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A rising admiration for pets has Americans purchasing increasingly creative pet items, 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 items and hundreds of other folks had been unveiled at Worldwide Pet Expo, the pet industry's biggest annual trade display in the globe. Figures from the American Pet Items Manufacturers Association (APPMA) display spending on pets is at an all-time high-an estimated $38.4 billion this year.

So just exactly where are these billions going?

• $15.2 billion for food

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

• $9.four billion for veterinarian care

• $1.8 billion for reside animal purchases

• $2.7 billion for other solutions.

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

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

Business specialists point to a continued trend in the humanization of pet products. "Each infant boomers and young professionals who are delaying getting households in favor of careers are turning to pets to fill the void at property," stated APPMA President Bob Vetere. "With these families' greater-than-common disposable incomes, their pets are enjoying elaborate higher-end and high-tech items as well as innovative devices created for convenience for the pet owner."

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

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

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