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A growing admiration for pets has Americans getting 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 higher-tech clippers. These hot new products and hundreds of others were unveiled at Global Pet Expo, the pet industry's biggest annual trade display in the globe. Figures from the American Pet Products Companies Association (APPMA) show investing on pets is at an all-time higher-an estimated $38.4 billion this year.

So just exactly where are these billions going?

• $15.two billion for food

• $9.3 billion for supplies and more than-the-counter medicines

• $9.four billion for veterinarian care

• $1.eight billion for reside animal purchases

• $2.7 billion for other services.

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 buy 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 remedies for your pet, to laser cat toys and adjustable heating and massaging dog beds.

Industry professionals point to a continued trend in the humanization of pet products. "Both infant boomers and young pros who are delaying getting households in favor of careers are turning to pets to fill the void at residence," mentioned APPMA President Bob Vetere. "With these families' higher-than-typical disposable incomes, their pets are enjoying elaborate high-finish and high-tech merchandise as properly as modern devices developed for convenience for the pet owner."

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

Vetere likens it to his encounter with his golden Lab, Dakota. "I can sit and talk to him and inform him any issue 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 better now? Let's go outdoors and play.'

"We've come a lengthy way in terms of how we view and treat our pets," concluded Vetere. "Luckily, for pets and people, there is nonetheless plenty of opportunity for healthy development." linkedin.com/in/simonarichards