Pets in the UK – The Statistics!

New research from the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) shows that the UK is still a country that very much loves its pets. In line with National Pet Month (5^th April – 5^th May), the PFMA has released figures that show our love for all things furry, or indeed scaly, is just as strong as ever despite these depressing economical times.

In the UK, almost 1 in 2 households own a pet, this means that there are approximately 22 millions pet owned within the UK and that doesn’t even include fish! The following shows the percentage of households owning a pet in the UK were as follows:

Dog – 22%

Cat – 18%

Indoor Fish – 9%

Outdoor Fish – 6%

Rabbits – 2.7%

Indoor Birds – 2%

Guinea Pigs – 1.5%

Hamster – 1.4%

Domestic Fowl – 0.6%

Lizards – 0.6%

Tortoises/Turtles – 0.6%

Snakes – 0.4%

Rats – 0.4%

Horses/Ponies – 0.2%

Gerbils – 0.1%

The research also highlighted a difference in pet trends depending on where in the UK you lived, especially London. The table below shows percentage of households owning pets in different regions of the UK during 2010-2011.

As we can see, dogs are the most popular pet in the UK. In 2011, there were approximately 8 million dogs in the UK. Research in 2008 could break this down into

75% Pedigree

11% Cross Breeds

14% Mixed Breed

It is pleasing to note that Rescue Centres were the No.1 place to get a dog in 2008 with 32% of owners choosing to do this. 25% of owners acquired their dog from a friend, 16% from a recommended breeder, 16% from a private advert, 5% from the internet and 6% from a pet shop.

The Labrador seems to be the most popular breed with over 0.6 million being kept as a pet in 2008. This was closely followed by Collies (0.6 million), Jack Russell Terriers (0.5m), Yorkshire Terriers (0.4million) and German Shepherds (0.3 million).

The research also delved into why households decided to get a pet. 21% of dog owners purchased a dog for companionship, whilst 25% because they always wanted one, 10% because their children had wanted one and 14% because they or their partner had always had one. Other reasons included: to rescue the animal, inherited, security, exercise, easy to look after and fits in with lifestyle.

In the UK, cats are found in 18% of our households which makes them the second most popular pet. In 2011, it was believed there were approximately 8 million cats in the UK of which 92% were moggies or non pedigree. Research reveals that in 2008 the top 5 cats in the UK were Bengal, British Short Hair, Burmese, Manx & Siamese.

In 2008 the main reasons people kept cats as pets were for:

v     Companionship – 27%

v     Love – 31%

v     Easy Maintenance – 7%

v     I had always wanted one – 20%

v     Children wanted one – 14%

v     Rescue Animal – 7%

v     Fits in with Lifestyle – 6%

Other interesting statistics from the research included:

v     39% of London pet owners feel the need for companionship despite having over 7.5 million neighbours across the city!

v     60% of single people in the UK buy a pet for companionship, 39% of whom have replaced their partner with a pet.

v     Over 27% of the UK’s pets were acquired from an animal rescue compared to 20% from a pet shop.

The PFMA points out that David Cameron and his party are set to travel around the UK to find out how happy we are as a nation but the PFMA have already helped him along his way! The PFMA surveyed over 2000 adults and asked them to rank their happiness levels and found that pet owners rate themselves as happier than those without a pet. Their research highlighted:

v     Nearly 60% of people with pets say their pet makes them a happier person.

v     A similar number say being with their cuddly companion makes them feel more relaxed.

v     Almost a third state their pet makes them a healthier person.

v     81% of people (including non pet owners) agree that “Pets are the antidote to a bad mood”.

v     On a scale of 1-10 in terms of happiness, nearly 7/10 (68%) of pet owners ranked 7-10.

It is clear from the research carried out that we are a nation of pet lovers! Why not help celebrate your pet’s personality with a Pet ID Tag that helps it shine! PS Pet Tags sell unique dog and cat tags and are a pet identification service with style and fun closely following the need to safely and correctly ID your pet.