David Trippett Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 March 23, 2006 – New industry spending figures released by The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) confirm just how much pets are becoming a part of American families. After tracking pet industry statistics for more than a decade, APPMA announced new figures today demonstrating a continued rise in pet expenditures. Pet spending has more than doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to an estimated $38.4 billion in 2006. In 2006, Americans’ spending on pets is projected to be higher than ever: $15.2 billion for food $9.3 billion for supplies and over-the-counter medications $9.4 billion for veterinarian care $1.8 billion for live animal purchases $2.7 billion for other services http://www.appma.org/press_releasedetail.asp?id=84 IN CONTRAST: Countries with nominal GDP less than 38 billion $ (World Bank, 2005): (number following Country in millions) 66 Sudan 37,565 67 Slovenia 37,303 68 Belarus 36,945 69 Guatemala 35,290 70 Syrian Arab Republic 34,902 71 Serbia 31,808b 72 Bulgaria 31,483 73 Dominican Republic 30,581 74 Tunisia 30,298 75 Lithuania 29,791 76 Sri Lanka 26,967 77 Oman 24,284 78 Lebanon 22,722 79 Costa Rica 22,145 80 Kenya 21,186 81 Azerbaijan 20,122 82 Latvia 20,116 83 Trinidad and Tobago 19,911 84 Uruguay 19,308 85 Yemen 19,057 86 Cameroon 18,323 87 El Salvador 18,306 88 Côte d'Ivoire 17,484 89 Uzbekistan 17,178 90 Panama 17,097 91 Estonia 16,410 92 Iceland 15,854 93 Cyprus 15,418 94 Macao, China 14,285 95 Jordan 14,176 96 Ethiopia 13,315 97 Bahrain 12,914 98 Ghana 12,906 99 Tanzania 12,784c 100 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,296 101 Bolivia 11,163 102 Zambia 10,907 103 Jamaica 10,533 104 Turkmenistan 10,496 105 Botswana 10,328 106 Gabon 9,546 107 Uganda 9,322 108 Honduras 9,235 109 Albania 9,136 110 Paraguay 9,110 111 Senegal 8,936 112 Equatorial Guinea 8,563 113 Congo 8,543 114 Afghanistan 8,399 115 Nepal 8,052 116 Mozambique 7,608 117 Georgia 7,550 118 Republic of Congo 7,385 119 Cambodia 7,193 120 Chad 6,541 121 Mauritius 6,448 122 Armenia 6,406 123 Brunei Darussalam 6,400 124 Namibia 6,372 125 Republic of Macedonia 6,217 126 Burkina Faso 6,205 127 Mali 5,929 128 Papua New Guinea 5,654 129 Malta 5,570 130 Madagascar 5,499 131 Nicaragua 5,369 132 Zimbabwe 5,010 133 Haiti 4,961 134 Benin 4,775 135 West Bank and Gaza 4,059 136 Niger 3,544 137 Laos 3,404 138 Guinea 3,317 139 Moldova 3,266d 140 Barbados 3,091 141 Fiji 2,822 142 Tajikistan 2,811 143 Kyrgyz Republic 2,695 144 Mongolia 2,689 145 Mauritania 2,663 146 Swaziland 2,648 147 Rwanda 2,494 148 Montenegro 2,347 149 Malawi 2,232 150 Togo 2,206 151 Suriname 1,597 152 Central African Republic 1,486 153 Lesotho 1,476 154 Sierra Leone 1,443 155 Belize 1,217 156 Cape Verde 1,144 157 Eritrea 1,085 158 Antigua and Barbuda 962 159 Bhutan 927 160 Maldives 915 161 St. Lucia 906 162 Guyana 896 163 Burundi 807 164 Djibouti 757 165 Seychelles 750 166 Liberia 631 167 Grenada 519 168 The Gambia 511 169 St. Kitts and Nevis 487 170 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 466 171 Samoa 422 172 Comoros 403 173 Vanuatu 388 174 East Timor 356 175 Solomon Islands 335 176 Guinea-Bissau 304 177 Dominica 300 178 Micronesia 245 179 Tonga 223 180 Palau 157 181 Marshall Islands 155 182 São Tomé and Principe 123 183 Kiribati 71 Quote
Bigtree Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 Thought provoking stats for sure, but what's your point? Don't you think folks in those countries would spend the same on their pets on a per capita basis as north Americans if they could? Quote
billcoe Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 Thought provoking stats for sure, but what's your point? Don't you think folks in those country's would spend the same on their pets on a per capita basis as north Americans if they could? Of course not, most of them eat dogs and cats. If they had more money an opportunity they would be discussing which Merlot pairs better with a schnauzer...than kind of thing. Quote
noliquidity Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 I'm full and still have half this can of Alpo left. I'll trade you for a season pass at Whistler. Quote
AlpineK Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 While I was in Tibet I met this guy who worked in Hong Kong and Singapore. His job was to find clothing manufacturers for clients in the US. As part of the arrangement he would take the factory owners out to dinner. Sometimes he would have to get a cook and come up with a nice local meal. Quite often this would involve going out to the market and picking up a couple happy looking schnauzers; then it was off to the butchers with the happy looking dogs, and then back to the cook with the ingredients. He felt bad about it, but that's what the clients expected for a nice meal. Quote
Bigtree Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 ...which Merlot pairs better with a schnauzer...than kind of thing. Ha, ha - very good billcoe. Your response reminded me of a time I ate guinea pig in Peru a few years back. The presentation was great, but the meat tough and frankly not worth the effort. I guess its protein though. Quote
ZimZam Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 One night in the Philippines, after pounding down San Miguel's, we went looking for cheap grub. A vendor was hawking chicken and I went to check it out. On the grill was a large leg. When I asked him about it, he said " O dat montun cheekin. Grow big n montun." I passed and got the balut eggs instead. Quote
billcoe Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 I'm full and still have half this can of Alpo left. I'll trade you for a season pass at Whistler. Woof! Hot damn, you're on! __________________________________________________________ Ha, ha - very good billcoe. Your response reminded me of a time I ate guinea pig in Peru a few years back. The presentation was great, but the meat tough and frankly not worth the effort. I guess its protein though. Good to hear that the presentation was up to snuff, but how did it pair with the Pisco sours? Quote
G-spotter Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 OMG you ate a How hard was it to get it out of the hamster wheel? Quote
Bigtree Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 ...how did it pair with the Pisco sours? The Pisco sours when very well with fresh seafood cervichi (sp?) at several places along the coast whereas the cuy (pronounced coo-eee) was accompanied by a beer. Seems to me I came down with a horrendous gastrointestinal something bug a few days later after eating some market food and swore off pretty much everything except roasted chicken and fries from that point onwards. Quote
billcoe Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 I had that happen in Nepal few years back. Puked and shat for 3 days until I was empty, then was unable to eat anything for 7 days, all while hiking up every day above 12,000-17,000 feet. Anyway, Sherpas tell me that Dogs are evil people who have been reincarnated, which is why they are ignored and offered no assistance or kindnesses while they wander the streets, eating off the various garbage piles. Quote
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