Here in the United Kingdom, its an obvious fact that we are a country of creature sweethearts: there is an expected 51 million pets dwelling in homes over the UK. Taking into account that the UK has a populace of 66 million, that implies there is more than one pet in every other home across the nation– however what is the most searched after pet in Britain and does pet popularity vary by postcode? All the following stats and are from Petplan
Using insights from over 60,000 UK pet owners, our 2018 Pet Census has unearthed that Britain’s favourite pet is the dog, winning by a landslide. 67% of our Census respondents were dog owners, though this may come as no surprise due to the long-standing and legendary human-canine bond.
Delving further into pooch popularity, the Labrador Retriever (12%) is top of the charts as the most common canine in UK households, appreciated for its warm, friendly temperament and loyal nature.
Coming in at second place on the pet popularity scale is cats, with 45% of our Census respondents being feline fans. The top kitty of choice is the Moggy (51%), followed by the British Shorthair (24%).
Surprisingly, third place was fish at 9%, closely followed by pets, such as rabbits, horses, reptiles, rodents and birds which all averaged between 4% and 2%. However, a significant number of pet owners have more than one type of pet, with 31% owning both a dog and a cat, and 84% of horse owners owning at least one dog.
People who say that their family lives should fit around their pets
Providing an unrivalled level of insight into the lives and attitudes of the UK’s pet-owning households and their furry friends, Petplan’s Pet Census revealed the key theme that pets are the family we choose.
No matter what pet people own, between 10 and 20% of owners would always arrange their lives around their pets. Though dogs may spring to mind as requiring the most family adaptation, surprisingly rabbits owners (20%) are the most likely to fit their lives around their pets.
From this we can infer that while dogs and cats may be the most popular, it seems that rabbit owners are the most passionate about their pets being a big part of their family life.
Our Census also uncovered that 49% of UK pet owners have stated that they believe their pet is a family member and 37% of pet owners have stated that they put their pet’s needs above their own.
People on pet importance within the family
