Health care is the fastest-growing category as pet owners learn more about treatments to improve their pet’s fitness.

Bess is a Maine Coon cat, weighing 10 kg. To ease the 11-year-old pet’s joint pain, Bess’s owner took the “cat” to the Friendship Animal Hospital, a prestigious veterinary clinic in Washington (USA).

Bess’s hydrotherapy session here lasts only 17 minutes but promises to bring great results for “patients” with arthritis. In addition to traditional veterinary treatments, this clinic also offers treatments that appear to be human-only, such as acupuncture and ultrasound therapy.

Pets are increasingly being considered as genuine family members. Americans, especially those living in the capital, often seek the best pet care available. Christine Klippen – one of 63 veterinarians working at the clinic – also admitted she considered herself the parents of “fluffy kids”.

According to Steve King, head of the American Pet Products Association (APPA), the country now has 84.9 million households (about 68% of the US population) that keep pets. Last year, US spending on pets hit a record of $ 72.6 billion, and APPA expects that figure to rise to $ 75.4 billion by 2019. Health care is a spending category that has the fastest increase, as more and more pet owners learn about treatments to improve their pet’s physical condition.

Treatment rates for pets are usually not cheap. For example, a 20-minute hydrotherapy session for Bella costs up to $ 89 and a 15-minute laser therapist costs $ 65 – such a procedure will last for a year.

In turn, science has shown that pet owners are healthier than others, both physically and mentally, minimizing the risk of autism, memory loss, and cardiovascular disease. Scientific research also shows that keeping a dog or cat indoors will also help reduce hypertension in the elderly and reduce allergies in children.