Why Australians are rated as one of the most pet-loving countries in the world

Australians are rated as one of the most pet-loving counties in the world with 63 per cent of households owning a pet. For many of us our furry, feathered, scaly or aquatic friends are a huge part of our lives.

There is nothing we can't buy for our BFFs (Best Furry Friends) everything from designer label pet carriers, custom collars, luxury bedding, designer duds (for every occasion, even weddings), toys, doggles (goggles for dogs), helmets, car seats, training aids, designer dinnerware, monitoring systems and portable loos.

There's a plethora of services and treatments also available; doggie day care, pet psychics, state of the art boarding kennels with cable TV, holistic treatments and even cafes where you can share a pup-a-cino or order pet-friendly birthday cake.

These cute critters great and small have become an integral part of our families (at times in place of children) or our companions, during sickness, emotional trauma or keeping the empty nesters and elderly company.

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The Commonwealth Bank released a study on their own customers' spending habits last year and found they spent $345 million on pets compared with $58 million on gym fees.

Of the 2,241,859 individual pet-related transactions recorded, $101 million was spent on vet services, $54 million at pet stores and related suppliers, $2.6 million was splurged on boarding and kennels and $640 000 was spent on grooming services.

So we like to flash our cash when it comes to our pets, but what are they giving us in return?

The experts agree ... there is no doubt our pets are good for us, they can help lower blood pressure, lessen anxiety, boost immunity, improve our mood and even help our love lives (nothing like swapping doggie stories and numbers in the park over a pooper-scooper).

Current research also shows cats are also very important for preventing death from heart arracks. "Results of a decade-long study suggest cats may have special health-sustaining qualities, which is probably no big surprise to Americans, who own more cats than dogs. For 10 years, Adnan Qureshi, professor of neurosurgery and neurology at the University of Minnesota, followed 4,500 people and in 2008 announced his study's intriguing conclusions: Those who owned a cat were 40% less likely to die from heart attacks than those who had no feline in their lives.