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Why are we so obsessed with our pets?
Additional key factors in the proliferation of pet owners are improvements in veterinary care and the development of products that make caring for all types of pets easier, particularly fish, birds and reptiles, which formerly required highly specialized knowledge for their care and feeding.
"We understand now more than ever how pets work," Shain said.
Veterinary medicine has expanded, with specialties devoted to particular animals and disease types (such as cancers). Vets have also developed a better understanding of many of the common diseases that plague pets.
"Our knowledge has grown, we know more about what it takes to do a good job of keeping our pets happy and healthy, and that has in turn led to them living longer, which has resulted in them having other needs," Zawistowski said.
Now there are options to treat diseases and ailments that 20 years ago would have necessitated putting the animal to sleep, Zawistowski said. Vets can perform more complicated surgeries, pets with broken limbs can have them mended and chemotherapy can be performed on cats with cancer or dialysis on those with kidney problems (two common feline ailments).
Because these options are available, people are now willing to spend thousands of dollars to treat their pets and keep them alive, whereas in the past they would have simply put them to sleep.
With pets living longer, owners are paying more attention to what they feed pets and issues such as dental care. For instance, dogs used to die earlier, so it didn't matter as much that their teeth started falling out around the age of 7 or 8, but now, with some dogs living upwards of 15 years, those teeth become important to a dog's long-term health.
These needs also have led to a proliferation of pet foods and treats aimed at keeping pets healthy, though most owners tend not to go for the really fancy stuff, Zawistowski said.
Pet economy
Pet stores and products tailored to pets are certainly more of a modern invention, with the first true pet stores emerging after World War II. The availability of pet food and other basic care items made owning a pet much easier.
Before the 1950s and the advent of cat litter, for example, keeping a cat in the house was something of a stinky proposition. Litter boxes were literally just that, wooden boxes filled with sand that the cats could do their business in, but it did little to keep the smell at bay.
"It used to be more of a do-it-yourself thing. There wasn't really a store that you went to and bought cages and food and things," Zawistowski said
Some of the recent increase in pet products beyond the basic necessities comes from a recognition that pets need things besides food, water and some affection. For instance, it's good for dogs to go to the groomer and for cats to have toys to play with.
"It's no longer considered a luxury for dogs to go the groomer," Shain said.
Though the pet industry has led to more high-end products, such as designer doggy clothes and carriers and cat spas, the majority of pet owners don't go in for those luxuries. Most of the money spent on pets, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association survey, goes to food, veterinary care and basic supplies.
But even with all the advances that have made owning a pet easier, there's still one main reason why people get a pet.
"The most fundamental thing ... when people have done studies of 'Why do you want to have a pet?', it's for companionship," Zawistowski said.
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