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Many adults love their pets so much that they call themselves pet 'parents' rather than 'owners.' They spoil their cats and dogs with gourmet pet food, professional grooming services and cute outfits, and let them sleep in the master bed every night. But the average spoiled pooch has nothing on these 10 animals. Their "parents" have gone to the farthest extremes to make sure their pets are not only healthy and happy, but have luxurious spa services, a hopping social life, or care that's fit for a human child. Read on to find out the 10 most outrageous things people are doing for their pets.
10) Daily Dog Bubble Baths
Veterinarians recommend bathing your dog about once a month, although many owners don't even want to go to the hassle of chasing a wet dog around the house that often. Some, however, just can't get enough of pampering their pooch and treat their dog to daily bubble baths. Prince, a Chinese crested dog, who is thought to be the most spoiled dog in Britain, enjoys a long soak every morning. His owner, Emma, shampoos and conditions his fur, followed by a rub down with Clarins brand lotion. This might be a little excessive, but at least Emma will never have to worry about a dog smell lingering on her furniture or clothes!
9) Gourmet Meals
The typical mass-produced pet food just won't do for some pampered pets. Prince, for example, likes to have scrambled eggs for breakfast, a veggie and fruit salad for lunch, and biscuits for dinner. His human-like diet might not be the most nutritious for a dog's dietary needs, but Emma would never feed him out of a can. What might be even stranger are cats, Missy and Lucky, whose owner loved them so much he included them in his will, and demanded they receive fresh shrimp dinners every night after his passing.
8) A 'Bark' Mitzvah
A new trend in some Jewish dog families is throwing a coming-of-age 'bark' mitzvah for their pets. A bark mitzvah can be as casual or elaborate as the owner chooses, but some go all-out (think MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen, but for a dog.) Synagogues will even get involved in the festivities, with the rabbis blessing the canine attendees and handing out certificates to the special dog. Actor Jason Biggs recently threw his dog Teets, a bark mitzvah for his thirteenth birthday. Teets wore a custom-made kippa to the event, which was held at the Sinai Temple in LA. Although, Teets' favorite part was probably getting to eat his very own challah at the end!
7) Goldfish Surgery
For most people, if they notice their pet gold fish is swimming around less than usual, they might try giving him some more food or cleaning the tank to try perk up their fishy friend. But that wasn't nearly enough for George the goldfish's owners, though. The Australian family noticed their beloved fish was acting a little under the weather, so they rushed him to the local vet, who discovered a life threatening tumor. The vet gave them the option of putting the fish down or performing surgery. George's family elected to pay for the $200 surgery, which involved anesthesia and a water-filled breathing tube for George. According to the vet, "The surgery went swimmingly and George has now returned home with his loving owner."
6) Fish Flying First Class
One millionaire in LA takes just as much care of his koi as the previous family did with their gold fish. The difference, of course, is that you can win a gold fish at a fair, while koi cost thousands of dollars each. The owner adopts his fish from Japan and makes sure that they are hand carried in first class on the plane ride into the US. Business class is not fancy enough for his high-class fish, and don't even think about stowing them in cargo. Once they arrive in LA, the fish enjoy a custom built backyard water garden.
5) A House Custom-Furnished for Cats
If most people are lucky enough to have an extra room in their house, it might be turned into an office, a gym, or storage space. Some cat parents will take that extra room and make it something special just for their feline friend, complete with scratch posts, tunnels, and comfy beds. That might be a little obsessive, but one Californian man went even crazier and turned his entire house into a cat playground. The owner of 18 cats wanted to make his home as entertaining as possible for his furry friends, so he had cat-walks, ledges, trees and posts built into every room. The renovation cost him $35,000, and his cats are said to be loving the newly designed space.
4) Diamond Dog Collars
For most folks, splurging on diamonds is reserved for engagements and special anniversaries, but for others, the precious jewels are just another accessory for their dog. Collars like this one are available from La Collection de Bijoux, for anywhere between $150,000 to $3 million. The diamond pet collars are surprisingly in demand by posh pet parents. People who aren't quite ready by buy diamonds for their pets can downgrade to a collar bedazzled with Swarovski crystals, for only a few hundred bucks.
3) A Custom Dog Shower
A daily bubble bath in the human bathtub is nothing compared to what some dog owners are doing. Wealthy pet parents across the world are getting dog-sized showers installed in their homes, so Fido has a bath just the right size for him. The showers are custom made to fit the size of your particular dog, and are tiled and completed with a customized shower head. Now if only someone could train the dogs to use it all by themselves.
2) Cats With Personal Drivers and Maids
Chanel head designer, Karl Lagerfeld treats his cat, Choupette, to the best service. Choupette has a personal driver and two maids, whose jobs are simply to provide for her every needs. Choupette has to be brushed a minimum of twice a day and have a record kept of her daily activities, which are then transferred to her personal Twitter page, @ChoupettesDiary.
1) A $325,000 Dog House
Redesigning your own home to make it a cat paradise is crazy enough, but celebrity Paris Hilton built a whole new house just for her dogs. It isn't your average backyard dog house, either. The mini mansion is two stories high, with a balcony and is furnished with leather chairs, rugs, a chandelier and pink decor. It also has electric lighting, air conditioning, a view of the Hollywood Hills, a fenced-in yard, and (supervised) access to the pool. You won't find this dog house at Lowes, because it was custom made for Paris and her pooches for a reported $325,000.