In the book Shiny Objects by James A. Roberts you will find a host of statistics referencing how much money we spend on our pets in our society. Here are a few that really struck me…
42% of dogs now sleep with their owners and dine on organically grown meat, vegan snacks, and other gourmet treats.
Many pets get presents on their birthdays.
Americans currently spend $48 billion a year on their pets.
Nearly $10 billion is spent annually in the US on veteranary services.
Americans spend and additional $10 billion on over-the-counter drugs and supplies for their pets.
Pets are sweet (most of the time!) and certainly rather expensive to care for. My daughter and son-in-law just had to write a hefty check to the vet for their cat’s infected tooth, discovered while he sat by the evening fire drooling blood. Not exactly in the monthly budget… Last year this same cat, discovered limping, needed some sort of complicated shoulder surgery! Again, not part of the household budget plan. Our pets are often considered family members… We value them.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my pets and “grand-critters” a great deal, but they do consume a lot of my time, energy, and money! Thankfully my brood of eight cats has dwindled down to two. Sad to lose those that have been around our household for many years, but I don’t look for little stray kittens as in years past. Perhaps it is best to volunteer at the local humane society when I need a “cat fix.” Certainly more economical.
I feel like the guy in this YouTube video, spending a great deal of time buying those little cans of cat food, serving them, (even warming them for a picky cat!) and cleaning up the mess. Why are some cats such messy eaters? Anyway, this video is fun!