pet connection

Things are definitely looking good for people who love pets — and the people who want to sell them stuff, too. From Gina Spadafori in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

Last month in Orlando at Global Pet Expo, Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association, revealed the trade group’s annual snapshot of the pet care industry, as well as the executive summary of the association’s special two-year in-depth overview of who has pets, what kind, what they spend on them and why.

How many of us are there? Pet ownership is at an all-time high of 72.9 million households — up 2.1 percent since the last survey two years ago — and in those households, the number and variety of pets has also increased. Not surprising, that means the amount of money spent on these companion animals has barely hiccupped during the Great Recession, and is predicted to top $50 billion this year. For perspective, the amount of money spent on pets tops that spent on jewelry, candy and hardware, combined, and overall is the eighth-largest retail sector.

“I’m constantly amazed at the resilience of this industry,” said Vetere in releasing the APPA figures. “Not only did we weather the recession very well, but we’re poised to take advantage of the recovery.” (Read more…)

And “The Buzz” from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker is that people believe training, not breed, matters most when it comes to dangerous dogs:

A poll by The Associated Press and Petside.com supports the idea that dangerous dog legislation should target all problem dogs, not just breeds believed by some to be a problem. About three-quarters of respondents believed all dog breeds are safe if properly trained, and 60 percent said all breeds should be allowed in residential communities. Only 38 percent believed breed-specific bans were appropriate. As for pit bull terriers, the No. 1 dog target by breed-specific legislation, age plays a large part in how the dogs are viewed: 76 percent of those under 30 believe pit bulls are safe, while only 37 percent of seniors believed the same.

You can read all this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

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Do pets need vets? That’s the question our own Dr. Marty Becker asks in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

Do pets need vets? The struggling economy has people cutting back on many things, including regular veterinary care. A study presented at the North American Veterinary Conference shows that 63 percent of dog owners and 68 percent of cat owners are questioning the need for regular veterinary care. The study, funded by Bayer Animal Health, also showed that older pets see the veterinarian less often than younger pets. When pet owners do go to the veterinarian, they report finding veterinary expenses to be higher than they expected.

And from Dr. Becker and Gina Spadafori, some basic rules on picking the right toys for your parrot:

There are toys your bird can hold, toys that hang from the top and sides of the cage, and toys that do double duty as perches and swings. Twirlies, holdies, chewies, puzzles and noisemakers can all keep your bird occupied. Although you can buy toys by major manufacturers from the big chain stores, it’s also nice to choose from the variety of playthings lovingly made by a cottage industry of bird lovers that are available from independent bird shops, through catalogs and on the Internet.

All this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

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Dr. Tony Johnson takes the stage in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

I’m the guy you don’t want to meet in the middle of the night. No, I am not a mugger, a thief or a cat burglar — I am an emergency veterinarian.

Most of my interactions with pet owners end with something like “Nice to meet you, thanks for helping Fluffy, and I hope I never see you again.” Not because I lack social skills or have a crummy bedside manner (I hope not, anyway), but because emergency room visits are rarely pleasant for man or beast.

Avoiding me — at least professionally — is the best option, but you need to be prepared in any case.

By far the biggest issue in emergency medicine is cost. Medical expenses for emergency room visits can run into the thousands of dollars. (The highest veterinary bill I have ever seen was around $22,000.) That the cost is a tiny fraction of a similar visit to the human ER isn’t that consoling when you’re having to scramble for the money.

Pet insurance for pets is now a reality, and there are several companies competing for your business. Even with insurance, you should set aside money every month for the unexpected. Insurance typically refunds a portion of your bill, which means you still have to pay up front at the ER.

Here’s what else you need to know…

And from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker, reassurance that your dog will love you even if you’re nuts:

Your dog listens to you whether you’re crazy or not — and doesn’t care either way. According to research published in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers could find no evidence that dogs can tell the difference between rational and irrational acts, showing that they don’t understand if human behaviors make sense or not, and don’t notice if a person is acting crazy. But they listen anyway, following behavior cues regardless of whether they make sense.

All this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

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Is it true that cats care more about places than people? Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori call that “a myth,” as part of their look at cats and moving in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

It’s true that cats are territorial and will seek out familiar places when stressed, which is why they sometimes attempt to return to their old homes when moved. But they’ll be much happier going where you go if you take steps to ease their transition from one home to another.

While you’ll never manage a stress-free move for either yourself or your cat, you can make the best of the situation by keeping your pet secure before, during and after the move, and then by allowing your pet to gradually adapt to his new surroundings.

The best way to move your cat is to confine him to a “safe room” before and after the move, and to transport him from one house to another in a secure carrier. The ideal safe room is a spare bedroom or bathroom where your cat isn’t going to be disturbed, and where he can be outfitted with food and water, a litter box, a scratching post and toys.

Don’t feel bad about confining your pet. He’ll be more relaxed in a small space where he won’t be subjected to the stress of seeing people tromping around his house with the family belongings. Confining your cat also prevents him from slipping outside, which is a danger at both the old and the new home. A frightened cat may be hard to locate on the day of the move if you don’t make sure he’s somewhere that you can put your hands on him.

Read the rest of their tips here.

And from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker, news that dogs mean status in the new China:

China now counts almost a million registered pet dogs, and countless others fly beneath the government’s radar. According to The New York Times, the popularity of dogs is a hot phenomenon that shows little sign of ending. Dog swimming pools, theaters for people and their pets, and dog-friendly bars are popping up, along with pet-friendly stores and canine social networks. The pets serve as stress relief and as substitute children in a society where one child is still the rule. Dogs are also considered status symbols in the new China: Walking around with a Tibetan Mastiff is a way of telling everyone that you have disposable income, and lots of it.

All this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

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Our own Liz Palika guests this week in the Pet Connection newspaper feature, talking about one of her favorite pets, the box turtle:

Box turtles are native to the United States, and at one time were commonly seen throughout the eastern and central states. Unfortunately, habitat loss and collection for the pet trade have significantly decreased their numbers. Some populations are so depleted that they are now protected by law.

The good news is that box turtles breed well in captivity, producing offspring who are entertaining, engaging and quickly learn to recognize their owners.

Feeding these turtles is quite interesting, as adult box turtles are omnivores — they eat both meat and plants — but for the first two to five years of life, young box turtles are almost exclusively carnivores.

In the wild, adult box turtles will eat insects, worms, grubs, newborn rodents, berries, fungi and just about anything else they can find. In captivity, offer earthworms and grubs from your backyard and mealworms and crickets from the pet store. Feed a variety of plant foods, too, including strawberries, blueberries, melons, tomatoes and some chopped greens. Provide your box turtle with a cuttlebone (from the bird section of the pet supply store) so that your pet has a source of calcium. (Read more here…)

And from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker, different views on declaw, debark:

Close to 60 percent of all Americans and 55 percent of those with cats approve of declawing, but only 8 percent approve of surgically altering a dog’s vocal cords. According to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll, about half of pet owners would support a law making debarking illegal, with only 1 percent reporting having had the procedure done on a dog they owned. In contrast, only 18 percent would support a law making declawing illegal.

All this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

Photo: Liz Palika’s box turtle Onyx.

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