What are the Most Popular Pets in the United States?

[WendyMay]

I was wondering about the answer to this question, so I did some digging. At first glance, I'd probably say the most popular pet in the U.S. is the dog. After some consideration though, I'd realize that I'd only say that because they're the most visible. People don't generally walk their cats on sidewalks after work or bring their guinea pigs to the pet store to do some shopping. Am I thinking dogs are the most common because they're seen all over the place? There certainly are a lot of cats out there too though. Maybe it's not dogs that are the most popular. If not, what is?

Back in 2007 and 2008, the American Pet Products Association did a survey asking Americans about their consumer and ownership habits in regards to pets. Some of the results were surprising. Some weren't.

Here are the stats. Back then, Americans owned:

- 75 million dogs
- 88 million cats
- 142 million freshwater fish

The list goes on, but the above was the most substantial. I guess the results are reasonable. One thing about cats though; many cat owners have more than one, whereas I would guess that most dog owners have just one. That might explain the discrepancy between those two populations. What did surprise me though was the number of aquarium hobbyists out there. Wow. I had no idea so many fish were kept as pets.

What are the most popular dog breeds in the U.S.? According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), these breeds are at the top (in 2020):

- Labrador Retriever
- French Bulldog
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Bulldog

What are the most popular cat breeds in the U.S.? Again in 2020, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association, these breeds are at the top:

- Companion Cat (Domestic Shorthair/Tabby/Mixed Breed?)
- Ragdoll
- Exotic
- Maine Coon
- Persian

Beyond cats and dogs, folks in the United States also find reptiles, saltwater fish, birds, and horses appealing to keep as pets.

Here's a fun little exercise. Do you own a pet? If so, please reply to this thread and let us know what it is (cat, dog, bird, etc...) and the the breed of it (Golden Retriever, Maine Coon, etc...). Let's get a feel for what the most popular pets are today when it comes to visitors of this website. I'm interested in the results. Oh yeah, if you want to add a photo of your pet (past and present), please do!

 

[CampFireJack]

I currently only own an orange tabby cat, but I've also owned a Golden Retriever, Norwegian Elkhound, English Lab, and numerous domestic shorthaired cats in the past. This is a photo of Ron, my cat.

 

[JodyBuchanan]

I have had so many pets in the past I can't even remember then all. Today though, all I keep are fish and to be more specific, I have Platys and Danios in my tank.