just waiting for me to finish. It is like, 'OK, you feel better now? Let's go outdoors and play.'

"We've come a long way in terms of how we view and treat our pets," concluded Vetere. "Thankfully, for pets and individuals, there is nevertheless a lot of chance for healthy development." www.linkedin.com/in/simonarichards