According to sales data from the American Pet Product Association, spending on pets sure looks like it belongs in the consumer staple sector, not consumer discretionary.

FORBES: Connect

Glitzy pet superstores, which account for more than a fifth of pet-product sales in America and Canada, barely exist south of the Rio Grande.

ECONOMIST: Profits from pooches are more than petty cash

This new product will be employed in a cloud service that provides pet owners with assistance in managing the health of pets.

ENGADGET: Fujitsu collar monitor proves that all dogs go to the cloud

If you have someone in the house that is sensitive to cats, has an allergy from them or something like that, there is a product called Allerpet that you can actually just spray on to your pet, and it neutralizes the enzymes in the saliva, which is what people are usually allergic to.

CNN: Pet hair, poop and other cleaning challenges

Example: Last week, Lands' End , a unit of Sears Holdings, rolled out a huge new online gift guide that breaks down product selections by recipient profiles (say, "baby" or "pet" gifts) and price points.

FORBES: Magazine Article