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New Survey Reveals Pet Ownership At All Time High
(NAPSA) - It's "reigning" cats and
dogs-and other kinds of pets, too.
According to the 2005-2006
APPMA National Pet Owners Survey,
pet ownership is currently at its highest
level, with 63 percent of all U.S. households
owning a pet. That equates to
more than 69 million households.
That's up from 64 million in 2002 and
51 million in 1988, when American Pet
Products Manufacturers Association's
(APPMA) tracking began.
The survey found Americans own
approximately 73 million dogs, 90
million cats, 139 million freshwater
fish, 9 million saltwater fish, 16 million
birds, 18 million small animals and 11
million reptiles.
"The steady increase in pet ownership
confirms that a growing number
of us are realizing pets truly enhance
our lives," said Bob Vetere, managing
director and COO of APPMA.
In fact, 59 percent of those surveyed
said pets are good for their
health. Forty percent said owning a dog
motivates them to exercise regularly.
Additional trends included:
- Part of the family. Three-quarters
of dog owners consider their dog to
be like a family member and more than
half of cat owners say the same.
- Pet gifts and parties. Eight out
of 10 dog owners buy dog gifts and 63
percent of cat owners purchase gifts for
the family feline.
Additionally, 9 percent of dog and
5 percent of cat owners host birthday
parties for their pets.
- Pets and travel. Nineteen
percent of dog owners bring along their
dog when traveling-that's up from 16
percent in 2002.
- Nutrition and food. Obesity is
still a concern among pet owners. The
weight-control market for pet food has
grown 25 percent, making it the
fastest-growing segment of the pet food
industry.
- Health insurance. Currently, 3
percent of dogs and 1 percent of cats
have health insurance.
- Homeopathic remedies. This
is gaining in popularity, with 9 percent
of cat owners using homeopathic
remedies-up from 2 percent in 2002.
- Treats and toys. Giving treats
to pets continues to increase with 88
percent of dog owners, 65 percent of
cat owners, 73 percent of bird owners
and 75 percent of small animal-owners
giving treats.
- Loss of a pet. One out of 10
dog owners will purchase a headstone
for their pet's final resting place.
- Pet product purchases. The
demographics indicate that the person
most responsible for purchasing pet
products is a 46-year-old woman.
To learn more or to order the
survey, visit www.appma.org.
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