Plenty of household budgets have gotten tighter lately. Yet for many pet owners, there’s one line item they seem reluctant to touch: their pet. New survey data released by Elanco Animal Health suggests that pet health remains one of the most protected areas of household spending, even as many families continue navigating higher everyday costs. The numbers suggest that several people no longer think of their pets as “just animals.” They’re budgeting for them the same way they’d budget for any other family member.
Pet owners continue spending on their pets’ health despite high costs, per survey
The survey was conducted among 1,409 U.S. pet owners between May 29 and May 31. And prime among other questions, it asked people where they’d trim spending if they had to make cuts, and the answers were pretty telling.
A lot of people said they’d skip dinners out, postpone trips, or cut back elsewhere before spending less on their pets. According to the research, pet health and wellness ranked at the very bottom of the list. And the same theme popped up again and again throughout the responses.
Elanco found that 95% of respondents consider pet health and wellness a priority that they are unwilling to reduce because of economic pressure. Meanwhile, 88% said their pet’s happiness and well-being are just as important as their own. And it isn’t just talk. The spending numbers seem to back it up.
According to the survey, 91% of pet owners have either maintained or increased their spending on pet health and wellness products in recent years. More than a third reported spending more than they did previously. Respondents don’t expect that commitment to change anytime soon. Looking ahead, 90% of respondents expect their spending to either stay the same or increase over the next year, while 37% anticipate spending even more.
Bobby Modi, Executive Vice President of U.S. Pet Health and Digital Transformation at Elanco, said in the company’s announcement that pet care remains “a deeply emotional and highly prioritized investment for pet parents.”
None of this happened overnight, though, as attitudes toward pets have been changing for years. More people are looking for ways to help their pets stay healthy for longer, whether that’s through veterinary care, wellness products, or other services.
