Reviewing the Pet Trends in 2014

TYLER, Texas - Dec. 6, 2014 - PRLog -- With 2014 coming to an end, it is quite the right time to review about the pet trends going on this year. It is quite possible that my research level is low but this is what I have perceived by consistently checking pets blogs, pets products and pets related forums online. The majority of pet owners or animal lovers are totally concentrating on having a cat or dog (mostly more than one cat or dog). Why having a cat or dog is easier than having any other pet? Is it because cats and dogs are interactive and they could be trained easily? Does it mean that before having pet, the only factor that is considered by people is that how easily their pet would adapt and adjust in their lifestyle?

The data and statistics of pets in America show that around 62% of households have at least one pet. This figure has dropped due to aging of previous pet owners and the change in lifestyle of current generation. The ownership of birds have declined around 20% in last decade; whereas the horses owned today by people are 33% less as compared last decade. Similarly, the decline in fish’s popularity as a pet has seen significant downfall of 17%. All these figures show that how pet trends have changed.

In 2013, Dr. Douglas Aspros, President of American Veterinary and Medical Association said, “Certainly, the economy plays some role, particularly in the decline in horse population. It's been devastating, but owning, feeding, housing and caring for horses is costly." He also mentioned similar ideas about small birds which could be easily kept in apartments that their availability is less and the overall care or expenditure of grooming, health and feeding is high.

The studies also show that it is not the attitude of people towards pets that keep people from having pets of different kind. People, especially the animal lovers, are willing to take care of their pets happily despite the efforts they have to make for their pets, but their financial conditions do not allow them for it. This is the reason that pet owners are mostly people who have full-time jobs, a house and are mostly without responsibilities of children or wife. In this way, they are able to spend on their pets without any other burdens on their pockets.

But again the question is that why people are concentrating on cat or dog ownership only; because the financial burdens, grooming and other responsibilities of cats and dogs (http://purrsngrrs.com/dogs/) are also high as any other pet. The only reason that makes sense here is that cats and dogs are extremely adaptable. They could be trained, they understand their owner’s routine and adjust according to it. They could be taken out (unlike fish or birds which have to be confined in a jar or cage). They are less messy (cleaning bird’s cage or fish tank is a big task). They could be trained to eat anything from human kitchen (avoid toxic or harmful foods). Apart from all that, a biggest factor is that cats and dogs could be petted, touched and their physical presence next to their owner makes them feel that they have a company. A sense of companionship people receive from cats or dogs is rare. Mostly cats and dogs love to sleep next to their humans; they wake up with their humans and eat when their humans are eating. This whole association of humans with cats or dogs is what makes them special kind of pets.

The point here is not to undermine the importance of other pets. The fish, birds (http://purrsngrrs.com/birds/), horses, reptiles (http://purrsngrrs.com/reptiles/) are all equally amazing as pets but they have totally different characteristics. Those who have their love for these animals must think about keeping them as pets because after all it is love that matters in the end.