Are you an animal lover or, more specifically, a pet owner? If yes, then you’re not alone — not by a long shot. Current estimates show that 67% of US households have at least one dog or cat, not to mention all of the other less-common pet choices.
For me personally, there’s just something about the unconditional love of a pet that makes them a true blessing from God. Many pet owners consider them no less than another member of the family because, let’s admit, they really are.
They all have their own unique dispositions and personalities and temperaments. It’s fascinating to see how some animals behave against the norm, like cats & dogs showing affection for each other, a cat taking a nap with a bird, or even an animal taking on a parental role to nurture an orphaned offspring of a totally different species. It’s truly heartwarming.
Some say animals have no sense of time. If you leave home, your pet has no idea if you’ve been gone for 10 minutes or 10 hours. They’re just as happy to see you either way, with the same level of enthusiasm regardless of the time apart.
Some people even physically look like their pets (or vice-versa), whether it’s just a vaguely similar hair color or more definitive resemblance like their profile or certain facial features like their eyes. It’s funny to think about, but true. Sometimes it’s not clear who got the worst end of the look-alike deal.
As far back as I can remember, we’ve always had family pets. As a little kid, I didn’t really grasp my parents’ hidden agenda (that having a pet was a great tool for teaching me responsibility and building character). I just knew how great it felt to have that little critter to love and care for, plus it gave me somebody to boss around (finally, I was able to be in charge).
Our family, for some reason, always favored the Dachshund breed. We had several of those weenie dogs over the years and often got them in pairs (I suppose just to keep each other company). A few I was lucky to love were Bonnie and Clyde, Simon and Samantha and, of course, Angel Love.
I also had my share of cats, turtles, a possum named Zeke, a raccoon named Rocky, two Shetland ponies named Thunder and Lightning, a tarantula and three baby coontail rattlesnakes that I caught one summer while working on the pipeline with my dad in Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Even as babies, those snakes are born deadly. They made for great conversation with all my teenage friends, until the day I came up one short in the aquarium (with no idea when, where or how it got out). I had no choice but to tell my parents, who promptly freaked out as expected.
They were less than happy for having to evacuate our family from the house for nearly two days while searching every nook and cranny for the escaped snake. Luckily, we discovered it on the second day. It had gotten sucked into the vacuum cleaner canister...it was dead. I think I was in my 30’s when my parents finally forgave me for that episode.
These days, I keep things much simpler. We just have two cats, Chico and Phoebe (aka “Bubba”), both of whom were strays who found us (just like all our other pets). Chico is my orange tabby about nine years old and Bubba is my little Siamese mix about 15.
Financial Impact
While having a pet is nothing new, people’s growing fascination with their pets (called the “pet humanization trend”) continues to climb at a steady clip. Humans have long endeared the concept of domesticating animals, not just for practical use as beasts of burden, but for the sheer pleasure of companionship.
This phenomenon can sometimes be remarkable, or even seem overboard to some—while deemed totally normal in the eyes of others. With the advent of social media, it’s very common these days to see pets included in postings throughout the internet and television.
The results of a National Pet Owners Survey during 2019-2020 listed Americans owning 78 million dogs, 85 million cats, 14 million birds, 12 million small mammals and 9 million reptiles. As of the end of 2019, the US pet industry as a whole (goods and services) had exploded into a $72 billion per/year industry, with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
The pet food market is on track with projections of growth from $10.4 billion in 2018 to $13.3 billion by 2023 (with dry dog food being the top seller). The pet grooming market alone exceeded $3.87 billion at year-end 2017 and is predicted to grow to $5.49 billion by 2023.
We now have several websites, channels and entire networks that are dedicated solely to pets and pet lovers. According to recent polls, 60% of millennials plan to buy jackets, sweaters, costumes or other clothing for their beloved pets this holiday season.
Many hotels and restaurants have modified their restriction policies to now permit family pets to join them on trips and vacations, where only registered and documented service and support animals were allowed before.
Our insatiable love for our animals has spawned specialty retail & online businesses and veterinarians have remained in high demand to keep our critters healthy. You can even get your pet their very own health insurance policy, which might seem outrageous (but more than two million pet policies have been written in North America since 2017).
Interesting Facts
It’s currently estimated that the number of known breeds are:
*Dogs—195 in the US alone (per AKC registrations); and 360 recognized breeds worldwide (per/FCI), excluding mixed-breeds & cross-breeds. The 10 most popular worldwide are the Labrador Retriever for (for the 27th year in a row), followed by: German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, French Bulldog, Bulldog , Poodle, Beagle, Rottweiler, German Shorthaired Pointer and Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
*Cats—71 (per the International Cat Association registries). The most common in the US is Domestic Shorthair (90-95% of population). The 10 most popular worldwide are the Exotic, Ragdoll, British Shorthair, Persian, Maine Coon, American Shorthair, Scottish Fold, Sphynx, Devon Rex and Abyssinian.
It varies greatly among different breeds, size and geographic regions, but the average lifespan of most dogs is from about seven to 16 years, while cats range from about 13 to 20 years. Outdoor pets also tend to have considerably shorter lifespans, mainly due to the higher risks of dangerous hazards from spending more time outside.
The one thing I’d like to implore of any new or prospective pet owner—please do the responsible thing for your animal and get them spayed or neutered at the soonest appropriate time possible.
It’s a quick, painless and inexpensive procedure, and the most humanely conscientious thing you can do for them and yourself. The world is already so over-populated with unwanted and unloved feral animals, it’s so unfair to them and everyone else to simply perpetuate the problem.
Whether you already have a pet or you’re thinking about getting one, please consider adoption. Even if you’re not yet ready to own a pet, please consider making a donation to a local shelter in the form of money, food, bedding items, etc.
We’re fortunate to have some of the best shelters in the state and there’s an abundance of beautiful, adorable, loving and worthy pets just waiting to be taken into a wonderful new home...could it be yours?
Danny O’Fallon is the publisher of The C-P. Reach him at (601) 736-2611 or via email at dofallon@columbianprogress.com.
