sourcebook vets pets 2006

7/30/2019 Sourcebook Vets Pets 2006

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U.S. Pet Ownership &Demographics Sourcebook

2007 EDITION

American Veterinary Medical Association


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U.S. Pet Ownership &Demographics Sourcebook

Reproduction or transmission in any form, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval

system, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission by the American

Veterinary Medical Association.

Copyright 2007 by the American Veterinary Medical AssociationAll rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1882691172; ISBN-13: 978-1882691173

Additional copies of this report may be purchased from:

American Veterinary Medical Association

1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100

Schaumburg, Illinois 60173-4360

Phone: 1-847-925-8070

Fax: 1-847-925-1329

AVMA website: http://www.avma.org
http://www.avma.org/http://www.avma.org/


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Chapter 3: Dog-owning Households ....................................................................... 103

Chapter 4: Cat-owning Households ........................................................................ 109

Chapter 5: Bird-owning Households ...................................................................... 115

Chapter 6: Horse-owning Households .................................................................... 120

Pet Owner Demographics Summary Tables ........................................................... 125

SECTION 4 Pet Owner Profiles .................................................................................. 129

Life Stage ................................................................................................................ 130

Marital Status .......................................................................................................... 132

Household Size ....................................................................................................... 133

Household Income .................................................................................................. 134

Education Level of the Head of Household ............................................................ 135

Employment Status of the Head of Household....................................................... 137

Home-ownership Status .......................................................................................... 139

Type of Residence................................................................................................... 140

Community Size...................................................................................................... 141

Race and Ethnicity .................................................................................................. 142

Pet Owner Profiles Summary Tables ...................................................................... 143

APPENDIX A Study Method....................................................................................... 147

Methodology ........................................................................................................... 147Questionnaire .......................................................................................................... 147

Calculations............................................................................................................. 148

Statistical Inference................................................................................................. 148

Sample Representativeness..................................................................................... 149

Weighting of Data................................................................................................... 153

APPENDIX B Dog Breeds............................................................................................ 154

APPENDIX C Formulas............................................................................................... 158


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Table 1-18. Percentage of households that owned birds, number of bird-owning households, mean

number of birds per household and total bird population by region, Dec. 31, 2006.. 38

Table 1-19. Trends in bird ownership by region, Dec. 31, 1996-2006.......................................... 38

Pet Ownership and Pet Population: Horse OwnershipTable 1-20. How horse owners viewed their horses by age of horse owner, 2006 ....................... 40

Table 1-21. Percentage of households that owned horses by number owned, and mean number of

horses, Dec. 31, 1987-2006........................................................................................ 41

Table 1-22. Percentage of households that owned horses by age of horse, Dec. 31, 1987-2006.. 42

Table 1-23. Percentage of households that owned horses, number of horse-owning households,

mean number of horses per household and total horse population by region,

Dec. 31, 2006............................................................................................................. 44

Table 1-24. Trends in horse ownership by region, Dec. 31, 1996-2006 ....................................... 44

Pet Ownership and Pet Population: Specialty and Exotic Pet OwnershipTable 1-25. Percentage of households that owned the 2006 top five specialty and exotic pets by

type of pet, and mean number of specialty and exotic pets, Dec. 31, 1987-2006...... 45

Table 1-26. Percentage of households, number of households, mean number per household and

total population by type of specialty and exotic pet, Dec. 31, 2006 .......................... 46

Table 1-27. Trends in specialty and exotic pet ownership, Dec. 31, 1996-2006........................... 46

Pet Ownership and Pet Population: Summary TablesTable 1-28. Percentage of pet-owning households in the U.S., Dec. 31. 1987-2006.................... 47

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: All Pet-owning HouseholdsTable 2-1. Mean veterinary visits and distribution of households by number of visits for all pets,

dogs, cats, birds, horses and specialty and exotic pets, 2006..................................... 49

Table 2-2. Mean veterinary expenditures and distribution of households by expenditures for all

pets, dogs, cats, birds, horses and specialty and exotic pets, 2006 ............................ 50

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Multiple-Pet HouseholdsTable 2-3. Distribution of households by number of veterinary visits and human-animal bond and

mean number of veterinary visits for dog-only, cat-only, and dog- and cat-only

households, 2006 ....................................................................................................... 52

Table 2-4. Distribution of households by veterinary expenditures and human-animal bond and

mean veterinary expenditures for dog-only, cat-only, and dog- and cat-only

households, 2006 ....................................................................................................... 54


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Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Dog-owning HouseholdsTable 2-5. Distribution of dog-owning households by number of visits to the veterinarian and

mean number of visits per household and per dog, 1987-2006 ................................ . 55

Table 2-6. Percentage of dog-owning households by number of veterinary visits and

race/ethnicity, 2006.................................................................................................... 56

Table 2-7. Mean number of veterinary visits by human-animal bond for single and multiple dog-

owning households per dog, 2006 ............................................................................. 57

Table 2-8. Distribution of dog-owning households by veterinary expenditures and mean

expenditure per household, per visit and per dog, 1987-2006 ................................... 57

Table 2-9. Distribution of dog-owning households and mean veterinary expenditure per

household by veterinary expenditures and human-animal bond, 2006...................... 58

Table 2-10. Mean veterinary expenditure per dog-owning household by household income and

human-animal bond, 2006 ......................................................................................... 59

Table 2-11. Percentage of dog-owning households by veterinary expenditures and race/ethnicity,

2006 ........................................................................................................................... 59

Table 2-12. Mean veterinary expenditures by human-animal bond for single and multiple dog-

owning households per dog, 2006 ............................................................................. 60

Table 2-13. Percentage of dog-owning households that chose the veterinarian they used for the

most recent visit by reason for selecting the veterinarian, 2006................................ 61

Table 2-14. Veterinary visits and expenditures by dog-owning households, 1996-2006.............. 62

Table 2-15. Distribution of services and products purchased during the most recent veterinary

visit by dog-owning households, 1996-2006 ............................................................. 63

Table 2-16. Reason for choosing the veterinarian seen at the most recent veterinary visit by dog-

owning households, 1996-2006 ................................................................................. 64


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Table 2-33. Mean veterinary expenditure per bird-owning household by household income and


Table 2-34. Percentage of bird-owning households by veterinary expenditures and race/ethnicity,

2006 ........................................................................................................................... 79

Table 2-35. Percentage of bird-owning households that chose the veterinarian they used for the


Table 2-36. Veterinary visits and expenditures by bird-owning households, 1996-2006............. 82


visit by bird-owning households, 1996-2006............................................................. 83

Table 2-38. Reason for choosing the veterinarian seen at the most recent veterinary visit by bird-


Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Horse-owning HouseholdsTable 2-39. Distribution of horse-owning households by number of visits to the veterinarian and

mean number of visits per household and per horse, 1991-2006............................... 85

Table 2-40. Distribution of horse-owning households by veterinary expenditures and mean

expenditure per household, per visit and per horse, 1987-2006 ................................ 86

Table 2-41. Distribution of horse-owning households and mean veterinary expenditure per

household by veterinary expenditures and human-animal bond, 2006...................... 87

Table 2-42. Mean veterinary expenditure per horse-owning household by household income and


Table 2-43. Percentage of horse-owning households that chose the veterinarian they used for the


Table 2-44. Veterinary visits and expenditures by horse-owning households, 1996-2006........... 90


visit by horse-owning households, 1996-2006 ................................ .......................... 91

Table 2-46. Reason for choosing the veterinarian seen at the most recent veterinary visit by horse-


Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Specialty and Exotic Pet Owning HouseholdsTable 2-47. Percentage of households with veterinary expenditures by type of specialty and exotic

pet, 1996-2006 ........................................................................................................... 93

Table 2-48. For all households that own specialty and exotic pets, mean visits per pet, mean visits

per household and total veterinary visits, 1996-2006 ................................................ 93


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Table 2-49. For all households that owned specialty and exotic pets, mean vet expenditure per

visit, mean total veterinary expenditures per household and total veterinary

expenditures, 1996-2006............................................................................................ 94

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Summary TablesTable 2-50. Veterinary visits and expenditures for all species, 2006 ............................................ 95

Table 2-51. Reasons for choosing the veterinarian used on the most recent veterinary visits for all

species, 2006.............................................................................................................. 96

Pet Owner Demographics: All Pet-owning HouseholdsTable 3-1. Percentage of households that owned pets by life stage, 1991-2006 ........................... 98

Table 3-2. Percentage of households that owned pets by size of household, 1991-2006.............. 99

Table 3-3. Percentage of households that own pets by household income, 2001-2006 ................ 99

Table 3-4. Percentage of households that owned pets by education level of the head of household,

2006 ......................................................................................................................... 100

Table 3-5. Percentage of households that owned pets by employment status of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 100

Table 3-6. Percentage of households that own pets by home-ownership status, 1991-2006 ..... 100

Table 3-7. Percentage of households that owned pets by type of residence, 2001-2006 ............ 101

Table 3-8. Percentage of households that owned pets by community size, 2001-2006 .............. 101

Table 3-9. Percentage of households owning all pets, dogs, cats, birds, horses, and specialty and

exotic pets by race/ethnicity, 2006........................................................................... 101

Pet Owner Demographics: Multiple-Pet HouseholdsTable 3-10. Percentage of households that owned dogs only, cats only, and dogs and cats only by

life stage, 2006................................................................ ......................................... 102

Table 3-11. Percentage of households that owned dogs only, cats only, and dogs and cats only by

household size, 2006................................................................ ................................ 102

Table 3-12. Percentage of households that owned dogs only, cats only, and dogs and cats only by

household income, 2006.......................................................................................... 102

Pet Owner Demographics: Dog-owning HouseholdsTable 3-13. Percentage of households that owned dogs by life stage, 1991-2006...................... 103

Table 3-14. Percentage of households that owned dogs by size of household, 1991-2006......... 104

Table 3-15. Percentage of households that owned dogs by household size and human-animal

bond, 2006 ................................ ............................................................................... 105


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Table 3-35. Percentage of households that owned birds by household income and human-animal

bond, 2006 ................................ ............................................................................... 117

Table 3-36. Percentage of households that owned birds by education level of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 118

Table 3-37. Percentage of households that owned birds by employment status of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 118

Table 3-38. Percentage of households that owned birds by home-ownership status,

1991-2006 ................................................................................................ ................ 118

Table 3-39. Percentage of households that owned birds by type of residence, 2001-2006......... 119

Table 3-40. Percentage of households that owned birds by race/ethnicity and human-animal bond:

2006 ......................................................................................................................... 119

Pet Owner Demographics: Horse-owning HouseholdsTable 3-41. Percentage of households that owned horses by life stage, 1991-2006 ................... 120

Table 3-42. Percentage of households that owned horses by life stage, 1991-2006 ................... 120

Table 3-43. Percentage of households that owned horses by size of household, 1991-2006...... 121

Table 3-44. Percentage of households that owned horses by household size and human-animal

bond, 2006 ................................ ............................................................................... 122

Table 3-45. Percentage of households that owned horses by household income and human-animal

bond, 2006 ................................ ............................................................................... 123

Table 3-46. Percentage of households that owned horses by education level of the head of

household, 2006 ................................................................................................ ....... 123

Table 3-47. Percentage of households that owned horses by employment status of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 123

Table 3-48. Percentage of households that owned horses by home-ownership status,

1991-2006 ................................................................................................ ................ 124

Table 3-49. Percentage of households that owned horses by type of residence, 2001-2006...... 124

Pet Owner Demographics: Summary Tables

Table 3-50. Percentage of households that owned pets by life stage, 2006 ................................ 125Table 3-51. Percentage of households that owned pets by size of household, household income,

ownership status, type of residence and community size, 2006 .............................. 126

Table 3-52. Percentage of households that owned pets by education level of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 127


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Table 4-14. Distribution of households that owned pets versus all pet-owning and nonpet-owning

households by marital status, employment status of head of household and race and

ethnicity, 2006 ......................................................................................................... 146

Appendix A:Table A-1. Sample representativeness: Family household designation ...................................... 149

Table A-2. Sample representativeness: Life stage................................................................ ....... 149

Table A-3. Sample representativeness: Non-family designation ................................ ................ 150

Table A-4. Sample representativeness: Household size .............................................................. 150

Table A-5. Sample representativeness: Age of head of household, all households .................... 150

Table A-6. Sample representativeness: Household income ................................ ........................ 150

Table A-7. Sample representativeness: Type of residence.......................................................... 151

Table A-8. Sample representativeness: Home ownership ........................................................... 151

Table A-9. Sample representativeness: Community/Market size ............................................... 151

Table A-10. Sample representativeness: Geographic region....................................................... 151

Table A-11. Sample representativeness: States........................................................................... 152

Table A-12. Weighted data.......................................................................................................... 153

Appendix B:Table B-1. Dogs registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC), 1996-2006.......................... 154


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Pet Ownership and Pet Population: Horse OwnershipFigure 1-18. Percentage and number of households that owned a horse, Dec. 31, 1991-2006.... 39

Figure 1-19. Percentage of households that owned horses by region, Dec. 31, 2006 ................... 40

Figure 1-20. Age and gender of person with primary responsibility for horse care, 2006............ 41

Figure 1-21. Percentage of households that owned horses by age of horse,Dec. 31, 1987 & 2006................................................................................................ 42

Pet Ownership and Pet Population: Summary TablesFigure 1-22. Percentage of pet-owning households in the U.S., Dec. 31. 1987-2006................... 47

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: All Pet-owning HouseholdsFigure 2-1. Distribution of pet-owning households by number of veterinary visits, 2006............ 48

Figure 2-2. Distribution of pet-owning households by veterinary expenditures, 2006................. 49

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Multiple-Pet HouseholdsFigure 2-3. Mean number of veterinary visits by human-animal bond for dog-only, cat-only, and

dog- and cat-only households, 2006 .......................................................................... 51

Figure 2-4. Mean veterinary expenditures by human-animal bond for dog-only, cat-only, and dog-

and cat-only households, 2006................................................................................... 53

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Dog-owning HouseholdsFigure 2-5. Total number of veterinary visits in millions for dog-owning households,

1987-2006 ................................................................................................ .................. 55

Figure 2-6. Mean number of veterinary visits for dog-owning households by human-animal bond,

2006 ........................................................................................................................... 56

Figure 2-7. Total veterinary expenditures in billions for dog-owning households, 1991-2006 .... 58

Figure 2-8. Top three services and products of 2006 purchased at the most recent veterinary visit

by dog-owning households, 1987-2006..................................................................... 60

Figure 2-9. Percentage of dog-owning households with a regular veterinarian, 1996-2006 ......... 61

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Cat-owning Households

Figure 2-10. Total number of veterinary visits in millions for cat-owning households,

1987-2006 ................................................................................................ .................. 65

Figure 2-11. Mean number of veterinary visits for cat-owning households by human-animal bond,

2006 ........................................................................................................................... 66

Figure 2-12. Total veterinary expenditures in billions for cat-owning households, 1991-2006 .. 68


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by cat-owning households, 1987-2006 ................................................................ ...... 70

Figure 2-14. Percentage of cat-owning households with a regular veterinarian, 1996-2006 ........ 71

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Bird-owning HouseholdsFigure 2-15. Total number of veterinary visits in millions for bird-owning households,

1991-2006 ................................................................................................ .................. 75

Figure 2-16. Mean number of veterinary visits for bird-owning households by human- animal

bond, 2006 ................................ ................................................................................. 76

Figure 2-17. Total veterinary expenditures in millions for bird-owning households,

1991-2006 ................................................................................................ .................. 78


by bird-owning households, 1987-2006 .................................................................... 80

Figure 2-19. Percentage of bird-owning households with a regular veterinarian, 1996-2006 ...... 81

Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures: Horse-owning HouseholdsFigure 2-20. Total number of veterinary visits in millions for horse-owning households,

1991-2006 ................................................................................................ .................. 85

Figure 2-21. Mean number of veterinary visits for horse-owning households by human-animal

bond, 2006 ................................ ................................................................................. 86

Figure 2-22. Total veterinary expenditures in millions for horse-owning households,

1991-2006 ................................................................................................ .................. 87Figure 2-23. Top three services and products of 2006 purchased at the most recent veterinary visit

by horse-owning households, 1987-2006 ................................ .................................. 88

Figure 2-24. Percentage of horse-owning households with a regular veterinarian, 1996-2006 ... 89

Pet Owner Demographics: All Pet-owning HouseholdsFigure 3-1. Percentage of households that owned pets by life stage, 1991-2006.......................... 98

Figure 3-2. Percentage of households that owned pets by marital status, 2006 ............................ 99

Pet Owner Demographics: Dog-owning HouseholdsFigure 3-3. Percentage of households that owned dogs by life stage, 1991-2006....................... 103

Figure 3-4. Percentage of households that own dogs by marital status, 2006............................. 104

Figure 3-5. Percentage of households that owned dogs by household income, 2001-2006 ........ 105

Figure 3-6. Percentage of households that owned dogs by community size, 2001-2006 .......... 108


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Pet Owner Demographics: Cat-owning HouseholdsFigure 3-7. Percentage of households that owned cats by life stage, 1991-2006 ........................ 109

Figure 3-8. Percentage of households that owned cats by marital status, 2006 .......................... 110

Figure 3-9. Percentage of households that owned cats by household income, 2001-2006 ......... 111

Figure 3-10. Percentage of households that owned cats by community size, 2001-2006........... 113

Pet Owner Demographics: Bird-owning HouseholdsFigure 3-11. Percentage of households that owned birds by marital status, 2006....................... 116

Figure 3-12. Percentage of households that owned birds by household income, 2001-2006...... 117

Figure 3-13. Percentage of households that owned birds by community size, 2001-2006 ......... 119

Pet Owner Demographics: Horse-owning HouseholdsFigure 3-14. Percentage of households that own horses by marital status, 2006 ........................ 121

Figure 3-15. Percentage of households that owned horses by household income, 2001-2006 .. 122

Figure 3-16. Percentage of households that owned horses by community size, 2001-2006 ....... 124

Pet Owner Profiles:Figure 4-1. Distribution of households that owned pets by life stage, 2006 ............................... 130

Figure 4-2. Distribution of households that owned pets by marital status, 2006 ........................ 132

Figure 4-3. Distribution of households that owned pets by size of household, 2006.................. 133

Figure 4-4. Distribution of households that owned pets by household income, 2006................. 134

Figure 4-5. Distribution of households that owned pets by education level of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 135

Figure 4-6. Distribution of households that owned pets by employment status of the head of

household, 2006................................................................................................ ....... 137

Figure 4-7. Distribution of households that owned pets by home-ownership status, 2006......... 139

Figure 4-8. Distribution of households that owned pets by type of residence, 2006 .................. 140

Figure 4-9. Distribution of households that owned pets by community size, 2006 .................... 141

Figure 4-10. Distribution of households that owned pets by race and ethnicity, 2006 ............... 142


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Key Findings

American Veterinary Medical Association 1

KEY FINDINGS

Section 1: Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population

General Pet Ownership Of all U.S. households, 59.5% owned pets in 2006. The number of U.S. households owning

pets grew to 68.7 million in 2006 from 61.1 million in 2001, an increase of 12.4%.

About two-thirds of pet-owning households, or 64.0%, owned more than one pet in 2006,with 21.2% of households owning at least 5 pets.

In 2006, nearly half of pet owners, or 49.7%, considered their pets to be family members andnearly half, or 48.2%, considered their pets to be pets/companions.

Overwhelmingly, women across the age spectrum typically were the primary caregivers ofpets. The study found that 74.5% of pet owners with primary responsibility for their pets werefemale in 2006.

Five of the top 10 pet-owning states in terms of pet-owning households can be found in theNorthwest Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Dog Ownership Of all U.S. households, 37.2% owned a dog in 2006. The number of U.S. households that

owned dogs increased to 43 million in 2006 from 37.8 million in 2001, an increase of 13.8%.

Dog-owning households had an average number of 1.7 dogs in 2006. More than half of thedog population, or 56.0%, was under the age of 6 in 2006

At the end of 2006, the pet dog population in the U.S. was approximately 72 million.

More than half, or 53.5% of dog owners, considered their dogs to be a member of the familyin 2006.

The person with primary responsibility for the care of their dog was female in 74.2% of dog-owning households.

The top five states that had the highest percentage of dog-owning households in 2006 wereWyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Montana and West Virginia.

Cat Ownership Of all U.S. households, 32.4% owned a cat in 2006. The number of U.S. households that

owned cats was 37.5 million in 2006, compared to 33.2 million in 2001.

Cat-owning households had an average number of 2.2 cats in 2006. The total U.S. pet cat population at the end of 2006 was 81.7 million. Overall, 55.9% of the

cat population was under the age of 6 in 2006.

Cat owners were fairly evenly split on how they viewed their cats 49.2% viewed them asfamily members and about 49.4% viewed them as pets or companions in 2006.

Nearly eight-out-of-10 (78.1%) owners responsible for the care of their cat were female in

2006. The top five states that had the highest percentage of cat-owning households were Maine,

Vermont, Oregon, Idaho and Washington.


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Key Findings

2 American Veterinary Medical Association

Bird Ownership Of all U.S. households, 3.9% owned a bird in 2006. Bird ownership has dropped since 2001,

with about 4.5 million households owning a bird in 2006, compared to 4.8 million in 2001. Bird-owning households had an average of 2.5 birds in 2006. The pet bird population at the end of 2006 was approximately 11.2 million. Over two-thirds

(68.1%) of pet birds were under 6 years old in 2006. More than half, or 51.3%, of bird owners considered their birds to be family members in

2006.

The Pacific region had the highest population of birds (2.7 million) in 2006.

Horse Ownership Of all U.S. households, 1.8% owned horses as pets in 2006, up 5.9% in the past five years.

The average number of horses per horse-owning household was 3.5 in 2006, the highest it hasbeen in the past decade.

There were an estimated 2.1 million horse-owning households in the U.S. in 2006,representing a total pet horse population of about 7.3 million. More than one-third, or 33.9%,of all pet horses were 11 years old or older.

Slightly more than one-third (38.4%) of horse owners considered their horses to be familymembers, the lowest of all pet categories surveyed.

In 2006, The Pacific region had the highest population of horses (1.4 million) in 2006.

Specialty and Exotic Pet Ownership Specialty and exotic pets include a variety of species fish, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, guinea

pigs, gerbils, other rodents, turtles, snakes, lizards, other reptiles, pigeons and poultry,livestock, and all other types of specialty and exotic animals that are kept as pets.

Pet fish made up the largest category of exotic pets, with 7.8% of U.S. households owningthem in 2006. The pet fish population was 75.9 million in 2006. The average number of fishper fish-owning household was 8.4 in 2006.

Turtles kept as pets jumped by more than 900,000 from 2001 to 2006, representing an 86%increase in the number owned. In 2006, the pet turtle population was approximately 2 million.


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Key Findings


Section 2: Veterinary Medical Use and Expenditures

All Pet-Owning Households In 2006, 77.7% of pet-owning households made at least one visit to the veterinarian, with

27.0% having made four or more visits to the veterinarian. However, 22.3% of pets did not

go to the veterinarian. Households that owned pets in 2006 visited the veterinarian 193 million times, an average of

2.8 times a year per household.

Dogs represented 61.9% of total veterinary visits in 2006; cats, 32.8%; specialty and exoticpets, 2.4%; horses, 2.2%; and birds, 0.7%.

Total veterinary expenditures for all household pets were estimated to be $24.5 billion in2006.

The average veterinary expenditure per household for all pets was $366 in 2006. The averageexpenditure per visit was $104 and $130 per pet.

Dogs represented 65.9% of veterinary expenditures; cats, 29.0%; specialty and exotic pets,1.8%; and birds, 0.4%.

Dog-owning households Among dog-owning households, 82.7% had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2006,

down by 1.1% from 2001.

Households that owned dogs saw the veterinarian an average of 2.6 times in 2006, a 3.7%decrease since 2001. Each dog saw the veterinarian an average of 1.5 times, down 21.1%from 2001.

In 2006, dogs made an estimated 119.4 million visits to the veterinarian, a 2.1% increasefrom 2001.

Households that viewed their dogs as family members visited the veterinarian an average of3.0 times in 2006, compared to 2.2 visits for households that considered their dogs to bepets/companions and 1.1 visits for dogs considered property.

The average veterinary expenditure per dog-owning household was $356 in 2006, an increase

of $95 since 2001. The average expenditure per visit was $135 and $200 per dog. In 2006, the total spent on veterinary care for dogs was about $16.1 billion, a 38.8% increase

over 2001 expenditures.

Dog-owning households that considered their dogs to be family members spent 1.7 timesmore on veterinary expenditures than those that considered their dogs to be pet/companionsand 3.4 times more than those that considered their dogs to be property in 2006.

Cat-owning households Among cat-owning households, 63.7% had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2006, down

by 2.5% from 2001.

Households that owned cats saw the veterinarian an average of 1.7 times in 2006, a 5.6%decrease since 2001. Each cat saw the veterinarian an average of 0.7 times a year in 2006,

down 30.0% from 2001. In 2006, cats made an estimated 63.3 million visits to the veterinarian, a 10.6% decrease from

2001.

Households that viewed their cats as family members visited the veterinarian an average of2.0 times in 2006, compared to 1.4 visits for households that considered their cats to bepets/companions and 0.7 visits for cats considered property.

The average veterinary expenditure per cat-owning household was $190 in 2006, an increaseof $30 since 2001. The average expenditure per visit was $112 and $81 per cat.


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Key Findings


In 2006, the total spent on veterinary care for cats was about $7.1 billion, a 7.6% increaseover 2001 expenditures.

Cat-owning households that considered their cats to be family members spent 1.6 times moreon veterinary expenditures per household that those that considered their cats to bepets/companions and 3.3 times more than those that considered their cats to be property in2006.

Bird-owning households Among bird-owning households, 13.9% had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2006, an

increase of 18.8% from 2001. Households that owned birds saw the veterinarian an average of 0.3 times in 2006, which was

the same as in 2001. Each bird saw the veterinarian an average of 0.1 times a year in 2006,down 50.0% from 2001.

In 2006, birds made an estimated 1.3 million visits to the veterinarian, a 35.0% decrease from2001.

Households that viewed their birds as family members had a higher average number ofveterinary visits (0.4), compared to households that viewed their birds as pets/companions(0.2) and property (0.1).

The average veterinary expenditure per household for birds was $25 in 2006, an increase of$7 since 2001. The average veterinary expenditure per visit was $82 and $9 per bird.

In 2006, the total spent on veterinary care for birds was about $102.8 million, a 24.4%decrease from 2001 expenditures.

Bird-owning households that considered their birds to be family members spent 1.8 timesmore on veterinary expenditures per household than those that considered their birds to bepets/companions and 4.4 times more than those that considered their birds to be property.

Horse-owning households Among horse-owning households, 61.1% had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2006, an

increase of 11.9% from 2001. Households that owned horses saw the veterinarian an average of 2.2 times in 2006, a 4.8%

increase since 2001. Each horse saw the veterinarian an average of 0.5 times a year in 2006,down 44.4% from 2001.

Among all pets, horses represented 2.2% of total veterinary visits in 2006.

In 2006, horses made an estimated 4.3 million visits to the veterinarian, a 6.5% decrease from2001.

Unlike in homes with dogs, cats and birds, households that viewed their horses as propertyvisited the veterinarian more often than those that viewed their horses as family members,pets or companions. Horses considered property saw the veterinarian an average of 4.1 timesin 2006 vs. 2.1 for those considered family members and pets/companions.

The average veterinary expenditure per household for horses was about $360, an increase ofabout $97 since 2001. The average veterinary expenditure per visit was $167 and $92 perhorse.

In 2006, the total spent on veterinary care for horses was about $718.3 million, an 18.1%increase over 2001 expenditures.

Horse-owning households who considered their horses to be property spent more onveterinary expenditures than households that considered their horses to be family membersand pets/companions.


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Key Findings


Specialty and Exotic Pet-Owning Households Among those households owning specialty and exotic pets, households that owned ferrets

took their animals to the veterinarian most often, followed by guinea pigs, rabbits and thosepets classified as other rodents.

Households least likely to obtain veterinary care for their specialty and exotic pets includethose that owned fish and those classified as other reptiles.

Households that owned specialty and exotic pets saw the veterinarian an average of 0.3 timesin 2006. Each specialty and exotic pet saw the veterinarian an average of 0.08 times in 2006.

In 2006, specialty and exotic pets made an estimated 4.7 million visits to the veterinarian.

The average veterinary expenditure per household for specialty and exotic pets was about$25, an increase of $2 since 2001.

The average veterinary expenditure for specialty and exotic pets in 2006 was $93 per visitand $7 per pet.

In 2006, the total spent on veterinary care for specialty and exotic pets was $435 million.

Section 3: Pet Owner Demographics

All Pet-Owning Households Households categorized as parents continued to rank the highest in pet ownership in 2006,

followed by couples and singles. The largest growth rate in household pet ownership was in retired older couples.

Pet ownership was highest among those married, followed by those divorced, widowed orseparated, and those never married.

The likelihood of owning a pet increased as the size of the household increased.

In general, pet ownership increased as household income increased. Households working full time were most likely to own pets, followed by those not employed,

those working part time, and those retired.

Those that owned a home were more likely to own a pet than those that rented.

People living in mobile homes and houses were more likely to own a pet than those living induplexes, condominiums or apartments.

As community size increased, pet ownership decreased in 2006.

The above findings hold true in the majority of cases for dog-, cat-, bird-, and horse-owninghouseholds.


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Key Findings


Section 4: Pet Owner Profiles

In comparison to all households,

Pet-owing households were more likely to be married and less likely to be single. Pet-owning households were more likely to have children. Pet owners were more likely to live in households with two or more members.

Pet-owning households were more likely to be employed full time and less likely to beretired.

Pet-owning households tended to have higher household incomes.

Pet owners were more likely to own homes. Pet owners were more likely to have lived in houses.

Pet owners were more likely to live in communities with populations less than 500,000.

The above findings hold true in the majority of cases for dog-, cat-, bird-, and horse-owninghouseholds.


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Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population | ALL PETS


SECTION 1

Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population

Chapter 1: All Pets

In 2006, 59.5% of all U.S. households owned a pet at sometime during the year (Figure 1-1).While the percentage of U.S. households owning pets has remained fairly stable over time, thenumber of U.S. households owning pets in 2006 grew to 68.7 million, resulting in a 12.4%increase since 2001 (61.1 million households).

Figure 1-1. Percentage and number of households that owned at least one pet at any timeduring the year, 1991-2006

About half (49.7%) of households considered their pets to be family members and nearly half(48.2%) considered their pets to be pets/companions (Table 1-1). The remaining 2.1% consideredtheir pets to be property. The degree to which owners bond with their pets varied somewhat bythe age of the pet owner. The group with the highest percentage of respondents that consideredtheir pets to be family members was the 19- to 29-year-old (52.8%) age range, while the lowestrate1 was in the 65-or-more (41.3%) age range.

1 The rate of pet ownership will be used interchangeably with the percentage of households that owned pets through this report.

Table 1-1. How pet owners viewed their pets, 2006

I consider my pet(s) to be a:

Family member Pet/companion Property

Age of pet owner % % %

All 49.7 48.2 2.1

18 46.7 49.3 3.919-29 52.8 45.1 2.1

30-49 51.2 47.1 1.6

50-64 49.2 48.8 2.0

65 or more 41.3 55.8 2.9

57.9% 58.9% 58.3% 59.5%

54,800,00058,300,000

61,100,00068,700,000

0%10%

20%

30%

40%

50%60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1991 1996 2001 2006

0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000


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ALL PETS | Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population


The 10 states that had the highest percentage of pet-owning households in 2006 were Vermont(74.5%), Idaho (73.4%), Oregon (73.1%), Wyoming (70.3%), New Mexico (70.1%), Maine(69.6%), Montana (69.3%), Oklahoma (69.1%), West Virginia (66.7%) and Washington (65.8%)(Figure 1-2). Half of the states are in the Northwestern section of the United States. With theexception of Vermont, these same states had the highest percentage of pet-owning households in2001. (Nevada was among the Top 10 states in 2001).

The 10 states with the lowest percentage of pet-owning households were Florida (54.6%),Mississippi (54.2%), Rhode Island (53.9%), Louisiana (53.8%), Illinois (51.4%), North Dakota(51.0%), Massachusetts (50.7%), Maryland (50.2%), New Jersey (49.5%) and New York(49.2%). The District of Columbia also had a low rate of pet ownership (20.2%).

For detailed information on pet ownership, including the percentage of households with pets andthe pet population for all 50 states, please see Table 1-2 at the end of this chapter.

Figure 1-2. Percentage of households that owned pets: Top and bottom 10 states,Dec. 31, 2006

A

65.8%

NC

VA

WV

66.7%

OH

MI

NY

49.2%

CT

RI53.9%

NH

ME

69.6%

DE

DC

20.2%

PANJ

49.5%

FL54.6%

WA

IL

51.4%

AL GA

SC

IN

KY

TN

NE

SD

ND51.0%

MS

54.2%

AK

MO

IA

MN

CA

UT

Y

70.3%

CO

TX

OK

69.1%

KS

NV

AZ NM70.1%

R

73.1%ID

73.4%

LA

53.8%

T

74.5%

Indicates top 10 states in 2006

MA

50.7%

D

50.2%

MT

69.3%

Indicates bottom 10 states in 2006


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Overall, three-out-of-four (74.5%) pet owners with primary responsibility for taking care of theirpets were female (Figure 1-3). To varying degrees, females had primary responsibility for takingcare of their pets across all age groups. Females were more pronounced as caretakers in the 19-29(84.7%) and the 30-49 (77.2%) age ranges. The age group that was closest to sharing the primaryresponsibility was < 18 (54.9% female, 45.1% male).

Figure 1-3. Age and gender of person with primary responsibility for pet care, 2006

About two-thirds (64.0%) of pet-owning households owned more than one pet in 2006(Figure 1-4). Of all pet owners, 36.0% had one pet, 23.8% had two pets, 11.9% had three pets,7.1% had four pets, and 21.2% had five or more pets at the end of 2006. The average number ofpets per household was 3.2, when not including fish, poultry, livestock and other birds.

Figure 1-4. Percentage of households that owned pets by number owned,Dec. 31, 2001 & 2006

38.9%

23.6%

11.6%

6.6%

19.3%36.0%

23.8%

11.9%

7. 1%

21.2%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

1 2 3 4 5 or more

2001

2006

25.5%

45 .1%

15.3%

22.8%27.0%

33.0%

74.5%

54.9%

84.7%

73.0%

67.0%

77.2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

All 18 19-29 30-49 50-64 65+

Male

Female


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The number of households that owned pets in each state was estimated by multiplying thepercentage of pet owners by the total number of households in each state (Table 1-2). The totalpet population was estimated by multiplying the number of households in each state by theaverage number of pets per household in each state.

The percentage of households that owned pets varied by region and state. Across the nine census

regions, the Mountain region had the highest percentage of pet owners (64.2%). The West SouthCentral (60.9%), Pacific (59.9%), West North Central (59.5%) and East South Central (58.6%)were also higher than the national average. The New England (56.3%), East North Central(55.9%) and South Atlantic (55.4%) regions had percentages lower than the national average. Theregion with the lowest percentage of pet owners was the Middle Atlantic (51.7%).

The states with the highest number of pet-owning households were California (7.3 million),Texas (5.2 million) and Florida (4.1 million).


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Table 1-2. Percentage of households that owned pets and number of pet-owninghouseholds by region and state, Dec. 31, 2006

Number ofHouseholds

(in 1,000)*Percentage of

Owners

Number of PetHouseholds

(in 1,000)

United States 115,509 57.4 66,270

New England 5,684 56.3 3,202

Connecticut 1,407 55.6 783

Maine 541 69.6 376

Massachusetts 2,511 50.7 1,274

New Hampshire 527 64.6 341

Rhode Island 433 53.9 234

Vermont 265 74.5 197

Middle Atlantic 15,705 51.7 8,116

New Jersey 3,167 49.5 1,569

New York 7,538 49.2 3,710

Pennsylvania 5,000 56.1 2,807East North Central 18,468 55.9 10,331

Illinois 4,957 51.4 2,546

Indiana 2,522 58.4 1,473

Michigan 4,100 57.2 2,347

Ohio 4,572 56.9 2,603

Wisconsin 2,317 58.2 1,349

West North Central 8,204 59.5 4,878

Iowa 1,238 59.6 738

Kansas 1,116 64.2 717

Minnesota 2,095 55.4 1,160

Missouri 2,443 61.3 1,497

Nebraska 719 62.6 450

North Dakota 271 51.0 138

South Dakota 322 57.2 184

South Atlantic 22,658 55.4 12,557

Delaware 342 58.6 200

District of Columbia 259 20.2 52

Florida 7,492 54.6 4,090

Georgia 3,551 56.6 2,010

Maryland 2,138 50.2 1,074

North Carolina 3,478 58.2 2,023

South Carolina 1,754 54.9 963

Virginia 2,900 56.3 1,632West Virginia 744 66.7 497

* U.S. Census Bureau: 2006 Current Population Survey


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Table 1-2. Percentage of households that owned pets and number of pet-owninghouseholds by region and state, Dec. 31, 2006

Number ofHouseholds

(in 1,000)*Percentage of

Owners

Number of PetHouseholds

(in 1,000)

East South Central 7,215 58.6 4,226

Alabama 1,859 55.9 1,040

Kentucky 1,694 60.7 1,029

Mississippi 1,136 54.2 616

Tennessee 2,526 60.8 1,535

West South Central 12,667 60.9 7,717

Arkansas 1,162 62.5 726

Louisiana 1,569 53.8 845

Oklahoma 1,380 69.1 954

Texas 8,556 60.6 5,184

Mountain 8,028 64.2 5,153

Arizona 2,298 61.2 1,407Colorado 1,927 63.1 1,217

Idaho 546 73.4 401

Montana 437 69.3 303

Nevada 973 63.3 616

New Mexico 784 70.1 549

Utah 842 60.9 512

Wyoming 221 70.3 155

Pacific 16,880 59.9 10,117

California 12,853 56.8 7,306

Oregon 1,480 73.1 1,082

Washington 2,547 65.8 1,676



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Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population | MULTIPLE PETS


Chapter 2: Multiple-Pet Ownership

Respondents were asked to indicate what type of pets they had year-end and how many they hadof each type of pet (Figure 1-5). Among pet owners, 30.2% had dogs only, 24.3% had cats only,15.9% had dogs and cats only, 1.0% had birds only, and 0.2% had horses only. The remaining28.4% of households had other various combinations of multiple pets in their home.

Figure 1-5. Multiple pet ownership rates, Dec. 31, 2006

Overall, dog-only households were more likely to consider their dogs to be family members

(49.6%), compared to dog- and cat-only households (47.6%) and cat-only households (41.0%)(Table 1-3).

Table 1-3. How dog-only owners, cat-only owners, and dog- and cat-only owners viewedtheir pets, 2006

I consider my pet(s) to be a:


Type of household % % %

Dog only 49.6 39.4 1.1

Cat only 41.0 46.9 1.3

Dog and cat only 47.6 40.4 1.0

Dog(s) only

30.2%

Cat(s) only

24.3%

All other

multiple

species

combinations

28.4%

Dog(s) & cat(s)

only

15.9%

Bird(s) only

1.0%

Horse (s) only

0.2%


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MULTIPLE PETS | Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population


Many households owned more than one type of pet, and there were various scenarios of petownership by the type of household (dog-owning, cat-owning, bird-owning, and horse-owning)(Table 1-4). For example, the table indicates that 41.0% of dog-owning households, whichrepresent 37.2% of all U.S. households, also owned cats. On the other hand, 47.0% of cat-owninghouseholds, which represent 32.4% of all U.S. households, also owned dogs. When focusingon bird-owning households, 64.8% also owned dogs, 49.7% also owned cats, and 5.6% also

owned horses.

Table . P t ownership rates, at least one type of pet, Dec. 31, 2006

Dogs Cats Birds HorsesType of household % % % %Dog-owning households 100.0 41.0 6.7 4.1Cat-owning households 47.0 100.0 5.9 3.9Bird-owning households 64.8 49.7 100.0 5.6Horse-owning households 83.9 69.9 12.0 100.0


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Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population | DOG


Chapter 3: Dog Ownership

Nationally, 37.2% of all households owned a dog at year-end 2006, representing a 3.0% increasefrom 2001 (Figure 1-6). After a decline in 1996, dog ownership has steadily increased. In 2006,approximately 43 million households owned a dog, a 13.8% increase from 37.8 million in 2001.At the end of 2006, the U.S. dog population was approximately 72 million (Table 1-8).

Figure 1-6. Percentage and number of households that owned a dog, Dec. 31, 1991-2006

The 10 states with the highest percentage of dog owners at year-end 2006 were Wyoming(56.0%), Oklahoma (55.8%), New Mexico (54.5%), Montana (49.7%), West Virginia (49.1%),Idaho (49.1%), Arkansas (48.8%), Kansas (45.8%), Oregon (45.1%) and Tennessee (44.9%)(Figure 1-7).

The 10 states with the lowest percentage of dog owners were Rhode Island (32.8%), Delaware

(32.6%), Utah (32.6%), North Dakota (31.0%), Illinois (31.0%), Maryland (29.0%), Connecticut(28.9%), New York (26.1%), New Jersey (27.4%) and Massachusetts (23.3%). The District ofColumbia (11.1%) also had a low percentage of dog owners.

For detailed information on dog ownership, including the percentage of households with dogs, thedog population and trend information for all 50 states, please see Tables 1-8 and 1-9 at the end ofthis chapter.

36.5%31.6% 36.1%

37.2%

34,500,00031,300,000

37,800,00043,000,000

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1991 1996 2001 2006

0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000


38/181

DOG | Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population


Figure 1-7. Percentage of households that owned dogs: Top and bottom 10 states,Dec. 31, 2006

Over half (53.5%) of dog owners considered their dogs to be family members, while 45.1%considered them to be pets or companions (Table 1-5). Only 1.3% considered their dogs to be

property. The percentage of dog owners that considered their dogs to be family members wassimilar for age groups under 65 (ranging from 53.4% to 55.9%). However, for those 65 and older,fewer (45.3%) considered their dogs to be family members and over half (52.6%) were likely toconsider their dogs to be pets/companions.

Table 1-5. How dog owners viewed their dogs by age of dog owner, 2006

I consider my dog(s) to be a:


Age of dog owner % % %

All 53.5 45.1 1.3

18 54.6 42.9 2.519-29 55.9 42.8 1.3

30-49 54.3 44.8 1.0

50-64 53.4 45.0 1.6

65 or more 45.3 52.6 2.1

WA

NC

VA

WV

49.1%

OH

MI

Y26.1%

NH

ME

C11.1%

PANJ

27.4%

FL

WA

IL

31.0%

AL GA

SC

IN

KY

N44.9%

NE

SD

ND

31.0%

MS

K

48.8%

MO

IA

MN

CA

UT

32.6%

Y56.0%

CO

TX

OK

55.8%

S45.8%

NV

AZ NM

54.5%

R

45.1%ID

49.1%

LA

VT


MA

23.3%

MT

49.7%


D29.0%

T28.9%

DE

32.6%

RI32.8%


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The person who had primary responsibility for the care of the family dog was female in nearlythree-fourths (74.2%) of dog-owning households (Figure 1-8). However, this percentage variedbetween the different age groups. For example, of those who had primary responsibility and werefemale, 53.5% were


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Over half (56.0%) of the dog population was under the age of 6 in 2006 (Figure 1-9). Dogs lessthan 1 year made up 12.3%, dogs 1 to 5 made up 43.7%, dogs 6 to 10 made up 29.8%, and dogs11 or older made up 14.1% of the dog population. There has been a moderate increase (5.3%) inthe number of dogs older than 6 in the past two decades (41.7% in 1987 and 43.9% in 2006).

However, there has been a 9.0% decrease in the number of dogs 11 or older in the past five years,

returning to rates similar to 1991 (Table 1-7).

Figure 1-9. Percentage of households that owned dogs by age of dog, Dec. 31 , 1987 & 2006(Note: Prior to 1996, the ranges were 1 year or less and 2 to 5 years)

Table . Percentage of households that own d dogs by age of dog, Dec. 31, 1987- 006

1987 1991 1996 2001 2006

Age of dog % % % % %Less than 1 19.7* 18.4* 14.6 12.0 12.3

1 to 5 years 38.6* 39.9* 43.0 41.3 43.76 to 10 years 27.1 27.8 28.7 31.2 29.8

11 years or more 14.6 13.9 13.7 15.5 14.1

*Prior to 1996, the ranges were 1 year or less and 2 to 5 years

19. 7%

3 8 . 6%

27.1%

14.6 %

12.3 %

43 .7%

29 . 8%

14. 1%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Less than 1 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 or older

1987

2006


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Table 1-8. Percentage of households that owned dogs, number of dog-owning households,mean number of dogs per household and total dog population by region and state,Dec. 31, 2006

Number of

Households(in 1,000)*

Percentage

of DogOwners

Number ofDog-Owning

Households(in 1,000)

MeanNumber

perHousehold

Dog

Population(in 1,000)

United States 115,509 37.2 43,021 1.7 72,114

New England 5,684 28.6 1,627 1.4 2,337

Connecticut 1,407 28.9 407 1.3 544

Maine 541 35.8 194 1.4 276

Massachusetts 2,511 23.3 586 1.5 873

New Hampshire 527 35.4 186 1.4 263

Rhode Island 433 32.8 142 1.5 213

Vermont 265 43.8 116 1.5 171

Middle Atlantic 15,705 29.2 4,592 1.5 6,994

New Jersey 3,167 27.4 868 1.4 1,234

New York 7,538 26.1 1,970 1.5 3,053

Pennsylvania 5,000 34.4 1,718 1.5 2,653

East North Central 18,468 35.2 6,496 1.6 10,239

Illinois 4,957 31.0 1,539 1.5 2,272

Indiana 2,522 36.9 932 1.7 1,591

Michigan 4,100 36.8 1,509 1.6 2,349

Ohio 4,572 36.2 1,656 1.7 2,779

Wisconsin 2,317 36.7 850 1.5 1,236

West North Central 8,204 40.1 3,288 1.6 5,151

Iowa 1,238 37.7 467 1.4 655

Kansas 1,116 45.8 512 1.7 887

Minnesota 2,095 34.2 716 1.4 998Missouri 2,443 44.4 1,084 1.8 1,900

Nebraska 719 43.6 313 1.5 465

North Dakota 271 31.0 84 1.6 131

South Dakota 322 39.5 127 1.3 163

South Atlantic 22,658 37.3 8,447 1.7 14,463

Delaware 342 32.6 112 1.3 143

District of Columbia 259 11.1 29 1.4 40

Florida 7,492 35.6 2,670 1.7 4,423

Georgia 3,551 40.5 1,440 1.8 2,577

Maryland 2,138 29.0 619 1.6 998

North Carolina 3,478 43.3 1,507 1.8 2,694

South Carolina 1,754 39.2 688 1.8 1,254

Virginia 2,900 34.9 1,012 1.6 1,638

West Virginia 744 49.1 365 1.9 682



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Table 1-9. Trends in dog ownership by region and state, Dec. 31, 1996-2006

1996 2001 2006

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation

(in 1,000)

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation

(in 1,000)

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation(in 1,000)

United States 31.6 52,922 36.1 61,572 37.2 72,114

New England 24.0 1,825 26.5 1,977 28.6 2,337

Connecticut 25.2 498 28.4 518 28.9 544

Maine 26.9 196 37.7 312 35.8 276

Massachusetts 22.5 757 21.4 680 23.3 873

New Hampshire 25.5 148 29.6 197 35.4 263

Rhode Island 22.6 127 29.1 142 32.8 213

Vermont 25.8 109 33.0 127 43.8 171

Middle Atlantic 24.0 5,152 28.5 6,110 29.2 6,994

New Jersey 23.1 954 26.2 1,124 27.4 1,234

New York 21.9 2,222 26.1 2,579 26.1 3,053

Pennsylvania 27.7 1,976 33.6 2,408 34.4 2,653East NorthCentral 30.0 7,903 35.5 9,328 35.2 10,239

Illinois 28.3 2,059 34.3 2,363 31.0 2,272

Indiana 33.6 1,182 36.8 1,289 36.9 1,591

Michigan 30.2 1,678 36.0 2,181 36.8 2,349

Ohio 30.4 2,166 35.9 2,394 36.2 2,779

Wisconsin 28.2 818 35.2 1,101 36.7 1,236West NorthCentral 33.1 3,852 38.3 4,630 40.1 5,151

Iowa 31.6 538 33.7 581 37.7 655

Kansas 34.8 572 42.0 698 45.8 887

Minnesota 28.5 758 32.6 927 34.2 998Missouri 36.9 1,368 41.9 1,655 44.4 1,900

Nebraska 35.2 365 43.5 435 43.6 465

North Dakota 27.6 106 36.1 139 31.0 131

South Dakota 34.3 145 42.3 196 39.5 163

South Atlantic 31.7 10,027 35.8 12,097 37.3 14,463

Delaware 31.2 134 35.6 181 32.6 143District ofColumbia 6.9 27 6.8 22 11.1 40

Florida 28.2 2,758 32.5 3,296 35.6 4,423

Georgia 35.8 1,677 39.2 2,003 40.5 2,577

Maryland 26.6 758 30.8 976 29.0 998

North Carolina 36.9 1,865 39.9 2,249 43.3 2,694South Carolina 35.8 928 38.9 1,074 39.2 1,254

Virginia 31.3 1,346 36.0 1,555 34.9 1,638

West Virginia 39.3 534 50.3 740 49.1 682


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Table 1-9. Trends in dog ownership by region and state, Dec. 31, 1996-2006

1996 2001 2006

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation

(in 1,000)

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation

(in 1,000)

Percentageof

Households


East SouthCentral 36.1 4,484 41.4 5,021 43.8 5,991

Alabama 35.9 1,136 41.0 1,353 41.2 1,419

Kentucky 35.4 1,066 42.9 1,297 44.4 1,365

Mississippi 37.5 835 43.1 857 44.2 1,028

Tennessee 36.0 1,447 39.9 1,515 44.9 2,186West SouthCentral 40.3 8,007 44.2 9,109 45.7 11,062

Arkansas 41.2 816 42.5 887 48.8 1,306

Louisiana 35.7 976 43.4 1,222 39.7 1,118

Oklahoma 41.7 1,026 48.5 1,172 55.8 1,574

Texas 40.9 5,189 43.8 5,829 44.6 6,963

Mountain 37.2 3,771 42.1 4,707 44.0 6,265

Arizona 34.4 959 40.0 1,293 43.1 1,849

Colorado 38.1 934 43.7 1,159 43.3 1,413

Idaho 39.4 293 48.1 384 49.1 479

Montana 40.0 226 46.6 284 49.7 351

Nevada 37.8 358 42.3 508 43.4 674

New Mexico 41.3 498 45.9 529 54.5 878

Utah 31.8 366 32.4 363 32.6 446

Wyoming 47.9 137 47.9 186 56.0 230

Pacific 32.4 7,901 36.1 8,593 36.4 9,733

California 32.0 6,085 35.6 6,552 34.4 6,990Oregon 32.9 700 38.3 766 45.1 1,063

Washington 34.0 1,116 37.4 1,274 39.9 1,624


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CAT | Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population


Chapter 4: Cat Ownership

In 2006, 32.4% of all U.S. households owned a cat, the highest rate in the past decade(Figure 1-10). Cat ownership increased 2.5% since 2001. There were approximately 37.5 millioncat-owning households in 2006, compared to 33.2 million in 2001. The total U.S. cat populationat the end of 2006 was approximately 81.7 million (Table 1-13).

Figure 1-10. Percentage and number of households that owned a cat, Dec. 31, 1991-2006

The 10 states that had the highest percentage of cat owners in 2006 were Maine (56.4%),Vermont (53.3%), Oregon (52.2%), Idaho (48.4%), Washington (44.5%), New Hampshire(44.3%), Montana (42.2%), Kansas (41.1%), West Virginia (39.6%) and New Mexico (39.1%)(Figure 1-11).

The 10 states with the lowest percentage of cat owners in 2006 were Arizona (30.6%), Maryland(29.7%), South Carolina (29.4%), Florida (28.8%), New York (28.7%), Mississippi (28.6%),Nevada (28.4%), Illinois (26.9%), New Jersey (26.8%) and Louisiana (23.3%). The District ofColumbia (13.7%) also had a low percentage of cat owners.

For detailed information on cat ownership, including the percentage of households with cats, catpopulations and trend information for all 50 states, please sees Table 1-13 and Table 1-14 at theend of this chapter.

30.9% 27.3% 31.6%32.4%

29,200,000 27,000,00033,200,000

37,500,000

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1991 1996 2001 20060

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000


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Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population | CAT


Figure 1-11. Percentage of households that owned cats: Top and bottom 10 states,Dec. 31, 2006

There was a fairly even split in the way cat owners viewed their pets in 2006; 49.2% of all catowners considered their cats to be family members, while 49.4% considered them to be

pets/companions (Table 1-10). An additional 1.4% considered their cats to be property. The ageof the respondent impacted the bond they had with their cat. For example, over half of cat ownersbetween 19 and 49 (19-29, 54.6%; 30-49, 51.3%) considered their cats to be a family members,compared to 37.9% of cat owners aged 65 or older.

Table 1-10. How cat owners viewed their cats by age of cat owner, 2006

I consider my cat(s) to be a:


Age of cat owner % % %

All 49.2 49.4 1.4

18 46.7 50.1 3.119-29 54.6 44.0 1.3

30-49 51.3 47.9 0.8

50-64 46.9 51.6 1.5

65 or more 37.9 59.2 2.9

WA

44.5%

NC

VA

V

39.6%

OH

MI

Y

28.7%

CT

RI

ME56.4%

DE

DC

13.7%

PANJ

26.8%

FL28.8%

WA

IL

26.9%

AL GA

SC29.4%

IN

KY

TN

NE

SD

ND

S28.6%

AK

MO

IA

MN

CA

UT

WY

CO

TX

OK

KS

41.1%

V28.4%

Z30.6%

NM

39.1%

R52.2%

ID

48.4%

LA23.3%

T53.3%


MA

MT

42.2%

NH

44.3%


MD29.7%


48/181


49/181



Overall, 55.9% of the cat population was under the age of 6 in 2006 (Figure 1-13). Cats less than1 year made up 13.7% of the total cat population, cats 1 to 5 made up 42.2%, cats 6 to 10 madeup 27.4%, and cats 11 or older made up 16.7% of the cat population. However, there has been a54.7% jump in the percentage of cats over 5 years old in the past several years (28.5% in 1987and 44.1% in 2006). See Table 1-12 for trend information.

Figure 1-13. Percentage of households that owned cats by age of cat, Dec. 31, 1987 & 2006(Note: Prior to 1996, the ranges were 1 year or less and 2 to 5 years)

Table 12. Percentage of households that owned cats by age of cat, Dec. 31, 1987- 006

1987 1991 1996 2001 2006Age of cat % % % % %

Less than 1 28.1* 22.5* 18.1 16.6 13.71 to 5 years 43.4* 44.1* 44.5 40.9 42.2

6 to 10 years 17.9 22.4 24.1 25.7 27.411 years or more 10.6 11.0 13.3 16.8 16.7

*Prior to 1996, the ranges were 1 year or less and 2 to 5 years

28 .1%

4 3 . 4%

17.9%

10.6 %

13 .7%

4 2 . 2%

27 .4%

16 .7%

0%

5%

10%

15%20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Less than 1 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 or older

1987

2006


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The number of households that owned cats in each state was estimated by multiplying thepercentage of cat owners by the total number of households in each state. The total cat populationwas estimated by multiplying the number of households in each state by the average number ofcats per household in each state.

Among the nine census regions, the region that comprised the highest percentage of cat owners in

the U.S. was New England (38.8%) (Table 1-13). The Pacific (36.5%), Mountain (34.5%) andWest North Central (34.1%) regions were higher than the national average, while the East SouthCentral (31.7%), East North Central (31.1%) and South Atlantic (30.6%) regions were below thenational average. The Middle Atlantic (29.6%) region had the lowest percentage of cat owners.

Most of the regions had a positive growth rate regarding the percentage of cat owners in the lastfive years, with New England (9.9%) achieving the highest rate of all regions (Table 1-14). Thegrowth rates of the states that had the biggest impact on New England were Vermont (37.4%),Rhode Island (30.7%), Maine (21.8%) and New Hampshire (11.0%). States in other regions thathad notable growth rates (over 10%) in percentage of cat owners were Iowa (23.9%), Kansas(22.6%), Oregon (15.5%), New Mexico (15.3%), Maryland (12.1%), Arkansas (11.7%), WestVirginia (10.9%) and Tennessee (10.2%).

The states that had the biggest decline in the rate of cat owners since 2001 were North Dakota(-15.7), Wyoming (-12.8%) and Louisiana (-10.7%).

The three states with the highest population of cats were California (8.8 million), Texas (6.4million) and Florida (4.6 million).


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Table 1-13. Percentage of households that owned cats, number of cat-owning households,mean number of cats per household and total cat population by region and state,Dec. 31, 2006

Number of


Percentage

of CatOwners

Number ofCat-Owning


MeanNumber

perHousehold

Cat


United States 115,509 32.4 37,460 2.2 81,721

New England 5,684 38.8 2,203 1.9 4,221

Connecticut 1,407 35.4 498 1.9 950

Maine 541 56.4 305 2.1 638

Massachusetts 2,511 34.6 869 1.7 1,510

New Hampshire 527 44.3 233 2.1 498

Rhode Island 433 36.6 159 2.0 318

Vermont 265 53.3 141 2.2 315

Middle Atlantic 15,705 29.6 4,652 2.0 9,510

New Jersey 3,167 26.8 850 2.0 1,703

New York 7,538 28.7 2,162 2.0 4,340

Pennsylvania 5,000 32.5 1,624 2.1 3,421

East North Central 18,468 31.1 5,738 2.2 12,528

Illinois 4,957 26.9 1,335 2.0 2,692

Indiana 2,522 32.1 810 2.2 1,821

Michigan 4,100 32.5 1,332 2.1 2,814

Ohio 4,572 32.4 1,481 2.4 3,553

Wisconsin 2,317 33.1 767 2.1 1,612

West North Central 8,204 34.1 2,797 2.4 6,692

Iowa 1,238 34.7 429 2.3 1,006

Kansas 1,116 41.2 460 2.7 1,239

Minnesota 2,095 31.9 669 2.3 1,511Missouri 2,443 33.0 806 2.3 1,889

Nebraska 719 33.7 243 2.6 639

North Dakota 271 32.2 87 2.0 171

South Dakota 322 31.7 102 2.3 238

South Atlantic 22,658 30.6 6,925 2.2 15,223

Delaware 342 33.3 114 2.3 262

District of Columbia 259 13.7 35 1.5 54

Florida 7,492 28.8 2,155 2.1 4,633

Georgia 3,551 30.7 1,091 2.3 2,485

Maryland 2,138 29.7 635 2.1 1,307

North Carolina 3,478 31.1 1,082 2.2 2,409

South Carolina 1,754 29.4 515 2.2 1,157

Virginia 2,900 33.4 969 2.2 2,107

West Virginia 744 39.6 294 2.4 720



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Table 1-13. Percentage of households that owned cats, number of cat-owning households,mean number of cats per household and total cat population by region and state,Dec. 31, 2006

Number of


Percentage

of CatOwners

Number ofCat-Owning


MeanNumber

perHousehold

Cat


East South Central 7,215 31.7 2,284 2.3 5,355

Alabama 1,859 31.0 576 2.2 1,281

Kentucky 1,694 32.9 558 2.5 1,392

Mississippi 1,136 28.6 325 2.6 835

Tennessee 2,526 32.5 820 2.2 1,830

West South Central 12,667 31.0 3,921 2.4 9,413

Arkansas 1,162 36.3 421 2.3 983

Louisiana 1,569 23.3 365 2.1 761

Oklahoma 1,380 34.2 471 2.6 1,218

Texas 8,556 31.1 2,658 2.4 6,446

Mountain 8,028 34.5 2,772 2.1 5,859Arizona 2,298 30.6 703 2.0 1,419

Colorado 1,927 34.3 662 2.2 1,472

Idaho 546 48.4 264 2.0 517

Montana 437 42.2 184 2.7 494

Nevada 973 28.4 276 1.9 521

New Mexico 784 39.1 306 2.3 693

Utah 842 34.0 286 1.9 553

Wyoming 221 38.9 86 2.2 191

Pacific 16,880 36.5 6,166 2.1 12,942

California 12,853 32.6 4,192 2.1 8,775

Oregon 1,480 52.2 773 2.2 1,706

Washington 2,547 44.5 1,134 2.0 2,316



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Table 1-14. Trends in cat ownership by region and state, Dec. 31, 1996-2006

1996 2001 2006

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation

(in 1,000)

Percentageof

Households

TotalPopulation

(in 1,000)

Percentageof

Households


East SouthCentral 27.5 3,772 30.1 4,440 31.7 5,355

Alabama 26.3 907 29.4 1,072 31.0 1,281

Kentucky 28.9 1,010 34.5 1,317 32.9 1,392

Mississippi 25.2 643 26.1 601 28.6 835

Tennessee 28.5 1,212 29.5 1,449 32.5 1,830West SouthCentral 27.8 6,923 31.9 8,079 31.0 9,413

Arkansas 27.9 731 32.5 746 36.3 983

Louisiana 21.2 662 26.1 951 23.3 761

Oklahoma 27.9 1,007 32.9 1,015 34.2 1,218

Texas 29.4 4,523 33.0 5,367 31.1 6,446

Mountain 30.2 3,829 33.9 4,786 34.5 5,859Arizona 25.7 889 32.3 1,289 30.6 1,419

Colorado 29.3 890 31.8 1,054 34.3 1,472

Idaho 42.7 407 44.6 440 48.4 517

Montana 35.0 267 44.6 384 42.2 494

Nevada 31.9 361 29.3 462 28.4 521

New Mexico 29.6 431 33.9 506 39.1 693

Utah 30.0 423 32.4 477 34.0 553

Wyoming 36.4 162 44.6 173 38.9 191

Pacific 32.5 10,331 37.2 11,966 36.5 12,942

California 30.6 7,572 35.4 8,551 32.6 8,775

Oregon 38.6 1,066 45.2 1,327 52.2 1,706Washington 39.0 1,692 41.8 2,088 44.5 2,316


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Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population | BIRD


Chapter 5: Bird Ownership

In 2006, 3.9% of households owned a bird at year-end, which is a 15.2% decline since 2001(Figure 1-14). Bird ownership has dropped 31.6% over the past 15 years. About 4.5 million U.S.households owned a bird in 2006, down from 4.8 million in 2001. The pet bird population wasapproximately 11.2 million at year-end 2006 (Table 1-18).

Figure 1-14. Percentage and number of households that owned a bird, Dec. 31, 1991-2006

Bird ownership was estimated on a regional basis, rather than a state basis, due to insufficientobservations available to develop statistically valid estimates for most states. The rate of birdownership was highest in the Pacific (5.2%) and Mountain (4.4%) regions (Figure 1-15). TheNew England (4.2%) and West South Central (4.1%) regions were also higher than the nationalaverage, while the East South Central (3.9%) and South Atlantic (3.8%) regions were close to thenational average. The lowest rates of bird ownership were in the Middle Atlantic (3.2%), East

North Central (3.1%) and West North Central (3.0%) regions. For detailed information on birdownership and trends for all regions, please see Tables 1-18 and 1-19 at the end of this chapter.

5.7% 4.6% 4.6% 3.9%

5,400,0004,500,000 4,800,000 4,500,000

0%5%

10%

15%

20%25%

30%

35%40%

45%

50%

1991 1996 2001 2006

0

2,000,000

4,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

10,000,000


56/181

BIRD | Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population


Figure 1-15. Percentage of households that owned birds by region, Dec. 31, 2006

Over half (51.3%) of bird owners in the U.S. considered birds to be family members, whereas46.9% considered birds to be pets/companions, and 1.7% considered birds to be property (Table1-15). Owners aged 19-64 were slightly more likely to consider their birds to be a familymembers, while respondents < 18 and 65 or more leaned more toward considering their birds tobe pets/companions. Those 65 or older were more likely to consider their birds to be property

(5.0%) compared to all other age groups.

Table 1-15. How bird owners v iewed their birds by age of bird owner, 2006

I consider my bird(s) to be a:


Age of bird owner % % %

All 51.3 46.9 1.7

18 34.5 65.5 0.0

19-29 53.0 45.0 2.1

30-49 50.3 48.7 0.9

50-64 55.3 43.3 1.565 or more 43.3 51.7 5.0

WA

NC

VA

WV

OH

MI NY

CTRI

ME

DE

DC

PANJ

FL

WA

IL

AL

GA

SC

IN

KY

TN

NE

SD

ND

MS

AK

MO

IA

MN

CA

UT

WY

CO

TX

OK

KS

NV

AZ NM

OR

ID

LA

VT

MA

MD

MT

NHPacific

5.2%

Mountain

4.4%

est South

Central

4.1%

est NorthCentral

3.0% East NorthCentral

3.1%

East South

Central

3.9%

outhAtlantic

3.8%

Middle

Atlantic

3.2%

NewEngland

4.2%


57/181

Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population | BIRD


The person with primary responsibility for the care of their pet bird in eight-out-of-ten (81.1%)households was female in 2006 (Figure 1-16). Females had the most responsibility across all agegroups, ranging from 69.5% for females 65 and older to 90.2% for females 19-29 years old.

Figure 1-16. Age and gender of person with primary responsibility for bird care, 2006

The mean number of birds per bird-owning household was 2.5 in 2006 (Table 1-16). Over thepast decade, the mean number of birds per household fluctuated moderately, ranging from 2.1 in2001 to 2.7 in 1996. Of bird-owning households in 2006, 54.8% owned one bird, 24.9% ownedtwo birds, 7.0% owned three birds, and 13.2% owned four or more birds.

Table 16. Percentage of households that owned birds by number owned and meannumber of birds, Dec. 31, 1987-2006

1987 1991 1996 2001 2006Number of birds owned % % % % %

One 63.5 65.6 53.4 58.7 54.8Two 21.7 20.7 24.9 21.7 24.9

Three 4.8 4.7 7.8 7.0 7.0Four or more 10.0 9.0 13.9 12.6 13.2

Mean number of birds (#) 2.5 2.2 2.7 2.1 2.5

18.9%

28.2%

9.8%

16.6%20 .1%

30.5%

81.1%

71.8%

90.2%

79.9%

69.5%

83.4%

0%10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

All 18 19-29 30-49 50-64 65+

Male

Female


58/181

BIRD | Total Pet Ownership and Pet Population


Over two-thirds (68.1%) of pet birds were under 6 years old in 2006 (Figure 1-17). With respectto the age of birds, 15.5% were less than 1 year, 52.6% were 1 to 5 years, 19.0% were 6 to 10years, and 12.9% were 11 years or older. There has been a 109% increase in the number of birds6 and older in the past two decades (15.3% in 1987 and 31.9% in 2006). See Table 1-17 for trendinformation.

Figure 1-17. Percentage of households that owned birds by age of bird,Dec. 31, 1987 & 2006(Note: Prior to 1996, the ranges were 1 year or less and 2 to 5 years)

Table 17. Percentage of households that o ned birds by ge of bird,Dec. 31, 1987-2006

1987 1991 1996 2001 2006Age of bird % % % % %

Less than 1 32

sourcebook vets pets 2006

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