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obsession with pets is at an all time high

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Whether they bark, meow, squeak, chirp or hiss, pets are treasured household members for most Americans at some point, and recent surveys show more and more people are welcoming animals into their homes and treating them as family.
Two-thirds of American households (about 71.1 million) have at least one pet, according to a survey of pet owners conducted last year by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. That number was an increase from the 56 percent of households that owned a pet in 1988, the first year the survey was conducted.

And 45 percent of pet owners have more than one pet, according to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals science advisor Stephen Zawistowski.

There is now a "huge rise in the number of pets" in the United States, said Humane Society spokesperson Stephanie Shain.

These pets, especially cats and dogs, are also increasingly considered to be an essential part of a family, with U.S. pet owners spending more time and money (estimated at nearly $41 billion in 2007) on the health and happiness of their pets in recent years. Things that would once have seemed extravagant—doggy daycares, pet cemeteries, and an expanding array of pet surgeries and treatments—are now as common as, well, the family dog.

Family members

While owning a pet is almost the norm today, in eras past, it was a luxury, says Alan Beck, a veterinary professor with Purdue University's Center for the Human-Animal Bond. While farmers may have kept cats to rid their barns of mice and dogs to herd or help with hunting, keeping an animal solely as a companion was something for which only the wealthy had the free time and disposable income.

But as the American middle class emerged and grew in the 20th century, all of that changed and pets, like cars and TV sets, became something that anyone could have.

"More people have discretionary time, discretionary income," Beck said. "So you don't have to be one of the upper echelon to have a pet."

Pet ownership in America really began to take off after World War II, Zawistowski said, as families not only earned more income, but began to move to the suburbs, where they had more room to keep pets.

Adding to this was the changing notion of what constituted the typical American family, which was shaped by how families were portrayed on TV and in the movies. In addition to a mom, dad and kids, these fictional families had a dog and cat, sending the message that pets were an essential part of home life.

"These all started to create the image of what the American household, or the American home, was supposed to look like" Zawistowski said.

Pets aren’t just a part of the household like the TV or computer is—they are more and more thought of as full-fledged family members. Beck said that 40 percent of people who keep pictures of their spouse and children in their wallet also keep pictures of their pets, "because it is a member of the family."

There's also the strong sense of grief many owners feel when a pet dies, plus the consoling response of family and friends.

"It's very much accepted that it's a real loss," Shain said.

Pet owners can now to keep their pet's ashes in an urn or purchase a headstone or marker in a pet cemetery, and friends and co-workers can send a condolences card from Hallmark.

"In some ways, an event is culturally relevant when Hallmark makes a card," Zawistowski said.

Societal acceptance
Pets are increasingly recognized by society as an important part of their owners' lives. This is particularly the case with dogs, as more opportunities have cropped up to make it easier to keep a canine companion.
The problem of what to do with a dog while the owner is at work now has several solutions: More businesses are allowing people to bring their dogs to work (the Humane Society just instituted such a policy), doggy daycares are springing up and people are increasingly allowed to telecommute or work from home.
Some stores and bars even allow dogs to accompany their owners inside.
"We're allowing dogs more and more into our lives in places where they absolutely didn't used to be allowed," Shain said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/...2qVwWeh1ys0NUE

i mean, stores like target having "pet outfits" and what not, makes it more acceptable i guess, i wouldn't go and spend a fortune on toys and what not, but more and more people are. I have a dog with my roommate, but he's primarily her's, yes he has a bumblebee costume for halloween. :p
I think going all out is a little much though....
thoughts?

Forrest (my basset hound) has his own bedroom that is set up just for him. It has a little dresser I painted to hold all of his stuff. It's done in a disney and dogs theme, complete with a "Fox and the Hound" poster, Mickey Mouse border, a shelf for his leashes.... and a HUGE toy basket.

That's overboard, but I actually did it, so there would be no place for the inlaws to visit. :D I have a small house on the beach and seven days with them in such close quarters made me nuts. So now they have to get a hotel! :p Also we don't have kids so why not? And how can you resist this face?

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tandToo004.jpg

But here are some pictures of Forrest's Room.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...t/DSC00041.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...t/DSC00047.jpg

^^^^^ you are TOO much! lol that is so cute!!!!

My dogs also have their own room. It has a low futon from when the boyfriend was in undergrad and their crates. They hang in there when they are home alone or we have non-canine-compatible guests over.

I don't like kids and don't want kids, so why not use a fraction of what a kid costs to treat my pup to the finer things that a dog would enjoy.

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Originally Posted by summer_gphib (Post 1541726)

That's overboard, but I actually did it, so there would be no place for the inlaws to visit. :D I have a small house on the beach and seven days with them in such close quarters made me nuts. So now they have to get a hotel! :p Also we don't have kids so why not?

That is brilliant! Right now our guestroom is my dog Sophie's room when we do not have guests. I think my inlaws would figure it out though, if I took out the queen-size guest bed for absolutely no reason. I'm not even sure that would stop them, either. They don't sleep in the same bed for whatever reason (and won't change just because they're away from home) and last time Grandma came along too. Between the three of them, there wasn't a single room in the house unoccupied (Mom on couch in open living room/dining room/kitchen, Grandma in guest room, Dad on blow up mattress in the hobby/office room). If they didn't get a hotel then, I'm pretty sure they won't until we tell them they have to get one. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to give them a grandkid before I can ask them to stay in a hotel without them arguing about it.

Sorry about the inlaw-hyjack. I probably should just start a new thread altogether to bitch about them. My point is: I'm soooo jealous of both your set-up for your dog and the freedom you have from your inlaws.

Here is my dog's picture. She is a Pekingese, but we have her groomed short to keep our house from becoming a haven for her hair clumps.

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7...ppedof6.th.jpg

OMG Summer...I want to reach through the computer screen and pet your dog...his ears look SO soft!

My cousin's weimeraner had his own space and custom bed in her room and once she gets married, I have no doubt he'll be getting his own bedroom.

So, so, so cute!

My cat has her own room and bed... it's also known as my room and bed. Sometimes, she's nice enough to share them with me. Other times, not so much.... :)

We also rarely go on vacation without him. This year we rented a home on another beach that had a pool, and here he is swimming. *lol*

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rrestSwims.jpg

If you want to pamper your pets, who cares what others think? We don't have kids and aren't going to have any, either. I love that room!

Our boys have their own room with a bunch of toys, "popup" cubes, scratchy boxes, and a window to look out. They go there if (non-cat people) company is over or we have a repairman. Of course, they have spots in the living room, and sleep on our bed too.

http://a469.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...e8f48acd9c.jpg
http://files.dogster.com/pix/cats/65...1138468943.jpg
http://files.dogster.com/pix/cats/63...1192298814.jpg (this is a no-no place but I had to take a pic before I chased him down!

My cats used to have their own room before the human babies arrived. Now they have the kitty condo in the master bedroom and their window hammocks in the family room.

But they are still spoiled rotten!

I will always have cats if for no other reason than my father-in-law hates cats. So it keeps him from visiting too often:p

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...junk/kitty.jpg

Here are my boys sleeping in their favorite spot- on Daddy's feet!

I live in my condo with my cat. My balcony is pretty much her room. I always keep the door open so she can have her fun. It is a good thing that I live on the third floor. I am actually having a problem with her right now. She won't let me sleep on my bed for more than a few hours. She is always on the bed and plays around my head. I tried kicking her out of the room, but she makes so much noise because she wants to come in. I can't sleep, so I have been forced to sleep on the couch. I need to figure something out, but lately I just don't care anymore. The couch is okay anyway. Sometimes I want to "accidently" leave my front door open, but luckily I just do not have the heart. :p

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...20562_4265.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...20561_3480.jpg

I'm biased because I'm obviously an animal lover, but I don't see what the big deal is.

As long as people don't spoil their pets the wrong way (giving them ice cream, or constantly feeding them to the point that they are severely obese) I don't see why buying them lots of toys or tank tops is a bad thing.

My dog has more toys than she knows what to do with, but she does know them all by name!

She even has a whole lot of clothes - jackets, tank tops, even booties...not just because she looks so gosh darn cute in them, but they are functional.

The booties for example are only worn when it's raining or slushy (melted ice) outside, so she doesn't track in mud on her fur.

She is my little turkeyhead and if she fell ill I would definitely do what I could to make her better.

summer--- I LOVE your dog's dwelling!!

I'm just completely dumbfuzzled.

I love animals -- especially dogs -- as much as the next person, but sheesh. I am embarrased for dogs when I see them in clothes. Bandanas are acceptable "clothing" for most dogs, but anything beyond that is just canine humiliation.

All right --sic your dogs on me. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticCat (Post 1541816)

My animals would kick my ass if I tried to dress them up but they are very spoiled and well cared for. I think there are two kinds of pet lovers. Some people consider their pets members of the family. Other people love their pets just as much but just consider them pets. Personally, I prefer my pets to most people.

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Originally Posted by MysticCat (Post 1541816)

Tell that to my boxer mix who has hair that is shorter than anything that she shouldn't wear a sweater in the winter.

Or you can mop my floors after walking my dogs in the rain without their raincoats.

And when it is icy and they put salt on the sidewalks, it can severely mess up a dog when they lick their paws, so they wear booties in the winter. We actually had a dog come in vomitting from ingesting the salt last winter when we had the bad ice storm.