Pet Ownership Statistics

Pet owners describe selves and pets with same emotions

Pet owners generated lists of 39 emotional terms for dogs, ranging from happy to anxious, and 53 terms for cats’ emotions, including calm, happy, angry and fearful.

January 4, 2021

Tim Wall

Scientists identified ranges of animal emotions and associated behaviors, as described by pet owners. Those same pet owners also noted their own emotions while interacting with their pets.

Looking back: Pet acquisition, wellness during a pandemic

2020’s COVID-19 pandemic created many shifts in the pet industry; among them is pet ownership itself.

December 8, 2020

David Sprinkle

2020’s COVID-19 pandemic created many shifts in the pet industry; among them is pet ownership itself, including adoptions and fosters from multiple channels.

Pandemic, climate ‘baby bust’ may affect pet food industry

A pandemic-related baby bust also means fewer households adopting a new best friend for their youngsters. Or does it mean more spoiled fur babies?

December 7, 2020

Tim Wall

With declining numbers of real babies and fewer fur babies, the pet food industry faces potentially conflicting demographic trends.

Shelter pet adoption numbers down in 2020, but high rate

While the pandemic caused unprecedented suffering worldwide in 2020, the disruptions to dogs, cats and other pets adoption numbers may normalize in 2021.

December 3, 2020

Tim Wall

The latest data from animal shelter data management agency PetPoint suggests October pet adoption numbers remained lower year-over-year.

Korean startup teaches kids about pet food, pet ownership

Be My Pet Co. aims to reduce pet abandonment in South Korea.

November 16, 2020

Alma Buelva

Be My Pet Co. aims to reduce pet abandonment in South Korea with a YouTube channel and other resources geared towards children and new pet owners.

Are pet adoptions truly rising? Pet food outlook for 2021

November 9, 2020

Debbie Phillips-Donaldson

An increase in foster pets may mask an actual drop in pet adoptions, so it’s not certain they will boost overall pet ownership and pet food sales.

Pet adoptions down in pandemic, masked by fosters

Overall, since the onset of the pandemic, dog and cat adoptions declined by 25% compared to the same period last year.

November 9, 2020

Tim Wall

Despite feel-good stories about new pandemic pets and empty shelters, pet adoptions may be declining during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

14 blogs on AAFCO, apples in pet food, DCM in Oct. 2020

In October 2020, Petfood Industry’s editors and columnists wrote 14 blogs or feature articles, which covered AAFCO, apples, ownership trends and dilated cardiomyopathy.

November 5, 2020

Tim Wall

In October 2020, Petfood Industry’s editors and columnists wrote 14 blogs or feature articles, which covered AAFCO, apples, ownership trends and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Update: State of pet ownership and pet food spending

October 22, 2020

Debbie Phillips-Donaldson

The current picture of pet ownership and pet food spending in the U.S. seems mostly sunny, partly cloudy with a chance of storms on the horizon.

Smaller, older dogs alter UK pet food market

People in the UK increasingly keep smaller breeds of dog, where 51% of dogs now weigh less than 10 kilograms

October 8, 2020

Tim Wall

Advances in nutrition, care and medicine helped dog and cat lifespan double during the past four decades in the United Kingdom, where dogs now live an average 12 years, while cats’ nine lives last them 15 years.