5 Unique Traits of Gen Z Pet Owners Compared to Older Generations

A new generation of consumers is stepping into the spotlight. Gen Z, aged 18 to 27, has begun to enter adulthood, signaling a potential shift in shopping habits that brand managers and marketers will need to adapt to and understand.

These young tech-savvy consumers make up a small but growing percentage of pet-owning households, accounting for 12% of pet households, according to a new slide deck released by Packaged Facts titled Gen Z and Millennials as Pet Care Consumers, which is available as a free download on our website.

In this slide deck, Packaged Facts highlights several unique traits that set Gen Z pet owners apart from older generations. Here is a brief overview of some eye-catching new data from Packaged Facts.

1. Gen Z is more diverse overall.

The most distinctive demographic trait of Gen Z is its greater racial/ethnic diversity: 48% of Gen Z adults are white/non-Hispanic, compared to 76% of Boomers. 

However, pet-owning households in the US do not yet reflect the increasing diversity of Gen Z. White non-Hispanics account for 63% of adults, but for 74% of pet-owning households.

2. Social media influences Gen Z to a greater extent.

According to MRI-Simmons survey data cited by Packaged Facts, 27% of Gen Zers agree that social media influencers impact brand choices, compared to 8% of Boomers.

In addition, 46% of Gen Zers consider social media their main news source, compared with only 12% of Boomers. What’s more, 30% of Gen Zers trust social media for information over any other media sources, compared with only 9% of Boomers. 

By extension, influencers are disproportionately important to Gen Zers: 44% of Gen Zers follow influencers on social media, compared again to only 9% of Boomers.

“This trust and influence anchors the ever-expanding role of social media as an essential marketing and advertising forum,” noted David Sprinkle, a long-time pet market analyst for Packaged Facts.

3. Gen Zers tend to prioritize affordability more in pet care.

Gen Z may be more price sensitive than older generations: 38% of Gen Zers strongly agree that they are price and affordability conscious when shopping for pet care products, compared to 29% of Boomers.

Because many Gen Z individuals are still early in their careers and have lower disposable incomes compared to older generations, they may not have as many resources available to spend on non-essential items, including pet care products.

4. Gen Z pet owners are less likely to use veterinary services.

Given the high cost of veterinary care, it’s perhaps unsurprising that only 65% of Gen Z pet owners use these services, compared to 69% of pet owners overall. Gen Xers frequent veterinarians the most, with a 71% usage rate.

Gen Z pet owners also rely less on veterinarians for information and guidance, with 54% of Millennial or Gen Z pet owners listing vets as the most/a most important source of information, compared to 74% of Boomers.

5. Gen Zers tend to be more liberal in their political views.

“Among adults overall, 29% identify as Democrat, and 28% as Republican,” Sprinkle explained. “Republicans take a slight majority among pet owners overall, but Democrats take the lead among Gen Z (especially) and Millennial pet owners.”

In addition, among Gen Zers and Millennials alike, a higher share of cat owners than of dog owners characterize themselves as “very liberal.”

However, Gen Zers had the lowest registration rate (46%) and the lowest voting rate (26%) among generational cohorts.

Where to learn more

Download the complete slide deck from Packaged Facts for more information about Gen Z and Millennial pet owners. This slide deck gives a preview of some research from our groundbreaking new report titled Gen Z and Millennials as Pet Care Consumers. Read the report's abstract to learn more, or purchase a copy today.

About Packaged Facts

Trusted by industry leaders for more than 50 years, Packaged Facts specializes in market research on pet products and services, food and beverages, and financial services, providing actionable insights and analyzing future market opportunities based on consumer trends and motivations.

About the blogger: Sarah Schmidt is a Managing Editor at The Freedonia Group, a premier international business research company and the parent company of Packaged Facts.