More and more U.S. pet owners are buying "pet attire" such as as faux mink coats and monogrammed sweaters.
The British luxury label Burberry has offered doggie trenchcoats and sweaters for quite a while, but the outfitter of generals and foreign correspondents is offering a wider range of products for a pooch as are a lot of other brands.
The 2005 trend report on the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association notes the surge of companies offering pet clothes in the last year. U.S. pets owners spent an estimated $34 billion on their dogs, cats, fish and other animals last year.
One of the most popular items in pet attire is the SpongeBob dog sweater. It was an instant hit when it first appeared last year selling faster than anything else in the holiday catalog for Nickelodeon, the network that owns SpongeBob -- the undersea cartoon character with the optimist attitude, reported the New York Times Sunday.
SpongeBob is now offering more pet products that include rainwear, a dog bed, vegan dog treats and even an aquarium for pet fish.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
