Pet Population & Ownership Trends in the US, 8th Edition

Report Overview

Macroeconomic factors – especially a housing affordability crisis – have ratcheted up pet ownership challenges in a long-robust pet industry.

Historically, dogs have dominated much of the US pet market. Aside from the litter category, cats have taken (an often distant) second place, with feline offerings and options seldom as robust as those for canines.

Recent pet population trends, however, have shifted the landscape. Between 2018 and 2024, household ownership rates slipped for having dogs and for having dogs but not cats. In contrast, ownership rates are slightly up since 2018 for having cats and for having cats but not dog.

Increased emphasis on cats by marketers and retailers makes sense not just as a temporary adaptation but long term, since cats are not only less expensive to keep but easier to manage – an especially important consideration for lower or modest-income households, dual-worker households, and the aging human population. The senior side of pet ownership is all the more important given that the human/animal bond tends to deepen as pets age.

Senior Pets and Pet Owners

Despite the importance of Gen Z and Millennials in driving pet population growth, a single-minded focus on new pet parents and new pets misses a big part of the picture. The population of senior and overweight pets in the United States is a grave concern and growing focus for the pet market. Older and overweight pets have a profound effect on the pet industry due to age-related health issues (like joint, urinary tract, and cognitive problems), as well as diabetes and cancer. By targeting these segments of the pet population with customized health and wellness products, marketers can not only target a growing pet population segment, but also extend the healthy lifespan of pets and increase the feasibility of pet ownership further into senior age brackets.

The senior side of pet ownership is all the more important given that the human/animal bond tends to deepen as pets age. The desire to have dogs or cats as long as possible: higher percentages of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers indicate that they want to have pets as long as they can, compared to Millennials and Gen Zers.

Overlooking this dynamic can leave key growth opportunities on the table, including in product segments that have otherwise flattened out in real dollar growth and unit sales.

Historical Dog vs. Cat Ownership Rates

The COVID-19 epidemic muddied the waters on pet population trends. On one hand, many manufacturing and retail-based sources took the increased pet population for granted; this was an understandable oversight given the spike in pet care spending, including for the kinds of durable pet products that are generally associated with adoption. On the other hand, veterinary sector sources (including Animalytix) were skeptical about any overall increase in pet population, factoring in veterinary supply distribution volumes and annual pet health check-up appointment traffic.

There is no debate over a pandemic-era spike in pet care spending and pet adoption in relation to the work-from-home dynamics – particularly among corporate white-collar professionals – in the wake of COVID. However, it’s clear in hindsight that other factors led to pet ownership attrition, which offset the pet adoption dynamic.

Dog ownership rates are what primarily move the needle with pet population trends, and historical MRI-Simmons National Consumer Study data suggest that the dog population has been ramping up gradually for decades. This trend peaked from 2013 to 2018, before the onset of the pandemic. In fact, longer-term data suggest that there is no simple or enduring relationship between macroeconomic downturns and pet population trends, which is understandable considering that pet dogs and cats have average life expectancies of 10-15 years.