20 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY march 30-april 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Almost all of Ray Meyers’ life has centered around tropical fish. Meyers was 8 years old when he stocked his first aquarium. By age 10, he was raising them on his own and as a teen, his first job was in a tropical fish store. At age 18, he opened up his own store on Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey in the 1970s. Since then, Meyers has owned multiple tropical fish and pet stores with a tropical fish focus in Monterey and Salinas. Today he still owns a pet supply store in Salinas called Pet Fun, opened in 1993, and while the store caters to all sorts of pets, Meyers’ passion—tropical fish— remains his favorite. His life has mirrored the birth and growth of the hobby that continues to gain in popularity. Meyers says tropical fish aquariums became a thing in the 1960s after toy companies like Mattel marketed them as a “wholesome family activity.” Aquariums in homes became ubiquitous at that time. The market continued to steadily grow then dipped slightly, with the pandemic reigniting the industry as people staying home were adopting new pets. According to recent research by San Francisco-based Grand View Research, the global ornamental fish industry, which includes saltwater and freshwater fish, was estimated in 2022 to be worth $5.88 billion, up from $1.2 billion in 2020. The industry is expected to grow to over $11 billion by 2030. Last year the firm Statista estimated that freshwater fish were the third-most popular pet in the U.S. inside 11.8 million homes, behind dogs in 69 million homes and cats in over 45 million homes. Saltwater fish came at the bottom of the list, estimated to be in 3 million homes, behind birds, other small animals, reptiles and horses, in that order. Researchers said people are drawn to ornamental fish for a variety of reasons that range from creating a posh living room showpiece to increasing health benefits. Aquariums have been Yes, pets are cute, but there’s more to it than that. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that pets keep us healthier. Regular walking or playing with an animal can contribute to reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Companionship from an animal, whether furry or scaly or slimy, can help humans manage loneliness and depression. Of course, there are reasons other than health that a majority of American households include a pet. If you’re among those 70 percent who do, you know there’s a unique kind of love between human and animal—and yes, it can even penetrate a glass tank. Of course, it’s not all love and cuddles. Pet ownership comes with a lot of responsibility and there are decisions to make and, of course, expenses. This edition of our annual Pet Issue devotes a good deal of attention to the financial side of pet parenting: Can you afford the best pet food (and is it worth paying for), and how can you manage an unexpected veterinary bill? There are, of course, more frivolous decisions too, like where to take your pooch out for a burger. These, and a range of other questions humans might be asking about animals, are included in this issue. -Sara Rubin, editor 8 Footing the vet bill 20 Filling the tank 22 The raw food diet 24 Cannabis for pets 25 Beyond cuddles: A resource guide 34 An octopus is a man’s best friend 36 Cooked to order The Pet Issue Gone Fishing It’s easier than ever before to make ornamental fish feel right at home. By Pam Marino A shrimp on its perch in the aquarium section of Pet Fun. The store has a wide variety of saltwater and freshwater aquatic animals, the only live animals Meyers sells at his store. He carries mostly dog and cat products, with supplies for other animals, as well. Photos by Daniel Dreifuss Puppies Mango and Fig take a sniff around the SPCA Monterey County’s pet food bank. Cats, like Berlioz, are less impressed.
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