Best friend. Family. However you describe your pet, chances are you would do almost anything for them. They give you companionship and love, can make you smile with a wag of their tail or the sound of their purr; and best of all, they do it all unconditionally.
Interesting pet statistics showing how pets are a part of the family and why:
- It’s estimated that 70-80 million dogs and 74-96 million cats are owned in the United States. Approximately 37-47% of all households in the United States have a dog, and 30-37% have a cat. More than 50% of Canadian households own a pet, whether it’s a dog, cat, bird etc. That’s more than five million homes!
- Each year on pets Americans spent about $56 billion and Canadians about $3 billion.
- 80% of pet owners, in a recent survey, said they gave their pets holiday or birthday presents; 60% said they signed their pets’ names on cards or letters; and, just over half (51%) named their pets with names like we’d name our children.
- 94% admit they speak to their pets as if they were humans, and one-third say they’ve spoken to their pet on the phone or have left them a message on an answering machine.
- 90% of pet owners believe their pets are aware of their moods and emotions.
- According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, approximately 40% of pet owners learned about their pet through word of mouth.
- The majority of pets are obtained from acquaintances and family members. 28% of dogs are purchased from breeders, and 29% of cats and dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues.
- More than 35% of cats are acquired as strays.
- According to the American Humane Association, the most common reasons why people relinquish or give away their dogs is because their place of residence does not allow pets (29%), not enough time, divorce/death and behavior issues (10% each). The most common reasons for cats are that they were not allowed in the residence (21%) and allergies (11%).
The MaCorr Team
www.MaCorr.com