Number of pets

IBISWorld estimates that the number of cats and dogs in the UK will increase at a compound annual rate of 1.2% over the five years through 2024-25. The pet population is influenced by number of UK households, cost of upkeep, household budget and preferences over particular types of pets. Over the long term the number of cats and dogs kept as pets has increased as the population and number of households has increased.

Financial conditions can have an impact on both the decision of household to replace a deceased pet or to even continue owning a pet in the worst cases. Pet insurance companies estimate that the lifetime cost of owning a dog is somewhere between £10,000 and £16,000 and often costs such as insurance are overlooked by owners. As a result of the high cost, the number of owners taking out insurance is increasing. This can result in squeezed households in taking the decision to abandon a pet or not be able to treat the pet properly leading to shorter lives.

Pet ownership has recovered in recent years driven by an increase in ownership of cats. Dogs have remained popular over the past decade, overtaking cats as the nation's preferred pet. According to the PFMA, in 2018-19 one-quarter of household had a pet dog, whereas 17% of homes had a cat. Both is significantly higher than the next most popular pet, rabbits, which only 1% of households held in the same year. Companionship is the most frequently cited reason for owning either a cat or a dog.

In 2020-21 the number of cats and dogs expanded by 3.2%. This was due to the government-imposed lockdown to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) encouraged many families to get a pet as a source of entertainment and support. According to PFMA, pet ownership increased significantly with 19% of people aged 24-35 collecting a new pet during lockdown. In addition, the same body stated that 16% of people surveyed stated intentions to own a pet. This contributed to the number of pets rising during the year. These lockdown measures were in place for much of the year which furthered this trend. The number of pets expanded by 1.8% in 2021-22. However, there have been reports of dogs been returned to shelters after lockdown measures were eased. According to PFMA, 17.4 million households own pets, with dogs (34%) and cats (28%), the most popular. The number of pets is expected to increase by a moderate 0.3 in 2023-24 to reach 17.6 million pets due to squeezed household budgets and the high cost of living. Th focus on rising energy bills and high cost of living has led to people letting go of some pets, which some consider as discretionary.