Most households own pets, and for good reason. Pets add a lot to our lives, and they love people unconditionally.
According to the World Animal Foundation, a huge number of Americans have dogs and/or cats, though there are plenty of other types of pets as well. Owning a pet is a big responsibility. It’s a commitment that you’ll be there for the pet and give them the best care possible. It’s no wonder that our pets love us so much.
66% Of Homes Have a Domesticated Animal
A high percentage of individual homes have a domesticated animal as a pet. Those households have almost 87 million pets. The vast majority of them have dogs or cats or both.
More People Own Dogs Than Cats
Dogs can be a little more complicated to care for, but pet owners haven’t held that against them. While pet owners own 65.1 million dogs, they own only about 46.5 million cats.
Many People Keep Horses or Saltwater Fish
While cats and dogs are highly popular, they’re not at all the only pets that people keep. People have about 2.2 million horses as pets. About 11 million households keep a fish tank full of saltwater fish.
Pet Ownership Is Increasing
Maybe it’s because of social media, or maybe it’s because more people are living alone, but pet ownership is going up. In 1988, pet ownership was at about 56%. By 2023-2024, it was at 66%.
More Women Own Pets
Many more women own pets than men. Almost 60% of all pet owners in the U.S. are female. They own a wide range of pets and love spending time with their special animals.
In the E.U., Almost Half Own Pets
In the many countries of the European Union, nearly 46% of all households have a pet. This isn’t as high as in some places in the world, but most Europeans live in a pet-friendly culture.
Vietnam Has the Most Pet Goldfish
In Vietnam, the highest percentage of people own a goldfish as a pet. About 15% of people own one of these fancy, shiny fish. In Vietnam, these fish are a symbol of prosperity and good luck.
Americans Spend Big on Their Pets
In the U.S. in 2022, pet owners spent about $11.4 billion on pet services for their companion animals. There are many services that pets need to stay healthy and happy, such as grooming, and Americans are more than willing to buy those services.
Americans Spend More Than $130 Billion on Pets
The total cost of pets in the U.S. reached $136.8 billion by 2022. In 2011, Americans spent about $500 a year on their pets. That number rose quickly to $775 in 2021. People spend an average of $730 on their dogs specifically.
More Dogs Have Insurance
Pet insurance has gotten big in the last few years as more people are insuring their pets. In the U.S., more dogs have this insurance than cats. Almost 20% of pet insurance policies are held by pet owners in California.
More Millennials Own Pets Than Other Generations
While just 16% of Gen Zers have pets, 24% of Baby Boomers and 25% of Gen Xers have them. The largest pet-owning generation is the millennials with 33% of them owning pets.
People in Mobile Homes Own a Lot of Pets
While the percentage of people who own pets overall is about 66%, the number is much higher for those who live in mobile homes. Almost 74% of them own at least one pet.
More People Are Getting Poultry Pets
From the years between 2012 through 2017, the ownership of pet poultry went up by 23%. More households now have pet chickens and turkeys, representing about 1.1% of all homeowners.
The U.K. Has the Most Pet Reptiles
Many people love their reptile pets, and many of those people are in the U.K. There are about 2.2 million pet reptiles in the U.K. Second in pet reptile numbers is Russia with 1.1 million.
Italy Has More Ornamental Birds Than Dogs
Italians love keeping ornamental birds as pets. They have about 12.88 million of them! At the same time, they only have 10.2 million cats and just 8.8 million dogs.
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