A Successful Pet Product Industry

The 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey found that 63% of American households own a pet, which is equal to about 71 million homes. It's no surprise, then, that pet owners spent $43.2 billion on their furry family members last year.

This year that number is expected to grow to $45.4 billion, despite an otherwise floundering economy. The growth of the pet product industry, which includes pet care products, services, live animal purchases and pet medicines, is astounding to many industry analysts.

The pet product industry has increased its supply of healthy pet food products and specialty brands, as consumers generally lean more toward environmental/nutritious purchases. Food niches for babies, active pets and seniors all ensure optimal nutrition for our pets.

Natural pet products offer organic, chemical-free options for health-conscious consumers and pet medications, like hairball remedy or tartar control products, are being packed right into pet treats. Premium foods may cost a few dollars more, but after a few tainted pet food scares or reports of harmful ingredients, people are more willing to shell out the extra dollars to ensure their pets' health.

So what pet product offerings are exciting judges of pet care products awards? In February, the Global Pet Expo awarded the following new products for their excellence: Lasso (www.dogmaticproducts.com), a security-locking leash; FroliCat BOLT (www.frolicat.com), which is a fun laser toy; the Polly Wanna Pinata Bird Toy (www.amazon.com), which is a straw, chewable bird pinata filled with treats.

The R2 Fish School (www.supercoolpets.com/archives/2008/09/r2_fish_school.php), which is a complete fish training system. These are just a few of the many new toys and pet supplies on the market that have consumers grabbing for their wallets.

To read more A Successful Pet Product Industry

Loving Your Pet With Health Care Pet Supplies

While you're pet shopping, you'll probably notice there is an endless supply of products on the market. Does your dog really need a toothbrush? Will your cat need a hairball remedy? It can be difficult to discern the essentials from frivolous expenses, so here is a guide to purchasing the necessary health care pet supplies.

Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are harbingers of disease for outdoor animals. As a general rule, pet owners should never use cat supplies on dogs or dog supplies on cats. They should also not use tick or flea care pet supplies on animals under 4 months of age.

Veterinarians can often recommend the best products, but Dr. Phillip Raclyn of the Riverside Animal Hospital in Manhattan recommends using prescription products, the Preventick Collar or topical products made by Frontline, Vectra or Revolution.

There are many pet care products on the market that promote pet health. However, the most important health care pet supplies you can purchase are quality food and veterinary care.

Immunized animals are much more capable of fighting off disease and surviving to old age. Animals that are brushed and bathed regularly are also better at fighting off disease. Food should contain limited fillers and be mostly comprised of meat.

To read more Loving Your Pet With Health Care Pet Supplies

Pet Supply Store With Many Products And Services

Owning a pet supply store franchise is big business and is part of an $8 billion industry. There are approximately 7,500 retail pet supply stores in the United States, with the vast majority of them falling under the PetsMart, PetCo, Pet Supplies Plus or Petland banners.

The fifty largest companies account for 60% of sales and the industry is growing as the number of pet owners grows. If you are looking for a pet store to do business with, then here are some of the most popular.

PetCo is another popular pet supply store, with nearly 1,000 stores in all 50 U.S. states. As a company that began with just five employees in La Mesa, California, this seller of pet products now employs 22,000 people and is continuously growing. Like PetSmart, PetCo offers services like pet grooming, obedience classes and animal adoption.

Some stores offer vaccinations, pet photography, self-service dog washing stations and DNA breed testing. PetCo not only sells a wide variety of natural pet products, but they carry reusable shopping bags in all their stores, transport pets using recycled cardboard pet carriers, make their gift cards out of recycled products and work to conserve fuel efficiency by opening new distribution centers.

No matter which pet supply store a consumer chooses, there are many available products and services. Another great thing about these stores is that they both have a "pets allowed" policy, so dogs and cats can walk right into the store to pick out their own favorite toys or treats.

Some people may head online to find deeper discounts, better store hours and hassle-free shipping right to their front doors. Both PetCo and PetSmart offer convenient online shopping for their customers at www.petco.com and www.petsmart.com, respectively.

To read more Pet Supply Store With Many Products And Services