Just like people in Japan continue to outlive those in other countries, their pets are falling in line with longer life expectancies, thanks to advances in medical science.But as owners increasingly worry about soaring medical bills, they are taking out private pet insurance to lessen the burden.The market, which covers pets such as cats and dogs, has seen annual growth of nearly 20 percent and was worth about 49 billion yen ($450 million) as of the end of March last year, according to a private survey.The life expectancy of pets has risen partly because veterinary hospitals are taking care…READ FULL ARTICLE
