Pet Parenting, Unleashed
A lot of us are all too familiar with that one roommate in college who had a bearded dragon (and a Grateful Dead poster on the wall). But despite all the exotic pets that exist out there, the classics still rule the home.
Pawsitively Purrfect: Dogs and Cats Take the Lead as America's Beloved Pets. According to a recent Talk Shoppe survey among pet owners in the U.S, 76% have a dog in the house and 59% say they have a cat.
From Shelter to Snuggles: Pet Owners Embrace Adoption as the #1 Way to Find Their Fur Babies. Nearly half (46%) of pet owners got their pet from a shelter/rescue. Re-homing or peer-to-peer is how nearly a third of pet owners (32%) got their pets. To find a local shelter or rescue center near you, please visit ASPCA.
Pet Owners Unleash their Inner Chatterboxes and Engage in Full-Fledged Conversations with their Furry Friends. About two-thirds of pet owners (64%) say they have full conversations with their pets, as opposed to just speaking to them briefly or giving them instructions/commands to get their attention. And they are not self-conscious about it! The majority of those who have full conversations with their pets do it anywhere and in front of other people. We say good for them!
Pets are far more than just pets. They are best friends, they are family. And thinking of pets as family changes how their owners relate to them, including how much money they spend.
Pawsome Bonds: Pet Owners Declare Fido as Their Fur Child or BFF. Nearly half of pet owners (44%) consider their pets to be their children, while nearly the other half (45%) say they are like their best friend. Females are more likely to see pets as children (51% vs. 34% of Males), whereas more Males see pets as best friends (54% vs. 38% of Females).
Fur-Parent Love: Pet Owners Show Their Devotion with Open Wallets. Pet owners who say their pets are like their children spend, on average, +20% more on their pets per month than those who see them as their best friends, and +61% more than those who see them as just pets.
Proud Pet Paparazzi: Pet Parents Capture Countless Cuteness on Camera. Over half of pet owners who consider their pets as children (54%) have 100+ pictures of their pets on their phone right now, compared to 26% of pet owners who consider them to be just pets.
Pawsitive Connections: Pet Parents Ensure Furry Friends Never Feel Alone. Over 6-in-10 of those who consider their pets as children (65%) say they’ve given them a companion or friend so that they wouldn’t feel lonely, compared to 54% among those who consider them best friends, and 44% among those who consider them just pets.
Pets can serve as a powerful antidote to sadness and anxiety for Gen Z, the generation currently experiencing them the most
Gen Z Owners Find Fur-ever Friends and Beat Loneliness Together. While pet owners across generations more or less agree that pets provide them with companionship and unconditional love, Gen Z pet owners stand out by agreeing substantially more with the notion that pets have reduced their feelings of loneliness and isolation (70% of them agree with it vs. 59% among Total). Just over half of Gen Z pet owners (54%) say that they got their most recent pet in the past three years, potentially as a way to cope during the pandemic.
When people think of pet brands they often think of food and toys. But there are even more ways in which brands can be helpful to pet owners, including the home and health.
From Furballs to Fresh Spaces: Brands Can Tailor Solutions for Pet Owners' Toughest Challenges. The top three challenges that pet owners report experiencing are: 1. Keeping the home organized and clean (cited by 41% of pet owners), 2. Dealing with pets misbehaving (32%), and 3. Handling medical issues (31%).
Winning the Hearts (and Paws) of Pet Owners with Genuine Empathy. Chewy, a recent newcomer in the category, founded in 2011, has quickly become a favorite brand for over a fifth of pet owners: nearly 1-in-4 pet owners (22%) say Chewy is their go-to favorite for all their pet-related supplies, compared to 21% who selected PetSmart (founded in 1986) and 29% that selected Walmart (founded before 1970). Brittany Dodson, Senior Research Analyst at Talk Shoppe, offers one explanation of why Chewy has such appeal:
“They do a better job at empathizing with pet owners. When a friend of mine lost her pet, Chewy sent her flowers and a note. Any brand can tout personalization. But this goes beyond that. It’s genuine empathy. A sincere attempt to make a person feel seen. Seen as a grieving person, not just a consumer.”