A pet owner who buys a puppy or kitten recipe may stay brand loyal until their pet needs a senior formulation.
After the pandemic pet ownership surge, American Pet Products Association (APPA) market research suggests that 70% of American households now include a pet of some species, Julie Springer, APPA market analyst said during her presentation at Global Pet Expo on March 24 in Orlando, Florida, USA. Many of those pet owners may be new to caring for animals, according to insights she shared from APPA’s surveys and reports. Of those in the survey who didn’t own pets currently, 18% had owned a pet in the past, while 12% were classified as non-pet-owners.
US pet ownership statistics
In the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, pet owners in the United States responded that 54% of their household contained dogs. Cats followed, making their homes in 35% of households. U.S. pet owners also kept freshwater fish (9%), birds (8%), small animals (5%), reptiles (4%), saltwater fish (2%) and horses (3%).
The survey asked pet owners how long they had owned a pet. The average number of years of pet ownership has declined or remained consistent from 2018 to 2020, she said. A lower average means new pet owners.
Average number of years as a pet owner
Dog
2018: 16
2020: 14
Cat
2018: 15
2020: 14
Freshwater Fish
2018: 7
2020: 6
Saltwater Fish
2018: 5
2020: 4
Bird
2018: 11
2020: 8
Small Animal
2018: 3
2020: 3
Reptile
2018: 5
2020: 5
Horse
2018: 13
2020: 10
Among new pet owners and across species, many survey respondents said that the pandemic had influenced their decision to bring a companion animal into their homes.
Influence of COVID-19 on new pet owners
Dog – 47%
Cat – 40%
Freshwater Fish – 34%
Saltwater Fish – 60%
Bird – 46%
Small Animal – 46%
Reptile – 27%
Horse – 27%
New pet owners entering the market not only increases the overall market for pet food, it also presents an opportunity for brands to gain a foothold with new customers. For example, a pet owner who buys a puppy formulation may stay brand loyal until their pets need senior formulations.
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as a senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared inScientific American, Live Science, Discovery News, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in natural resources, both
from the University of Missouri - Columbia, along with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated regenerative agriculture, along with other projects.
While forecasts can have short shelf lives, being overtaken by unforeseen events, there’s no question that the U.S. economy and American houseeholds have been buffeted by COVID-19 shutdowns and illnesses, patches of job insecurity despite low unemployment rates and record price inflation only partially offset by wage increases.
