Are you an irrational spoiler? A pet zealot?

Trying to learn more about the inner thoughts of pet people, Del Monte has boosted its research budget by 15% to fund focus groups, in-home observations and brainstorming sessions like that one last fall. Del Monte execs are also scrutinizing taped interviews with pet zealots, including Cynthia Zaino, 33, of Pataskala, Ohio.

Pet zealots? The inner thoughts of "pet people"?

These pet owners, most of them women the company calls "spoilers," make up one-third of cat-owning households.

This article makes it sound as if the people at Meow Mix/Del Monte think it's strange that people like to treat their pets well. Is feeding your pet healthy food "spoiling" him? How about your child? If he gets a healthy, nutritious meal instead of a Big Mac are you spoiling him?

It's pretty simple - we want our animal friends to be happy and healthy, just like any other member of our family. We don't treat them like walking garbage cans who will consume any food scraps we throw at them.

Pup-Peroni Ribs, slow-cooked meat wrapped around a chewy bone, were given out with Weber grills and at doggy parks when introduced last fall. Says Wolford: "If you ever feel depressed take a Pup-Peroni home and give it to your dog. You instantly feel great about yourself."

Is he saying the only reason to give your dog a treat is so you feel great about yourself?

Here's my favorite part:

... consumers "really become irrational" about what they will spend on their pets, he says gleefully. Now he just needs to get more "spoilers" to spend their money on Del Monte.

I, for one, am happy to be an irrational pet spoiler. Pets give us their companionship and love and ask for nothing in return except that we love them and take care of their health. The people at Del Monte can do all the focus groups they want but it's clear they will never understand that.

Animal House