The food sector alone for the two preferred species is worth EUR 4.2 billion and accounts for 79% of the total expenditure incurred by families for their animals. The remaining 21%, or about EUR 1.1 billion, concerns care, understood as accessories and products for hygiene and health (not drugs).
This also includes food for small animals, which on the whole, however, make up the majority of those considered as ‘pets’ by the trade association and also include 25.3 million fish, 4.1 million birds, 2.7 million reptiles and amphibians and 1.4 million small mammals…
a process of increasing social inclusion is underway for dogs and cats, ranging from laws protecting them from abuse and mistreatment to their increasing acceptance in facilities open to the public, starting with restaurants, bars and hotels. It could not be otherwise, considering that they are present in 54.5 per cent of families but with a percentage that rises to 66.7 per cent among families with children and remains above 60 per cent in those with children over 20 years of age…
