Latest statistics for dog and cat ownership USA

In the USA, there are many more households in which one will find a dog or dogs than households where there are cats. The stats relate to the end of 2016 and 2017-18.

In about 38% of US households you’ll find a dog or dogs. In 25% of US households you’ll find a cat or cats. A marked difference.

The stats come from the AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook.

Another source of data, Statista, tells us that there are more cats in the US than dogs.

Therefore the obvious conclusion is that there are more multi-cat households than multi-dog households.

Pets USA in millions for 2017-18
Pets USA in millions for 2017-18. Source

Fifty-seven percent of all US households have a pet at the end of 2016. Wyoming is the leading state for pet owning households at 72%. Rhode Island is at the opposite end of the spectrum at 45%.

The lists:

Most

  • Wyoming (72%)
  • West Virginia (71%)
  • Nebraska (70%)
  • Vermont (70%)
  • Idaho (70%)
  • Indiana (69%)
  • Arkansas (69%)
  • Mississippi (65%)
  • Oklahoma (65%)
  • Colorado (65%)

Least

  • Rhode Island (45%)
  • South Dakota (46%)
  • New York (50%)
  • New Jersey (47%)
  • Maryland (49%)
  • Illinois (49%)
  • Massachusetts (49%)
  • Connecticut (50%)
  • Georgia (51%)
  • New Hampshire (52%)

There has been a 25% increase in specialty or exotic pets since 2011. These include snakes, lizards and livestock.

Dogs lead the way on being taken to the vet the most at 3 visits in 2016, while cats made 2.4 visits.

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