The US economy is still in recovery mode but in 2010, pet spending went up by 6.2 per cent on the year before - Americans spent almost $50 bn on their beloved animals.<br /><br />Most of that money was spent on food and veterinarian care, similar to the way one spends on children.<br /><br />Al Jazeera 's Cath Turner reports on America's love affair with its animals.
