There was good news and bad news about the economy yesterday…
The bad news first: our economy shrank 6.1% in the first quarter of 2009. Yikes!!
Now the good news: consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of our GDP, rose at an annual rate of 2.2%, the most in two years.
So, you might wonder, what are we spending more of our hard-earned money on? Apparently, consumers are snapping up long-lasting “durable” goods, including cars, furniture, household appliances… as well as (wait for it) pet products.
Mila (on her L.L. Bean dog bed $89.99, with Kong $11.99, yellow bone $6.99, rope toy $6.99)
The American Pet Products Association estimates that pet owners will spend an approximate $45.4 billion on our furry friends in 2009, $2.2 billion more than last year.
Giant pet supply companies are – gasp – posting earnings and opening new stores!
I spend between $75 and $100/month on food and a few toys for my black lab, Mila (age 1 1/2), and that’s when she doesn’t visit the vet!
But I have the sneaking suspicion that the APPA is not talking about food and a few toys, and I have evidence to support my theory.
My boyfriend’s dog has a congenital pēdal condition that, on occasion, results in sores between the digital pads of one of his hind feet.
He needs to wear a shoe to protect the whole foot, and he’s worn out several elastic-cuffed, leather-bottomed, velcro-strapped “boots” over the past few months.
His need for more formidable footwear gave me occasion to google “pet footwear” and I can report copious canine options, ranging the from seriously sturdy…
Bark'n Boots with Grip Trex from Ruffgear.com - $55
to the utterly absurd…
Um... fuzzy bunnies?! From PetEdge.com - $7
Don’t worry folks, if your dog doesn’t like bunnies, these also come in sheep and duckies, and for the holidays, santas and elves!
"It's a ball within a ball that rolls and wobbles erratically as your pet lunges, chases, and chomps." Petco.com
I think pet spending is an interesting trend, at a time when many, many people are supposedly cutting back! I’ve reduced my monthly expenditures to my bills, food, gas, laundry detergent, contact lens solution, and dog food.
OK, full disclosure, yesterday, I spent $11.99 on a new braided rope toy for Mila, but it was NOT the fancy version with the minty floss (which costs another $5 bucks). Last year at this time I regularly bought her new Kongs (she destroys them in a week), Nylabone rings (these can last longer), some tennis balls for her Chuck-It, and I probably would have sprung for the minty-floss rope toy too.
And I’ll admit I was tempted to get her a Jolly Pet Teaser Ball (see picture, right), which I walked past on my way out of Petco yesterday. The premise behind this product had me daydreaming about being able to leave the two dogs outside for hours, unattended and unmonitored, without worrying that they’ll dig holes to China all over the yard.
But the price – $22.99!!! Plus Mila would probably get so frustrated with the “ball within a ball” after five minutes of trying to figure it out, that in classic retriever fashion she’d dismember it inside of thirty seconds.
But I digress…
There’s something disturbing about the pet spending boom; APPA President Bob Vetere says, and the aforementioned duckie dog slippers show, that one of the main factors behind this trend is society’s overall humanization of pets. Dog pajamas?! Dog bathrobes?!
Now, to each their own; I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but come on! Terry cloth with a hood?!
The APPA’s Vetere also cites an increasing number of empty-nest baby boomers who “have had their children leave home and move on, and they are looking for something else to care for. Lo and behold, there’s Spike. He never talks back and doesn’t take the car out late at night, and it’s like, ‘I love you, Spike.’ This is a new child to hover over.”
And to garb in chiffon party dresses! 
In fairness, pet products (Kongs and diva dog dresses alike) account for the second highest percentage of consumer pet spending, and veterinary care comes in third.
Number one is the price of pet food, which Reuters reports rose 13.5 % during just the last quarter of 2008.
The APPA predicts Americans will spend a record breaking $17.4 billion on pet food this year, up from $16.8 billion in 2008.
My guess is that the tainted pet-food fiasco of 2 years ago scared a lot of pet owners into switching to premium food brands with identifiable ingredients made closer to home.
I think the bottom line is that pets are a comfort to us, especially in tough times, and it’s clear that we’re grateful, whether the gesture comes in the form of a ball within a ball, internet sale price $11.99, or a canine “cuddle couch” also on sale at BeyondTheCrate.com for $1029.00.
My dogs loved their Jolly Ball. However, I didn’t pay for it… It just showed up in our yard after the snowmelt one year. I had no idea they cost that much (I wonder who the stole it from?).