LEXINGTON, Ky. — They might have custom-tailored wardrobes, daycare with Web cams, and pricey bedding replete with natural fibers.

Their food could include upscale blends to thwart food allergies and natural ingredients such as carob and yogurt.

Their jewelry might include Swarovski crystals, and relaxation could involve aromatherapy candles and spa treatments, not to mention "Sexy Beast" cologne.

No, we're not talking about your children. We're talking about your pets.

Just as brown is the new black, pets are the new children.

It's a phenomenon jointly fueled by affluence and age. Many baby boomers have sent their children out on their own or never had children. They've already spent on cars and houses, electronics and wardrobe, so what's left?

Pet marketing has become more sophisticated, says Julia Hall, whose family runs the Lexington-based Incredipet stores. Hall maps the pet owner's psyche: "I've got this disposable income. I'm going to spoil this creature who loves me."

Shannon Felix of barkerytreats.com said the new trend in the doggie-doughnut business is birthday cakes for dogs, crafted of wheat flour, carrots and honey, with a yogurt-based frosting.

You also can get dog truffles that, thanks to Felix's cake-decorating mother, look pretty much like the real thing. (All of the Barkery treats are made with human-grade ingredients.)

"Our goal was that if a dog didn't come for them immediately, we didn't want them," Felix says.

She started the Barkery after she left some Valentine's Day treats for her pet-sitting clients. Business has boomed, and 75 percent of it is mail order.

She is dubious of the rash of dog bakeries popping up on the Internet, fearing that the fancy dog-biscuit business is luring too many inexperienced folks with a stove and a dream. "A lot of them are just popping up without the appropriate ... certification," she says.

Marisa Dungan of Pet Pizzazz in Somerset, Ky., estimates that 90 percent of her business is pet photography. "I will do people, of course," she says. "I'm not going to turn down the job."

But in her studio work and travel all over the state, few people get photographed.

She offers more than 25 themes, including University of Kentucky, "Western" with cowboy hats and bandannas, "glamour pets" with boas and tiny sweaters, and "bathtime" with a rubber ducky.

She has photographed snakes, turtles, ferrets, an iguana, cats and everything in the dog world from a teacup Chihuahua to a Great Dane. She has been bitten only by a Chihuahua, although she acknowledges that "cats tend to be more difficult."

"With animals, the one benefit is you don't have to worry about their expression," Dungan said. "With pet owners, they're so thrilled to get a good professional photo of their pet."

Doggie daycare options separate into two categories: at-home services and away-from-home daycares that offer exercise, feeding and rest periods for groups of dogs.

Hickman Creek Kennel in Jessamine County, Ky., for example, offers luxury suites that include couches, TVs and Web cams. Other pet-suite operations might offer toddler beds and cable TV tuned to Animal Planet.

Such services attract pet parents who work long hours and aren't always chipper enough to do extensive walking and potty duty when they get home.

Says Anne Huston of A Pet's Pal pet-sitting service: "Most of my clients are travelers. However, some of them are daily clients, people who have long hours."

She began her business in August 2004 and has served dogs and cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish. In a typical day, she tries to stagger her appointments so that nobody has to wait an excessively long time for a potty break: "You don't ever want a dog to go over 12 hours," she said.

Huston also offers "pet taxi" service, ferrying animals to the kennel, vet or groomer, and she does pet chores such as delivering pet supplies for people who are homebound.

Half-hour visits are a $14 flat rate. Huston does have a favorite client: Noah, a 25-pound mixed breed, is "just a little lovums," she says. "We sit and we cuddle."

Some pet parents want their dogs to have the daycare experience. At Dog's Day Inc., dogs might be sorted by temperament and how much exercise they need.

Puppies, for example, might play together until they are moved up into the adolescent beginner group. Dogs might play until naptime, take a potty break, and continue playing until their owners collect them.

"Dogs are social animals," says Janece Rollet, owner of A Dog's Day. "They need social interaction. This way, at least in a daycare, they get out."

Says Dog's Day employee Donna Miller: "I treat them all like they're my kids. They don't talk back. They just bark."

Daycare is $20 for a full day, $15 for a half day.

CF Elegance opened in spring 2005 in Chevy Chase, Ky., and features two tubs imported from Italy and two shower stalls for big dogs or dogs with special needs who need to lie down. A pulsating machine disperses four different shampoos through the water. Dogs are hand-washed, then receive a coat conditioner depending on their needs.

Is it grooming? Co-owner Francesca Forbes says: "I hate the word because so many dogs get bad experiences from groomers. ... It's grooming, but it's not traditional grooming.

"Everyone comes here because they want their dogs to have a cute style, and I spend a lot of time."

Some dogs come in once a week.

Prices start at $45 for small dogs (extra for a matted coat) to $75 for the fur-intensive standard poodle.

"People really underestimate their pets," says Felix, the dog-bakery owner. "Once they (dogs) realize the routine, they're waiting on us. That's probably the best feeling ever."