Companion Animal Statistics, Everything You Did Not Think You Needed to Know as a Shelter Director

Data from the American Association of Pet Product Manufacturers (APPMA) show the following estimates for household ("owned") dogs and cats:

• 72.1 million dogs (an average of 1.7 dogs in 37.2% of HHs);
• 81.7 million cats (an average of 2.2 cats in 32.4% of HHs);
• 153.8 million dogs and cats in total; and 59.5% of all households having dogs and cats.

Based on survey sample sizes and error margins, the actual total "owned" dog and cat population could be as low as 120-125 million.

Analysis of APPMA and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) data shows that the number of dogs and cats in households has increased in the past 20-25 years, although the proportion of households with dogs and cats has not changed much over the same period. This is due to the increase in number of total households, which has increased by over 20% from about 90 million in the mid-1980s to about 110 million in 2006.

In addition, during this time period, the overall percentage of households with dogs declined, then rose again to the point that these 2006 estimates are similar to 1985 levels (38%). The percentage of household with cats increased slightly from 30% to 32-34% during the same period.