PET LUXURIES:HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?



Image courtesy:neatorama.com

 A very cute doggy in the lap of luxury and proper table manners! He is seated on a pup high chair, designed to truly make him feel part of the family at the dinner table.Noble thought, but what exactly must the pup be going through to be in that pose for the whole duration of his meal? 

This is only one among a host of other pet products and services that have been invented for the well being of our dear pets. They are all innovative. Some of them are actually beneficial, while others (like the one above) are simply ridiculous. The latter seem to be more apt for people's amusement rather than the pet's comfort. Imagine having a heavy $3,000 Swarovski crystalled dress adorning a pet dog (yes, there are takers for it!). That would attract a lot of oohs and aahs of admiration from the human spectators but would also invite oohs and aahs of (unheard) discomfort from the pet.

 A few days back, a new four million dollar Spa Paws hotel for pets opened up near Dallas. With a cost of $200 a night, it has many luxury amenities to boast of. These include ''upholstered beds with satin blankets'', facials, flat screen TVs, photo sessions with the pets donning funny dresses and hair dos, etc. Likewise, a new pet spa called Jet Pet Resort would be opening up in Vancouver next week and has an array of dog and cat luxuries lined up like plasma TVs, limousine pick and drop facilities, massages and other spa services. The difference between Spa Paws and Jet Pet is that while the former exclusively caters to the high ended customer, the latter has a broader range of  tariffs to accomodate people with varying budgets.

I do like some of the amenities of Jet Pet though. Having webcams installed in the pets' rooms would come as a great relief to the concerned owner who is away on a tour and would like to actually see how his pet is doing. Having infra red therapeutic beds for older dogs and cats suffering from arthiritis and having anti-bacterial sheep-skin mats and massages for all in general are also good, hygienic and relevant options.But I also wonder, what would happen once their owners return to take back home their pets. The pets would have been spoilt for choice and would have to adapt again to their homely surroundings!

But when it comes to limos, plasma TVs, facials,satin,mobile phones, I simply fail to understand their logic.If one is indeed such an animal lover, wouldn't it make more sense to spend some money on the needs of  homeless and sick dogs and cats on the streets, rather than splurging thousands and over indulging one one's own pets?

It is remarkable how technology has advanced and is coming up with a greater range of services for animals, especially in the domains of health and food. Families owning pets,particularly elderly couples and those without children, have a special fondness for their pets and are willing to spend any amount on them, in a bid to treat them like their own children. All this has led to a boom in pet product business. I appreciate it and believe that if progress is taking place in leaps and bounds for humans, why should animals be left behind? I am only stressing that the development should be sensible and not a joke and for the sake of a show off. One would be causing more harm than good otherwise.

I myself am a dog lover and a proud owner of a Pomeranian dog can relate to the emotional sentiments of a pet owner as he prepares to spend for his pet.But one must know where to draw the line.