Our Money is Going to the Dogs

Posted on December 6, 2007
Filed Under General |

Who gets more of our money, our kids or our pets?

To the ones we love, it’s never a question of how much. We want to give the best life possible to our kids, as well as our pets. Although, sometimes we must admit to wanting to trade both of them in for some new ones! Not only is America becoming more pet-friendly, we are also droppin’ some serious coin on our pet population. In light of some recent news out of the biz world, we at Muttspace felt compelled to highlight and share some interesting data. None of which is our own mind you – we leave that up to the experts. What’s great is through some simple research, we’ve learned that Americans spend more on their pets than they do their children’s toys! That includes video games….
Don’t take our word for it, match the data below with this (http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=3887) from the Toy Industry Association (TIA).

We love it! We spoil them, buy them clothes, jewelery, holiday gifts, designer accessories, anything to show them our love, they are our Pooch Nation. Now you’re not gonna catch The Brigadier sportin’ any bling, but we’re not haters either. If Ms. Grand Champion Fefe Francesca’s Fiery Fiefdom Toy Poodle wants a diamond studded Tiffany necklace, then so be it – let them eat cake!

According to American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (AAPMA):

Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures

Year             Billion
2007            $40.8 Est.
2006            $38.5
2005            $36.3
2004            $34.4
2003            $32.4
2002            $29.5
2001            $28.5
1998            $23
1996            $21
1994            $17

Estimated 2007 Sales within the U.S. Market
For 2007, it estimated that $40.8 billion will be spent on our pets in U.S.

Food:     $16.1billion
Vet Care:    $9.8billion
Supplies/OTC Medicine:    $9.9 billion
Live animal purchases:    $2.1 billion
Pet Services: grooming & boarding:  $2.9 billion

Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2006

In 2006, $38.5 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S.
Food:      $15.4 billion
Vet Care:     $9.2 billion
Supplies/OTC Medicine:    $9.3 billion
Live animal purchases:    $1.9 billion
Pet Services: grooming & boarding:  $2.7 billion

* Unless otherwise stated, spending statistics are gathered by APPMA from various market reseach sources and are not included in the organization’s bi-annual National Pet Owners Survey.

• According to the 2007-2008 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey, basic annual expenses for dog and cat owners in dollars include:

                                                                        Dogs    Cats
Surgical Vet Visits                                            453       363
Food                                                                217       188
Kennel Boarding                                              225       149
Routine Vet                                                      219       175
Groomer/Grooming Aids                                  127       18
Vitamins                                                           77         31
Treats                                                              66         40
Toys                                                                 41         26

**Note: APPMA does not ask Survey Participants how much in total they spend on their dog or cats annually. The expenses listed above are not all inclusive and each category was asked separately of the survey participant.

Muttspace Connects: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.