Pet Population and Ownership Trends in the US
Focusing primarily on dogs and cats, this report provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of pet ownership rates, pet population characteristics, and pet owner demographics. This report also provides topline coverage of ownership rates for other types of pets (fish, small mammals, herptiles, and birds).
The COVID-19 epidemic muddied the waters on pet population trends. There is no debate over a pandemic-era spike in pet care spending, and a spate of pet adoption did occur in relation to the stay-at-home/work-from-home dynamics in the wake of the pandemic. But with the dust largely settled, it’s become clear that other factors led to pet ownership attrition, which offset the pet adoption dynamic.
Historical data show that a gradual ramp up in dog population has been in play for decades, but this trend peaked before the advent of COVID. In contrast to dog ownership rates, cat ownership has fluctuated relatively moderately over the last decades, and has edged upward post COVID-19, correspondingly emerging as an important driver to pet market growth.
This report features proprietary Packaged Facts consumer survey data from February 2023 through December 2023, along with Fall 2023 and historically trended syndicated pet ownership data from MRI-Simmons. Also incorporated are information and data from the pet industry trade press and from government, business, and institutional sources such as the American Pet Products Association (APPA), the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, Federal Reserve Banks, the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, and the National Association of Realtors.
The analysis in this report covers demographic shifts across the key pet owner variables of gender(s) in household, generational cohort, race/ethnicity, household income, household composition by marital status and presence/ absence of children, and type of residence. In addition, based on macroeconomic and internal pet market factors, topline projections for the household population of dog owners and cat owners are provided for 2023 vs. 2030.
- Executive Summary
- Scope and Methodology
- Scope of Report
- Methodology
- Consumer Survey Sources
- Overview of Pet Ownership
- Patterns by Dog or Cat Ownership Classification
- Focus on Dog Population Trends
- Focus on Cat Population Trends
- Focus on Other Pets
- Scope and Methodology
- Overview of Pet Ownership and Pet Owner Psychographics
- Chapter Highlights
- Historical Dog and Cat Ownership Patterns
- Topline Pet Ownership Rates
- Table Topline Pet Ownership Rates by Type, 2019 – 2023 (percent of overall households)
- Table Number of Pet-Owning Households by Type, 2019 – 2023 (in millions)
- Historical Dog vs. Cat Ownership Rates
- Table Household Ownership Rates for Dogs vs. Cats, 1990 – 2023 (percent)
- Widening Ownership by Age Bracket Drove Dog Population Growth
- Table Household Ownership Rates for Dogs by Pet Owner Age Bracket, 1990 – 2023 (percent)
- Puppy vs. Kitten Adoption Trends
- Table Number of US Households with Dogs/Puppies vs. Cats/Kittens, 2010 –2023 (thousands)
- Cats Gain Market Representation
- Table Share of Cat Owners Who Agree That Pet Industry Sectors Sometimes Treat Cats as Second Class Citizens, 2023 (percent)
- Topline Pet Ownership Rates
- Factors to Pet Population Growth
- National Population Trends
- Table National Population at Decennial Censuses, 1910 –2020 (number and percent change)
- Table Projected Population Change for the US, 2023 –2030 (thousands and percent change)
- Table Household Population Patterns for the US: Pet Ownership Indexes and Projected Change in Household Population by Selected Demographics, 2023 –2028 and 2028-2033 (index, million households, and percent change)
- Generational Trends
- Table Dog- and Cat-Owning Household Population by Generational Cohort, 2010 – 2016 (thousands)
- Table Dog- and Cat-Owning Household Population by Generational Cohort, 2017 – 2023 (thousands)
- Macroeconomic Trends
- Dog and Cat Owner Household Projections
- Table Dog and Cat Household Population, 2023 vs. 2030P (percent of overall households and million households)
- National Population Trends
- Pet Owner Psychographics
- Motivations for Pet Ownership
- Table Why Pet Owners Have Their Pets: Dogs vs. Cats, 2023 (percent)
- Pets as Family
- Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I consider my dogs/cats/other pets to be part of the family", 2023 (percent of pet owners by type of pet)
- Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "My pets are central to my home life", 2023 (percent of pet owners by type of pet)
- Table Agreement with Selected Statements Related to Pet Humanization: Dog vs. Cat Owners, 2023 (percent)
- Pet Parenting Day and Night
- Table Where Pets Are Typically Kept: Dogs vs. Cats, 2023 (percent of pet owners)
- Table Where Pet Owners Feed Their Pets: Dogs vs. Cats, 2023 (percent of pet owners)
- Table Where Pets Sleep: Dogs vs. Cats, 2023 (percent)
- Motivations for Pet Ownership
- Patterns by Dog or Cat Ownership Classification
- Chapter Highlights
- Overview by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification
- Topline Ownership Rates and Population
- Table Household Ownership Rates by Dog/Cat-Keeping Classification, 2018 – 2023 (percent)
- Table Household Ownership Base by Dog/Cat-Keeping Classification, 2018 – 2023 (thousands)
- Table Household Ownership Rates by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification, 1990 – 2023 (percent)
- Table Number of Pet-Owning Households by Dog/Cat-Keeping Classification, 1990 – 2023 (thousands)
- Distribution Trends by Dog vs. Cat Ownership
- Table Distribution Trends by Dog vs. Cat Ownership, 2018 – 2023 (percent of overall dog/cat households)
- Key Demographics by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification
- Table Pet Ownership Rates by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification and Demographic, 2018 vs. 2023 (percent)
- Table Pet Ownership Rates by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification and Demographic, 2018 vs. 2023 (percent)
- Table Pet Ownership Propensity by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification and Demographic, 2018 vs. 2023 (index)
- Table Pet Ownership Propensity by Dog/Cat Ownership Classification and Demographic, 2018 vs. 2023 (index)
- Topline Ownership Rates and Population
- Focus on Dog Population Trends
- Chapter Highlights
- Dog Ownership Overview
- Topline Ownership Rates and Population
- Table Dog Ownership, 2018 – 2023 (percent and million households)
- Trends by Number of Dogs Owned
- Table Household Ownership Rates for Dogs: Overall and by Number of Dogs, 2018 – 2023 (percent of US households)
- Table Dog Ownership Distribution by Number of Dogs, 2018 – 2023 (percent of dog-owning households)
- Table Household Base of Dog Owners: Overall and by Number of Dogs, 2018 – 2023 (thousands)
- Size of Dogs Owned
- Puppy and Senior Dog Populations
- Table Percentage of Dog-Owning Households With Puppies Under Age 1 or Senior Dogs Age 7+, 2018 – 2023 (percent)
- Table Number of Dog-Owning Households With Puppies Under Age 1 or Senior Dogs Age 7+, 2018 – 2023 (thousands)
- Overweight and Special Needs Dogs
- Table Share of Dog Owners Who Report Having Overweight, Special Needs, or Handicapped Dogs, 2023 (percent)
- Topline Ownership Rates and Population
- Dog Ownership Demographics
- Overview of Dog Ownership Demographics
- Table Overview of Dog Ownership Demographics, 2018 vs. 2023 (percent who own, percent of owners, and index)
- Key Demographic Variables and Dog Ownership Growth
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Gender of Adults in Household, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Generational Cohort, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Race/Ethnicity, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Census Sub-Region 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Household Income, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Household Composition, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Dog Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Type of Residence, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Dog Ownership Rates by Demographic
- Table Dog Ownership Rates by Demographic, 2018 – 2023 (percent)
- Overview of Dog Ownership Demographics
- Focus on Cat Population Trends
- Chapter Highlights
- Cat Ownership Overview
- Topline Ownership Rates and Population
- Table Cat Ownership, 2018 – 2023 (percent and million households)
- Trends by Number of Cats Owned
- Table Household Ownership Rates for Cats: Overall and by Number of Cats, 2018 – 2023 (percent of US households)
- Table Cat Ownership Distribution by Number of Cats, 2018 – 2023 (percent of cat-owning households)
- Table Household Base of Cat Owners: Overall and by Number of Cats, 2018 – 2023 (thousands)
- Size of Cats Owned
- Kitten and Senior Cat Populations
- Table Percentage of Cat-Owning Households With Kittens Under Age 1 or Senior Cats Age 7+, 2018 – 2023 (percent)
- Table Number of Cat-Owning Households With Kittens Under Age 1 or Senior Cats Age 7+, 2018 – 2023 (thousands)
- Overweight and Special Needs Cats
- Table Share of Cat Owners Who Report Having Overweight, Special Needs, or Handicapped Cats, 2023 (percent)
- Topline Ownership Rates and Population
- Cat Ownership Demographics
- Overview of Cat Ownership Demographics
- Table Overview of Cat Ownership Demographics, 2018 vs. 2023 (percent who own, percent of owners, and index)
- Key Demographic Variables and Cat Ownership Growth
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Adult Gender(s) in Household, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Generational Cohort, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Race/Ethnicity, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, and thousand households)
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Census Sub-Region 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Household Income, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Household Composition, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Table Cat Ownership Trends by Key Demographic Variables: Type of Residence, 2013 – 2023 (every other year) (percent who own, share of total owners, thousand households, and index)
- Cat Ownership Rates by Demographic
- Table Cat Ownership Rates by Demographic, 2018 – 2023 (percent)
- Overview of Cat Ownership Demographics
- Focus on Other Pets
- Chapter Highlights
- Topline Ownership Rates and Customer Base
- 15% of Households Have Pets Other Than Dogs or Cats
- Table Topline Ownership Rates for Pets Other Than Dogs or Cats, 2023 (percent of overall households)
- "Other" Pet Population by the Numbers
- Table Number of Pets Other Than Dog or Cats Owned: By Type of Pet, 2023 (percent of other pet owners)
- Adding Other Pets to the Household
- Other Pet Ownership Demographics
- Table Generational Patterns for Owning Pets Other than Dogs or Cats: By Type of "Other" Pet, 2023 (index of pet owners with a base of 100)
- Table Patterns by Household Income for Owning Pets Other than Dogs or Cats: By Type of "Other" Pet, 2023 (index of pet owners with a base of 100)
- Table Urban, Suburban, and Rural Patterns for Owning Pets Other than Dogs or Cats: By Type of "Other" Pet, 2023 (index of pet owners with a base of 100)
- Fish Ownership by Type
- Small Mammal Ownership by Type
- Herptile Ownership by Type
- Pet Bird Ownership by Type
- Table Types of Pet Birds Owned: Parakeets, Canaries, Cockatiels, Amazons, and Other Classifications, 2022 (percent of bird owners)
- 15% of Households Have Pets Other Than Dogs or Cats
Research Assistance
Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.
Download eBook