The U.S. pet market received some welcomed news this month, as the American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced a 5.4% jump in spending for 2009, up $2.2 billion from 2008, according to an article from Veterinary Practice News.

So what does all this mean? In the same article, APPA president Bob Vetere explains, “Our pets give us so much it is no longer enough to simply give them a treat. We want to keep our pets healthier longer and are willing to spend what it takes to make that happen.”

Pet owners love their pets. And it’s this relationship between the two that is driving the pet market forward despite the tough economic times. In fact, veterinary care is the category that’s experienced the most growth, increasing 8.5% over the previous year. People are willing to spend what’s necessary to ensure their pets’ health – and it’s time marketers took advantage. Here are a few ways to do this:

Focus On the Relationships
Identify the role your product or service plays in the relationship between the owner and pet. Specifically, talk about the ways in which your offering keeps their pets healthy – both now, and in the long run. Use this as your platform for all your marketing efforts.

Share and Connect
Find a way to help pet owners share and connect with the animal health community around them. Sponsor a contest. Find a location and offer free advice to pet owners once a month. Participate in social dialogue by joining ongoing conversations. Or, start your own.

Vets, Vets, Vets
There’s no one more knowledgeable and able to care for a pet than a community’s local veterinarian. So leverage that expertise. Provide wellness tips that can be customized for a veterinarian’s clinic. Then get these tips out to the community through traditional and online channels. It’s an easy way to show pet owners that there are people out there who care for the well-being of their pets as much as they do.