Petnapping on the rise…

Pet lovers who continually spend money on their special pets will not be surprised by the latest facts about pet ownership… the millions of cats and dogs, birds, horses, mice and other companion animals and the spending on pets which in 2007 reached $41.2-billion in total in the USA alone according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Here’s the breakdown…

Pet ownership
• 63 percent of American households own a pet
• 88.3-million cats
• 74.8-million dogs

Spending on pets in 2007
• $16.2-billion, pet food
• $10.1-billion, veterinary care
• $9.8-billion, supplies

Over-the-counter pet medicine
• $2.1-billion, live animal purchases
• $3-billion, pet services, including grooming and boarding

• $41.2-billion, total

One of the first thing that comes to mind with all this spending and investment in pets is the need for pet insurance. While pet insurance is starting to catch on there is still a lot to know about it… as it does not appear simple and straightforward. We’ll provide more info about the ins and outs of pet insurance in a future blog, but just want to mention it here to get you thinking about it. ;-)

The second thing that comes to mind with having high-priced pets, especially designer pets or purebred pets, is the threat of becoming a target of sophisticated pet-theft rings or kids who just want to make a fast buck.  Protecting your pet from theft can be done in a number of ways … through an understanding of pet theft practices and then by using pet identification and security systems or practices to ensure that your special pet is not nabbed.

Check out this great article about how to protect your special pet from theft.