According to "Planet Dog," there are more than 100 million dogs and cats in the United States. And we Americans spend more than $5.4 billion on them each year.
Of that, $1.5 billion is spent on pet food - which is 4 times the amount spent on baby food.
Why do we love them so much? 94% of us say that our pets make us smile more than once a day. Also, some studies have shown that people who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks.
Would you say those pets are good for us?
On a shopping trip last week we visited several stores, and since we're social people, visited with the clerks who helped us. Most said that sales were down - which is what the newspapers are saying. But the pet supply store was just as crowded as ever!
