Impact of COVID-19 on the US Pet Population and Ownership Trends, 2019-2020

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Jul 22, 2020, 06:45 ET

DUBLIN, July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pet Population and Ownership Trends in the U.S.: Dogs, Cats, and Other Pets, 4th Edition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Pet ownership rates for dogs and cats-the bedrock for the pet industry-generally held up through the Great Recession of 2008-09. Dog ownership rates notched up slightly to 50% of households and then kept advancing, while cat ownership rates maintained their longer-term patterns.

Ownership rates for pets other than dogs and cats did slide, but these other types of pets account for only a small percentage of pet industry revenues, and their incremental decline in popularity ties into longer-term and ongoing trends including a falling percentage of households with kids.

Now in the midst of 2020's coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the publisher anticipates that this pattern might repeat, with ownership of the most companionable and pet-table type of pets perhaps getting a boost among a national population that is now largely isolated, staying at home, and well aware of the mental and physical health benefits of pet ownership.

Beyond analyzing the lingering impact of COVID-19, this report provides a profile of how pet owners are evolving in response to demographic shifts in American society. Recent pet ownership trends reflect profound ongoing transformations such as aging Americans remaining pet owners longer than their counterparts in years past, the deepening influence of Millennial pet parents, the emerging involvement of Gen Z adults (age 18-24) as pet market consumers, the increasing importance of Hispanics and other multicultural population, and the growth in the number of households without kids.

The report offers an in-depth examination of how these and other trends have affected who pet owners are, the types of pets they acquire, and what they buy for their pets.

Pet types analyzed in the report include:

Dogs
Cats
Fish
Birds
Reptiles
Small mammals (i.e., rabbits and hamsters)

Syndicated Simmons Market Research Data and Indexes

This analysis of pet ownership trends primarily relies on the Simmons Market Research nationally syndicated database. On an ongoing basis, Simmons conducts booklet-based surveys of a large and random sample of consumers (approximately 25,000 for each 12-month survey compilation) who in aggregate represent a statistically accurate cross-section of the U.S. population. Trended annual data from Winter 2008/09 through Winter 2019/20 are presented in this discussion. Field dates for the Winter 2019/20 survey were between January 20, 2019 and March 18, 2020, and represent a sample of 25,020 U.S. adults (age 18+), 13,848 pet owners, 10,151 dog owners, 5,948 cat owners, and 2,785 owners of pets other than dogs or cats.

These Simmons surveys allow for detailed consumer profiles across various markets and product categories. To highlight these patterns, an index system calibrates consumer behaviour by a given segment of the population, compared with the population as a whole. For example, if a given type of pet is owned by 10% of overall households, but by 15% of households with a specific demographic trait, then those households index at 150 for ownership of that type of pet, or half again the average rate. Generally speaking, the publisher considers indexes of 120 or higher (20% higher than average) to be very significantly higher, and conversely indexes of 80 of lower (20% lower than average) to be very significantly lower. Horses and other farm animals are excluded from these Simmons data.

Proprietary Survey Data

In addition, this analysis of pet population and pet ownership trends draws on the publisher's surveys conducted between February 2019 and May 2020, with U.S. adult (age 18+) respondent panels balanced to the national population on the basis of gender, age bracket, race/ethnicity, geographic region, presence/absence of children in the household, and household income bracket.

New Pet Owner Estimates

The new pet owner estimates draw primarily on surveys conducted between February 2019 and August 2019, as published in our separate U.S. Pet Market Focus: New Dog and Cat Owners (August 2019). New pets are defined as those purchased, adopted, or acquired (including breeding within the home) within the last 12 months, regardless of the age of the pet. In addition, Simmons Research (including the most recently available Winter 2019/20 release) and other trade sources on overall pet ownership patterns are factored into the estimates.

Key Topics Covered

CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

Syndicated Simmons Market Research Data and Indexes
Proprietary Survey Data
New Pet Owner Estimates

PET OWNERSHIP OVERVIEW

Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic
54% of Households Keep Pets
Pet Adoption in Response to COVID-19
Pet Ownership Projections for 2020
Key Demographics for Pet Ownership
Dog and Cat Ownership Overview
95% of Pet-Owning Households Have Dogs or Cats
Shifts in Dog/Cat Owner Demographics, 2008/09 vs. 2019/20
One-Tenth of Pet-Owning Households Have Other Pets

CHAPTER 2: PET OWNERSHIP TRENDS

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

PET POPULATION OVERVIEW

Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic
54% of Households Keep Pets
The Decade of the Dog
Dog Owners at 73% of Overall Pet Households
Pet Cross-Ownership Rates
Historical Rates for Cross-Ownership of Pets

PET ADOPTION RATES IN 2019

PET ADOPTION RATES IN 2020

Pet Adoption in Response to COVID-19
Pet Ownership Projections for 2020

KEY DEMOGRAPHICS FOR PET OWNERSHIP

Overview
Key Demographics for Owning Different Types of Pets

CHAPTER 3: FOCUS ON DOG AND CAT OWNERSHIP

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

95% of Pet-Owning Households Have Dogs or Cats
Cross-Ownership Patterns for Dogs and Cats

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF DOG AND CAT POPULATIONS

Smaller Dogs Remain Big
Aging Pet Population
Pet Overweight/Obesity

KEY DEMOGRAPHICS FOR DOG VS. CAT OWNERSHIP

Overlaps and Variations
Shifts in Dog/Cat Owner Demographics, 2008/09 vs. 2019/20

CHAPTER 4: FOCUS ON OWNERSHIP OF PETS OTHER THAN DOGS OR CATS

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

One-Tenth of Pet-Owning Households Have Other Pets
Cross-Ownership Patterns for Other Pets
Key Demographics for Other Pet Ownership

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a8yn5c

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