Pets in the UK

The Census!

G.J.W. Titmuss
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Pet ownership has certainly changed somewhat in the 143 years since GJW Titmuss was founded. Today, in the UK, around 48% of households own a pet, this is the equivalent of 13 million households. There are around 24 million pets owned within the UK, and this number doesn't even include fish!

The following shows the percentage of households owning a pet in the UK is:

  DOG

23%
Dogs

  CAT

19%
Cats

Indoor FISH

9%
Indoor Fish

Outdoor FISH

6%
Outdoro Fish

  RABBITS

2.7%
Rabbits

Indoor BIRDS

2%
Birds

GUINEA PIG

1.5%
Guinea Pigs

  HAMSTERS

1.4%
Hamsters

Domestic FOWL

0.6%
Domestic Fowl

  LIZARDS

0.6%
Lizards

Turtles/ TORTOISES

0.6%
Tortoises/ Turtles

  SNAKES

0.4%
Snakes

  Rats

0.4%
Rats

Horses/ PONIES

0.2%
Horses/ Ponies

  GERBILS

0.1%
Gerbils

Dog Statistics

PFMA’s research shows that the difference in pet trends depends on where in the United Kingdom you live.

This is illustrated by the following: (hover over the region for specific statistics)

Dog
Cat
Other

Rescue Centres were found to be the no.1 place to get a dog, which is a heart-warming statistic, with 32% of dogs coming from centres.

32% Rescue Centre
16% Breeder
6% Pet shop
25% From friend
16% Private advert
5% Internet

The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog closely followed by:

Labrador

 LABRADOR

1.1m
Jack Russel

JACK RUSSEL

0.8m
Collies

 COLLIES

0.6m
Yorkshire Terrier

YORKSHIRE TERRIER

0.4m
German Shepard

GERMAN SHEPARD

0.2m

21% of owners got their dog for companionship, with 25% stating that they had always wanted one. Alternatively 10% answered that it was because their child had wanted one, with 14% getting their dog because they or their partner had always had one.

Cat Statistics

Cats are found in 19% of UK households, second only to dogs in popularity. Of the approximately 8 million cats in the UK in 2011, 92% were moggies or non-pedigree.

The main reason people keep cats as pets is for:

29%
27%
18%
12%
5%
5%
4%

Other interesting statistics
from research
includes:

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

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

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

The happiness of pets

The PMFA study also asked over 2000 adults to rank their happiness levels, it was found that pet owners rate themselves happier than those without a pet.

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

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

33% Almost a third state their pet makes them a healthier person

As you can see, the UK clearly loves its pets! To treat your animal today why not check out GJW Titmuss’ fantastic range of pet supplies, foods and accessories at www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk.

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