Australians are spending $12 billion (US $9 billion) a year on food, grooming, vets and insurance for their animals, making the pet care industry one of the major growth hot spots of the country’s business sector.
There are an estimated eight million pet owners, primarily of cats and dogs, which means Australia has one of the highest domestic animal ownership rates in the world.
And as more people choose to live by themselves with their animals, the growing level of spending has prompted new businesses to enter the market to take advantage of the boom of spending on pets.