55 Pet Care Industry Statistics and Trends

Pet Care Industry Statistics

According to the American Pet Productions Association, the pet care industry is almost considered recession proof. In the last two decades, the pet industry has seen steady growth from $17 billion in 1994 to an estimated $55.53 billion in 2013. The market is broken down into the following statistics.

Sales For Pet Industry

A total estimate of sales in the industry this year.

Food: $21.26 billion
Supplies/Medicine: $12.65 billion
Vet Care: $13.67 billion
Live Animal Purchases: $2.21 billion
Grooming, Boarding, & Other Services: $4.16 billion

US Households That Own Pets

According to a recent surveu, 68% of households in the United States own a pet at a total of 82.5 million homes. This is up from 1988 when only 56% of households owned a pet. This is broken down into the following pet types.

Number of Households Owning Pets
1. Bird – 6.9 million
2. Cat – 45.3 million
3. Dog – 56.7 million
4. Horse – 2.8 million
5. Freshwater Fish – 14.3 million
6. Saltwater Fish – 1.8 million
7. Reptile – 5.6 million
8. Small Animal – 6.9 million

Total Number of Pets Owned in the US
1. Bird – 20.6 million
2. Cat – 95.6 million
3. Dog – 83.3 million
4. Horse – 8.3 million
5. Freshwater Fish – 145.0 million
6. Saltwater Fish – 13.6 million
7. Reptile – 11.5 million
8. Small Animal – 18.1 million

Changing Trends in Pet Industry

The below video features the first pet motel openned in Brazil where accessories and the pampering of animals are number one.

Basic Annual Expenses for Dogs and Cats

The basic annual expenses seen with dogs and cats are broken down into the following categories. It is predicted that spending would increase from $510 billion for 2013 to $620 billion in 2016.

Surgical Vet Visits
Dogs – $621
Cats – $382

Routine Vet
Dogs – $231
Cats – $193

Food
Dogs – $239
Cats – $203

Food Treats
Dogs – $65
Cats – $36

Kennel Boarding
Dogs – $327
Cats – $337

Vitamins
Dogs – $64
Cats – $77

Groomer/Grooming Aids
Dogs – $61
Cats – $20

Toys
Dogs – $41
Cats – $23

Facts About Pet Owners

1. 51% of pet owners take their pets with them when they travel.
2. Pet insurance sales have seen a 20% growth in the past 5 years.
3. Dogs are considered the largest market segment, fueling majority of the growth in the pet market.
4. Pet owners are expected to spend $70 million more this year than they did last year on costumes.
5. 61% of households keep more than one pet.
6. Veterinary services leads in market share of the pet industry by 35%.
7. Amazon is considered the top website that consumers purchase pet products online at 39%, compared to Wal-Mart at 12%.
8. Natural and alternative cat litters account for over half of natural pet care market segment.
9. 16 million pets other than dogs and cats live in US households.
10. In the last 6 years, the number of dogs per household have increased while the number of cats have decreased.

15 Trends of Pet Owners

1. Gives their pet a Christmas or Hanukkah present – 100%
2. Consider their pet to have human like personality traits – 94%
3. Would be likely to risk their own life for their pet – 93%
4. Provide daily exercise for their pet – 80%
5. Include their pet in holiday celebrations – 86%
6. Sing or dance for a pet – 65%
7. Celebrate a pet’s birthday – 63%
8. Take time off work to care for a sick pet – 53%
9. Spend more on their pet now than they did three years ago – 53%
10. Prepare special meals for the pet – 52%
11. Bring home vacation souvenirs for the pet – 44%
12. Take their pet to work – 44%
13. Display a pet’s photograph at work – 43%
14. Would select a dog over a human as their sole companion on a desert island – 40%
15. Take their pet with them on vacations – 67%

The Costs of Owning a Pet

The infographic below looks at the demographics and statistics of pet ownership and average costs expelled to ensure your beloved pet stays healthy.