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September 19, 2009 12:01am
IT costs $746 a year to run the family pooch and $583 for a cat but the costs have not deterred Australians from owning a pet.
The country has more pets than people although the dog and cat population has peaked over the past decade and is declining, albeit slowly.
Cat numbers have been particularly hit hard as sustained campaigning, particularly by the RSPCA about the need to have animals neutered, appears to have kicked in.
Australia had 3.2 million cats in 1988 but by 2007 this had declined to 2.2 million.
Research by the Australian Companion Animal Council, a pet industry lobby group that includes veterinarians, kennel clubs, animal welfare groups and pet food makers, has found the industry is one of the largest in Australia, worth about $4.74 billion annually and employing about 45,000 people.
ACAC executive officer Megan Bisson said yesterday pets were important to the community and personal well-being.
"Regrettably, increased high-density living, changing lifestyles and government legislation are creating an environment in which pet ownership is becoming increasingly difficult," she said.
"Research into the effects that pets have on human physical and mental health increasingly demonstrates that pets help people build social bridges...and contribute significantly to the social capital of society."
Ms Bisson said dog and cat owners made less visits to the doctor and spent less time in hospital, with a Melbourne University study study estimating dogs and cats saved up to $2.227 billion in health expenditure.
Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world, with almost two-thirds of the nation owning at least one pet.
The council says almost all pet owners say they talk to their pet while 81 per cent say they never feel alone when with their animal. "In actual fact, 56 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men say their pet is more affectionate than their partner," their report says.
