Pet Industry Spending 2018

Ever wondered just how much the fur family is spending as a whole in the US? Our southeast Michigan dog and cat owners know that owning pets can be expensive - there’s the food, grooming, toys, treats, accessories, vet visits, etc. It’s a long list. Our Wags to Wiskers team have gathered some facts and figures to illustrate just how big the pet industry is!

The Pet Industry is Growing

According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), pet owners are spending more than ever on their fur family. At Wags, we love to hear that! Lots of happy pets with everything they need and more. Here is the estimated breakdown:

Their full estimated breakdown for 2018 pet parent spending in the pet industry is as follows:

Wags to Wiskers pet industry money spent
  • Food – $29.88 billion

  • Supplies/OTC Medicine – $15.51 billion

  • Vet Care – $18.26 billion

  • Other Services – $6.47 billion

  • Live animal purchases – $2.01 billion

For a grand total of $72.13 billion, up from $69.51 billion in 2017. This increase in spending goes paw in paw with the fact that more US households are pet owners than ever before!

  • Dogs – 60.2 million households

  • Cats – 47.1 million

  • Freshwater Fish – 12.5 million

  • Birds – 7.9 million

  • Small Animals – 6.7 million

  • Reptiles – 4.7 million

  • Horses – 2.6 million

  • Saltwater Fish – 2.5 million

This makes us happy too - more pets with loving homes! Pet parents keep spoiling their fur family, and at Wags to Wiskers Pet Supplies, we’re there for it.