PETS

I'm reading about fluidity and third-culture stuff right now. Third culture refers to children indigenous to ONE culture who are brought up in yet ANOTHER culture which has innate acceptance of still OTHER cultures. Common examples of young people brought up in third cultures are those who are the children of missionaries, foreign diplomats and others. These children all learn naturally to embrace and accept other ways of doing things, other practices, other traditions, other belief systems, etc.

One of the 'other' things that has strongly impacted our American culture in the past 15 years is the rise in attention to our PETS.

No president since Chester A. Arthur in the 19th century has dared to move into the White House without at least a dog or cat and a few of the earlier ones took goats, cows and roosters, too. So then, nothing much is really NEW, right?

Well -- not exactly.

There is a NEW breed of pet in our fluid society. They are replacing CHILDREN in some respects. Sixty-three percent of American households have pets, up from 56% twenty years ago. That means 44 million households have at least one dog and 38 million households have at least one cat. (Interestingly, there are 17 million more cats than dogs because cat owners are much more likely to have more than one.) If you add the folks with fish, birds, snakes and other small animals, you have more than twice the number of homes with pets than you have homes with children.

The lives of pets are being elevated to the lap of luxury. In America today, the top 1% of pets live better than 99% of the world's human population. In 2006, Americans spent $40 billion on their pets. Pet products are a bigger industry than toys, candy or hardware.

Eight-out-of-ten pet owners buy gifts for their four-legged pet on birthdays and holidays. Pet health insurance is on the steep increase. Seventy percent of pet insurance owners say they would 'pay any amount' to save their pet's lives. Record-breaking amounts of 'human grade' gourmet, vegetarian, low-carb and organic food are being bought for our animals. Last year, over $9 billion was spent on over-the-counter health related supplies for pets -- and that doesn't mean flea collars and scratching posts. We bought teeth-whiteners, breath-fresheners, fur-glisteners, designer sweaters, doggie jewelry and animal car seats. Add to that kitty chin acne medicine, "Doggle" glasses to protect pet eyes from glare when they ride in cars, puppy sunscreen, kitty nail polish, animal anti-aging cremes ... and yes, pet contact lenses. Custom made doghouses, kennels that offer your animal hiking, swimming, television, gourmet meals and pedicures. One hotel in Nashville offers a package where you can have your dog ride in a limo to a recording studio and have his barking digitally mastered onto a holiday CD. Massage included. For the dog.

There are dog finishing schools, pet play groups to encourage socialization, doggie dating services and pet weddings. Animal retirement homes where pets are grouped by temperament and pet funeral homes.

Dog walkers can make $200 an hour for taking a pack of dogs around the block. A pet hair stylist can make $100 an hour if he is working for the right Fifi. The number of companies offering "Take Your Dog to Work Week" is soaring. We haven't managed corporate child care just yet, but corporate dog care should be easier.

So what, you ask?

Well ... maybe nothing. But in 2004, a California jury awarded a pet owner a record-breaking $39,000 in a veterinary malpractice suit, acknowledging that were the dog to be regarded as mere 'property,' it would have had a fair market value of only $10. In 2007, a pet food poisoning made famous in the news sent lawyers scurrying to file lawsuits for this pet-icide.

Is it that short of a distance before animal rights activitists push for outlawing pet ownership altogether? I mean, if pets AREN'T property in the eyes of the courts, then why should people be allowed to own them at all?

I'm not a dog hater at all -- quite the contrary. In fact, we have one (see the March 12th blog). But maybe it's not so bad anymore to be 'sick as a dog?'

I'm just saying.

And be blessed.