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Despite Economic Downturn, Ame Despite Economic Downturn, Americans Continue to Shower Dollars on Pets
- From: piconket
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Description:
The declining economy has discouraged many Americans from spending money on anything, even on the pets so many people in the United States love. But consumer research shows Americans still are spending on average $1,000 a year on their beloved animal companions.
Some Americans are willing to pay a dog walker $26 a day, per dog. In fact, Americans' love affair with their pets costs a total of $41 billion a year, according to a U.S. consumer research company - double what they spent a decade ago.
While there are reports many Americans, facing economic difficulties, have given up their dogs and cats, Silvia Fubini is not one of them.
"I think it is kind of the reverse," she says. "I think people will often use their last money to make sure their pets are taken care of."
In fact, she was at a local pet store on Valentine's Day, looking to adopt a second cat to keep her and her dog company. Fubini admits that some can go overboard, such as her own sister, who she says has 65 dogs and 10 cats.An Associated Press poll found that one in seven pet owners in America reported spending less on their pets since the recession began last year. But Vince Malanphy, director of a PetSmart store, detects another trend in these times.
"We see a lot of people saving money by staying home more. So, since they are home more, they want some companionship, and we are seeing more people coming to our store and adopting cats and dogs."
Malanphy's store provides a variety of services for "pet parents," such as "doggy day camp." At PetSmart, the largest American pet store chain, there is also veterinary care and grooming available.When owners are out of town, they can indulge their pets in private suites in "PetsHotel" - spoiling them with ice cream, with raised platform beds and televisions tuned to the Animal Planet Network.
And there is "phone bone," so that the absent own can talk to their pets. The price - $41 a night for this suite.
Retired school teacher Felicity Olaf explains why so many Americans are willing to shower such attention and money on their beloved pets.
"They say that when you are petting a dog and having a dog near you, it lowers your blood pressure. And they have proven that in universities - that they are very good for old people. They calm them down and they make them happy."
According to a national survey by American Pet Products Association, Americans own about 75 million dogs and 88 million cats. There is a pet in six out of every 10 households - and not just cats and dogs.Richard Parsons owns "Friendly Feathers," where he sells pet birds.
"I have people that have 50 pet birds in their homes. So, bird people are pretty fanatical," he says. "Some people spend as much as $30,000 on hand-fed [birds]."
At PetSmart, they say there has been a rise in the ownership of a variety of exotic reptiles - including huge snakes - and small pets like hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas and tropical fish.
The love and affection that Americans of all ages shower on their favorite animals does not appear to have diminished in the face of hard economic times.
Washington, D.C.
09 April 2009 - Blog post
- 1 year ago
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New dog transportation feature New dog transportation features turn Element into the alpha dog of pet travel
- From: nurturedpets
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Description:
TORRANCE, Calif. - Apr 08 — New dog-friendly transportation concepts designed for the Honda Element add canine-specific enhancements to one of the most dog-friendly vehicles available, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today at the New York International Auto Show.
Developed specifically for the Element, the Dog Friendly™ components demonstrate the potential for a dedicated pet restraint system designed to meet the needs of dog owners. A finalized version of the Dog Friendly Element is scheduled to debut this fall. Major components will likely include:
* a cushioned pet bed in the cargo area with an elevated platform;
* second row and cargo area pet restraint systems;
* an extendable cargo area load-in ramp;
* a 12V DC rear ventilation fan;
* second-row seat covers with a dog pattern design (matches the bed fabric);
* all-season rubber floor mats with a toy bone pattern;
* a spill-resistant water bowl; and
* Dog Friendly exterior emblems.
"In an interesting turn of events, cars are now chasing dogs," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "Factory integration of a cushioned pet bed, restraint systems and other components are intended to transform the Element into the ultimate dog car."
The Dog Friendly equipment, engineered specifically for the Element, is designed to accommodate the transportation of dogs in the second-row passenger seats or in the cargo area. The restraint system concepts were designed and fabricated by Takata Corporation, one of the world's leading automotive safety systems suppliers, exclusively for display on the Dog Friendly Honda Element concept vehicle. The restraint concepts are intended to complement the potential of the vehicle's existing restraint systems by helping to protect the dog and helping to prevent injuries to other vehicle occupants due to an unrestrained dog impacting them in a collision. For convenience, a ramp is included to help dogs access the rear cargo area. The ramp stores underneath the bed platform and can be conveniently accessed when the rear tailgate is down.
"In-vehicle pet restraints should be part of every dog owner's safe travel practices," said Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "The expanded availability of manufacturer-based restraints and features can help elevate pet comfort and convenience for owners. Good ventilation and access to water on longer trips should also be primary concerns."
The Element has long been recognized for its dog-friendly interior with an easy-to-clean urethane floor and expansive, flat cargo area (up to 74.6 cu-ft. with rear seats removed), wide-opening side cargo doors, low lift-in height, and accommodating dimensions for tall items. The consumer pet travel advice Web site, Dogcars.com, honored the 2007 Honda Element with its first-ever "Dog Car of the Year" award.
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc., 39 percent of all households own at least one dog with an estimated total U.S. dog population of 74.8 million. All pet purchases and related products and services comprise an estimated total market value of more than $43 billion (2008 est.).
Substantially restyled for the 2009 model year and available with new features, the Honda Element builds on its spacious and versatile SUV character with a more chiseled exterior appearance and a refreshed interior design. Three unique Element styles are available that range from the rugged and simple Element LX, to the more refined Element EX, to the sporty Element SC.
Powered by a 2.4-liter i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine, the Element is available with either a 5-speed manual transmission (standard) or an available 5-speed automatic transmission. Available Real Time 4WD™ can enhance all-weather traction. The interior provides seating for up to four people along with a cargo area that adapts to large items with its flip-up rear seats that fold flat, fold up and to the side, or can be removed altogether (64-plus seating arrangements). The Element EX has a water resistant urethane-coated utility floor that wipes down for ease-of-cleaning and seat fabric that resists moisture.
For 2009, all Elements incorporate significant exterior styling changes that include new front grille and bumper designs, restyled front fenders (now metal, previously composite material), a new hood design, squared wheel arches, and new headlight and taillight configurations. Interior enhancements include revised dashboard color combinations with titanium-look side linings, new fabric patterns, and enhanced switchgear designs and instrument panel meter graphics. The Element EX exclusively adds a new convertible center console with a removable cooler/storage box.
About Honda
The Element is assembled in Ohio at the Honda of America Mfg., Inc., East Liberty Auto Plant using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda is the world's largest engine maker, producing a vast array of products, including automobiles, motorcycles, power equipment and jet aircraft - all designed to advance mobility and improve the lives of people through continued innovations in technology and design. For more on Honda visit www.honda.com. Honda's online multimedia newsroom: www.hondanews.com.
About The Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal-protection organization - backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, the HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty - On the Web at www.humanesociety.org. - Blog post
- 1 year ago
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Toxic Cats and Dogs Toxic Cats and Dogs
- From: nurturedpets
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At a time when people are fretting about toxins in baby bottles and prescription drugs in the water supply, a new report shows that our pets are teeming with chemicals as well.
The analysis, released by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, used blood and urine samples from 35 dogs and 37 cats collected at Hanover Animal Hospital in Mechanicsville, Va. The study found high levels of numerous chemicals in dogs and cats, including chemicals used in the making of furniture, fabrics and electronics. Mercury was also detected at high levels, likely from fish used in pet food.
While the data sound scary, it’s not clear what they really mean. Pets chew on plastic toys and spend a lot of time on the ground, where chemicals and pesticides accumulate, so it makes sense they would have higher levels of various toxins in their blood compared to humans.
But the report raises more questions than it answers. Is this added chemical exposure having a meaningful effect on pet health? More important is the question of how these chemicals affect people, through exposure to food animals as well as fruits and vegetables, but the report doesn’t go that far. The study is, however, a good opportunity to alert readers to an article that appeared late last year in Harper’s magazine called “Toxic Inaction.” When I first reported on it last October, it required a subscription to view it, but now it’s free.
The article cites several studies that show how industrial chemicals and toxins used in clothing, food, toys and cosmetics have found their way into our blood.
Greenpeace U.K. released a study in 2005 that found numerous toxic chemicals in the umbilical-cord blood of European infants. That same year, World Wildlife Fund International tested the blood of three generations of women from 12 European countries. The largest number of chemicals — 63 — was found in the group of grandmothers. Given the number of years they had had to accumulate exposure, this result was perhaps not surprising. But the next-highest level was among their grandchildren, aged 12 to 28, who in their short lifetimes had amassed 59 different toxic chemicals….Bio-monitoring tests in the United States have revealed the same dangerous chemicals making their way into the blood of Americans. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention completed screening for the presence of 148 toxic chemicals in the blood of a broad cross section of Americans; it found that the vast majority of subjects harbored almost all the toxins.
Harper’s says the United States is doing very little to address the problem, despite efforts by European authorities to step up regulation of various industrial chemicals. To read the full article, click here.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 74
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Kicking the Habit for Your Pet Kicking the Habit for Your Pet
- From: nurturedpets
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Description:
Would you give up smoking to help your dog?
Despite numerous health warnings about smoking, many people still don’t want to give up their cigarettes. But now tobacco researchers have found a new motivation to help people kick the habit — the family pet.
Researchers at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit say few smokers realize that secondhand smoke poses a health threat to pets. They conducted an online survey of about 3,300 pet owners in Michigan. About one in five of the respondents were smokers, while 27 percent lived with a smoker.
Nearly one in three smokers said the health of a pet would motivate them to try to kick the habit, the researchers reported in the medical journal Tobacco Control. Among non-smoking pet owners, 16 percent said pet health would spur them to ask a smoking family member to quit, while 24 percent said they would at least ask the smoker to take it outside.
The findings, said the researchers, suggest that public health campaigns focused on pets and smoking may be an effective way to convince some smokers to quit, or at least to help make the home smoke-free for non-smoking family members and pets.
Studies show that smoking poses a significant health threat to dogs, cats and birds who inhale secondhand smoke. A study at Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine found a higher rate of mouth cancer in cats who live with smokers. Cats are particularly vulnerable because carcinogenic compounds in smoke settle on their fur, which then are ingested by the cat when it grooms. A smoker’s cat is also twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma than a cat that lives with non-smokers.
Dogs who live with smokers are more likely to develop cancers in the nose and sinuses, according to a study at Colorado State University. Long-nosed dog breeds were at highest risk. Dogs with short or medium-length noses showed higher rates of lung cancer.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
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