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| Not a dog's life catering to pets | | |
P. Sainath
Spending on pets in the U.S. is headed for a record $38.4 billion this year. This industry's products range from the basics of pet food and supplies to the bizarre and beyond.
IT TOOK us half an hour to get past the "bones" rack. It would take your dog a lifetime. There are over 50 kinds of bones on offer at just this section of the store we are in. These include "Dingo dental bones" — "cleans teeth, freshens breath." A top seller. Nothing affects the social life of a canine more adversely than bad breath.
But there's a lot more at this giant PetSmart outlet in Austin, Texas. And it's just one of countless such stores owned by this and other chains across the United States. There are bones on offer that "remove plaque and tartar" from your pet's teeth. And do so while "massaging gums." Other bone brands "relieve boredom." And, oh yes, they do incidentally "satisfy the natural chewing instinct."
They also meet the demands of political correctness in marketing. Tough bones are called "extreme chews" for energetic dogs. But the "light to moderate chews" are for puppies and "senior" dogs. (`Old' is seen as pejorative). Then come the bones "with a longer tasting, denser chew." And those marked `adult' for grown up hounds. There are even "Mini Chunks" for "dogs who prefer a smaller bite size." As also "velvet bones" for the more delicate creatures.
Spending on pets in the U.S. is headed for a record $38.4 billion this year, says the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). Which makes it more than double what it was in 1994 — $17 billion. So how much is $38.4 billion? Well, around Rs.175,000 crore.
About $15.2 billion — 40 per cent — of the total will have been spent on just pet food. "Supplies and over-the-counter medications" for pets will claim a further $ 9 billion. And veterinarian care will also take over $9 billion.
A lot of money goes on a range of products that boggle the mind. Even more than the bones. You can spend thousands of dollars on joint replacement surgeries for your pets. You can also, at any PetSmart outlet for instance, buy "Fur trim tweed coats" for them. Or, if your pet is of the more sporty kind, "reversible hood jackets."
Designer beds for dogs and cats are all the rage and can cost many hundreds of dollars. Still, there are also products that cost a bit less and are aimed at the not-so-rich but aspiring middle classes. These include 28 inch X 40 inch "Thermal Dog Cushions." Or, if you prefer, "Orthopaedic Mats."
And for those who must, alas, settle for cheaper dog beds, there is always the "Bargain Hound" brand to fall back on.
At the top end of the spectrum are the "luxury pet resorts." The New York Times wrote last month about the Top Dog Country Club, which has "a tiled, in-ground, heated swimming pool for dogs." The kennel boarding industry, the paper says, is booming. "Depending on the kennel — or hotel or spa or resort — a dog's activities can include hiking, swimming, listening to music, watching television, dining on gourmet meals, and getting a pedicure, complete with nail polish."
The whole culture is best termed the Pet Owner Industry for that is whom it targets. True, the industry does serve the basic needs of pets. (And in some detail — you can even get a diet aimed exclusively at junior iguanas.)
But the ideas, fancies, and fantasies it caters to are those of pet owners. According an industry survey: "27 per cent of dog owners and 13 per cent of cat owners buy their pets birthday presents. And 55 per cent of dog owners and 37 per cent of cat owners buy their pet holiday presents."
In the APPMA's count, some 70 million households in this country own dogs or cats or fish, birds, reptiles or horses. That is, 63 per cent of American households. And 45 per cent of all households own more than one pet. Around this demographic has sprung up a giant industry, both physical and online.
In one estimate, there are more than a million pages of pet care information online. Many of them peddling amazing products. These include (in the latest season) stuff that links up to popular festivals such as Halloween. At PetSmart online it's time for "Howl-O-Ween dog costumes and toys."
The physical stores try not to lag behind. They offer "Kitty PlayStations." And for the adventure-minded types who like to take their pets along for rafting, there are "high-performance dog flotation devices." (Once called life jackets.) Then there are the accessories so vital for the great outdoors. Try "Retractable leash with built-in bag dispenser." The bag appears at the flick of a button each time you've got to clean up the poop your pet leaves on the sidewalk. We also found "Wee wee disposable diapers" that offer an alternative approach to that problem. But it's hard to beat the online gangs when it comes to the most innovative stuff.
Take for instance, the pitch aimed at the techno-lust consumer segment. For just $180 you can get an "infra-red dog door." Of course, this cost rises as you add on all the little gadgets that make life so fascinating for a generation of techno-savvy canines. The USP of the infra-red dog door is that it "opens for your pet, and your pet only." How? The door "will only accept the digital code transmitted by the collar key that's included." So only your dog, carrying proper ID, can enter. Unauthorised canines trying to make a dash for the paradise within haven't an earthly chance. Such are the marvels of technology. For the aesthetically minded, there's "hand-painted ceramic dishware" for your pets to eat out of.
The industry is growing at around 6 per cent a year. (With some segments moving twice as fast.) Which led to Disney expanding its line of pet products since 2004. And this year, Wal-Mart, too, launched an "all-natural organic pet food." The name: "Natural Life." Of course. Organic pet food sales have grown much faster than organic food for humans in some years.
Some years ago, the United Nations Development Programme came up with a magic figure of its own. By spending an additional $40 billion on basics each year, it argued, the world could solve some vital problems of the human race. Including those of clean water, health, sanitation, literacy. It never happened, though. But next year's numbers for the pet industry in the U.S. might dwarf the figure the world couldn't manage. Maybe the planet needs a "retractable leash with built-in bag dispenser."
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