LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Human trends and pet trends are converging to blur the furry lines, as evidenced in a new survey commissioned by Michelson Found Animals Foundation, a non-profit social enterprise committed to saving pets and enriching lives. The survey of 1,000 dog and cat owners found that as humans become more tech-connected and embrace alternative health practices and diets themselves, these trends are extending to their pets as well.

Michelson Found Animals predicts the top pet trends for 2019 will be: Smart Tech, Alternative Therapies and Pets Eating More Like Their Owners.

"Pets bring so much joy to our lives, it makes sense that we would treat them as we treat ourselves. But this goes beyond the humanization of pets, these predictions are about people leveraging emerging trends to make it easier to be a good pet parent and take the very best care of their pets," said Aimee Gilbreath, Executive Director of Michelson Found Animals Foundation. "The macro trend of health and wellness and the increasing number of millennial pet parents are changing the way we care for our pets, and it's an exciting time."

Tech: Pets are living in increasingly smarter environments
Intrigued by pet tech and its ability to give them a better grasp on their pet's health and wellness, pet parents are motivated to give pet tech a try. Of those who do use health-related pet tech, they are interested in nutrition apps (47 percent), vet telemedicine (46 percent) and fitness trackers (31 percent) to maintain the health of their fur babies.  Over half (53 percent) are interested in getting a pet tracking device or a microchip (52 percent) and four in 10 (40 percent) are interested in pet monitoring cameras.  With one in four pet parents admitting they spend more on tech for their pets than for themselves, the future of pet tech is very bright.

Alternative Therapies: Pets get treatments too
Pet owners who have tried alternative therapies themselves, are likely to use them on their pets as well, therefore it can be expected that pet applications will grow as the human trend continues its explosive growth. For instance, CBD- and hemp-based products are a growing trend among humans, and of those who have used these alternatives themselves, 74 percent have used them on their pets as well.

Food: Pets' plates look more and more like ours
As people's growing awareness of food's effect on health and wellness leads them to try new diets and eating plans, this trend is expected to continue to extend to their pets as well. Of those surveyed, 45 percent admit to personally following a diet and 70 percent of those admit to putting their pet on a special diet too; for instance, almost half of pet parents who eat organic, feed their pets organic too (47 percent vs. 12 percent average).

The survey revealed:

Pet Tech:

• Most American houses have become "smart homes;" 61 percent of pet owners have at least one form of smart technology, and this extends to pets: more than half (56 percent) of pet parents say they have special tech just for their pet
• Popular pet tech: health and nutrition apps (24 percent), pet monitoring cameras (22 percent), pet servicing apps (22 percent) and smart toys (20 percent)
• Almost six in 10 (57 percent) say technology gives them a greater sense of their pet's wellbeing (41 percent) or security (39 percent). Almost eight in 10 (79 percent) of pet owners who use pet tech use it for tracking or monitoring technology, including microchips (60 percent), cameras (22 percent) or tracking devices (20 percent).
• Voice assistants are being used for reminders (55 percent), such as their pet's medication schedule (36 percent) or to feed their pet (35 percent).

Alternative Treatments:

• Pet parents use alternative therapies to care for their pet's specific medical or behavioral conditions (68 percent), preventatively (39 percent) or following a general health care plan (38 percent).
• Those who have used CBD oil or hemp products with their pets have done so as part of a general health plan (45 percent), to care for an older pet (45 percent), for a specific behavioral condition (39 percent) or for temporary relief such as following surgery or on a flight (39 percent).
• More than a quarter of pets (26 percent) have experienced mobility-related therapies like massage, physical therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture.
• Of the one in four (24 percent) who admit they pamper their pet with therapies, they are most likely to treat their pet with aromatherapy (81 percent), reflexology (79 percent) or naturopathy (73 percent).

Eating like Their Humans:

• When it comes to diet, pets reign superior: more than half (52 percent) believe they feed their pets better than themselves. Millennials are more likely to say this (60 percent vs. 48 percent for 35+), as well as dog owners (56 percent vs. 48 percent for cat owners).
• Pet owners who are on a protein-rich diet, feed their pets protein-rich as well (45 percent vs. 17 percent average)
• Almost four in ten pet owners with a food subscription service themselves, have signed up for a pet subscription service
• Almost one in five people now feed their pets exotic protein like bison, more than a quarter (27 percent) feed them vitamins and supplements and 15 percent cook meals for their pets.

For more information, visit  www.FoundAnimals.org, and go to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for more pet trends, insights, news and cuteness.

About the Michelson Found Animals Foundation:
Michelson Found Animals Foundation is a leading animal welfare non-profit organization committed to keeping pets safe at home with the pet parents who love them. With a mission of Saving Pets, Enriching Lives, Found Animals is advancing the health and safety of pets through the first free, national microchip registry, solutions-based programs addressing pet adoption, microchipping, low-cost spay neuter services and grants for research into non-surgical spay and neuter methods. The foundation provides educational resources for pet parents and support for a variety of animal welfare organizations and is also supporting start up innovation in the pet care industry with the Leap Venture Studio. Generously funded by Dr. Gary Michelson and Alya Michelson, Found Animals has helped more than 1.5 million pets since it was founded in 2005.

SOURCE Michelson Found Animals Foundation

Related Links

http://www.foundanimals.org