We feed them , groom them , clothe them and otherwise shell out the big bucks to protect and pamper our pets . The American Pet Products Association 's annual report on pet industry spending says Americans spent $ 58 billion in 2014 on their 397 million pets , which range from freshwater fish and reptiles to cats and dogs . The industry trade group released the survey Thursday at the Global Pet Expo , an annual trade show in Orlando , Florida . The data came from a variety of groups , market research studies and media reports . The American Pet Products Association 's annual report on pet industry spending says Americans spent $ 58 billion in 2014 on their 397 million pets , which range from freshwater fish and reptiles to cats and dogs . Here 's a snapshot of how we spend money on pets : . WHERE THE MONEY GOES . The association measures five areas of spending . Last year , people spent $ 22 billion on food ; $ 15 billion on veterinary care ; $ 14 billion on supplies such as beds , bowls and collars and over-the-counter medicine to fight ailments such as fleas , ticks and colds ; $ 4.8 billion on other services ; and $ 2 billion on animals themselves . The 'other services ' category grew the fastest in 2014 and includes payments on grooming , boarding , walking , training , day care and even trips to the spa — where pets can get facials and massages , said Bob Vetere , president and CEO of the pet products association , based in Greenwich , Connecticut . Food : $ 22.62 billion . Supplies/OTC Medicine : $ 13.72 billion . Vet Care : $ 15.25 billion . Live animal purchases : $ 2.19 billion . Grooming & boarding : $ 4.73 billion . The breakdown of pet expenses above is an estimation by the American Pet Products Association based on its annual report on pet industry . VET VISITS FLAT . The report says trips to the veterinarian were unchanged or slightly down last year , although expenditures per visit have increased as owners green-light more expensive procedures , Vetere said . Those treatments ranged from the lifesaving to the exotic , like plastic surgery . A robust human-animal bond still exists , especially with dogs and cats , and people are doing more to prolong their pets ' lives , from surgery to food , Vetere said . WHAT 'S FOR DINNER . If food for pets sometimes sounds good enough to eat , it 's because it is . San Diego-based Honest Kitchen and Vero Beach , Florida-based Caru Natural Dog Stews are two pet food brands considered human-grade by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because their grub is made with ingredients palatable by people and produced in facilities meeting higher safety requirements . Americans spent the most on food for their pets last year , and much of it mirrored human trends , such as gluten-free , wheat-free , little sugar or reduced-calorie . The feast might come dry , wet , raw , baked , flaked , shredded , diced , sliced , frozen or freeze-dried . PET SALES DOWN . Sales of the animals themselves dropped from $ 2.23 billion in 2013 to $ 2.15 billion in 2014 , which was expected because spending in the category has fallen slightly each of the past several years , Vetere said . There is likely no one reason , he said . But adoptions at shelters and rescues are strong , many cities banned the sale of dogs from puppy mills and the lifespans of dogs and cats have lengthened . INDUSTRY GROWTH . As pets have become more important parts of U.S. families , spending on them has exploded . There has been more than a threefold increase since the group 's first survey was released in 1994 , when people paid out $ 17 billion . Spending grew 4.2 percent , from $ 55.72 billion in 2013 to $ 58.04 billion last year , Vetere said . COMPARING SPENDING . People spent about five times more on their pets than they did on movies last year . The box office firm Rentrak estimated that ticket sales from 2014 totaled $ 10.4 billion , a 5.2 percent drop from 2013 . But people spent far more on their homes than they did their pets , with expenditures from home improvements and repairs reaching $ 298 billion in 2013 , the most recent data available . As pets have become more important parts of U.S. families , spending on them has exploded .
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration annual report on pet industry spending says Americans spent $ 58 billion in 2014 on their 397 million pets . Americans spent the most on food for their pets last year , and much of it mirrored human trends , such as gluten-free , wheat-free or little sugar . Sales of the animals themselves dropped from $ 2.23 billion in 2013 to $ 2.15 billion in 2014 .