Pets Are People, Too

Most pet owners don't go that far, according to the survey. Only a little over a quarter celebrate their pet's birthday or the day it came to live with them and just a third have included a pet's photo or name in a holiday card.

Still, 42 percent of pet owners have taken a pet on vacation, with dogs more likely to accompany the family than cats. Dog owners were also more likely to take their pets to work (21 percent) or somewhere the animal wasn't allowed (18 percent).

When it comes to feedings, nearly half of all dog owners and 40 percent of cat owners admit giving their pets human food at least sometimes.

Jimmy Ruth Martin, 73, who sells real estate in Louisville, Texas, said she gives her border collie Samantha table food: chicken, steak, potatoes, salad, ice cream. "She'll eat anything I'm eating," she said.

She said her dog has gotten so fat, she can't climb up on the bed. "The table scraps have done that."

Helen Reed, 60, of Clearfield, Pa., said her cat Sadie has personality -- she is not a lap cat, sleeps at the foot of the bed and likes to be in the same room as her. But she doesn't dress her up.

Martin doesn't squeeze Samantha into cute outfits, either, though she said the dog does have her own sense of style. "She's still a dog and I know it," she said.

Bernice Miller, 71, of Springfield, Mo., said she likes to dress her Maltese up as a pumpkin on Thanksgiving and Santa on Christmas. She has a photo of the she and the dog on her wall, signs his name "Tully" to cards and gives him treats on his birthday.

"He's the best little thing," said Miller, who is retired. "He just begs to go with me, so I don't leave him too much. He's just like a little kid."

The AP-Petside.com poll was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media from May 28-June 1, 2009. It is based on landline and cellular telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,110 pet owners. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

Associated Press polling director Trevor Tompson contributed to this report.