What Are Americans Spending on Their Pets?

People are increasingly considering their pets as part of the family. Pets are often given treats, gifts, toys, and home-prepared meals. Are pets really becoming part of the family though? A Nielsen survey conducted by Harris Poll showed that 95% of American pet owners consider their pets to be family members. 
 

In 2014, $19.7 billion USD was spent on pet care by Americans. Millennials and Gen X are most likely to have a pet and spend the most money on it. Dogs are the most common pet (71% of pet owners have at least one) followed by cats (49 of pet owners have at least one). 11% of pet owners have fish, 8% have a bird, and 9% have a different animal.

Pet owners are wiling to pay a fair amount on pet food fueling a multi-billion dollar industry.

Pet owners spend money on much more than food. 45% of pet owners buy birthday presents for their pets and 64% buy holiday gifts. The most common gifts are general toys, chew toys, and tug toys. Owners are also willing to buy clothes for their pets. 

While spending on non-food items is high, it is not yet high enough to fuel a multi-billion dollar industry.

Medical costs also add up. Americans spent $389 million USD on medicines, $19.2 million USD on treatments, and $379.1 million USD on flea and tick products.

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