Pet facts and figures

In the UK, almost 1 in 2 households own a pet

• There are 27 million pets in the UK with dogs and cats being the animal of choice for pet owners with over 7.3 and 7.2 million across the UK respectively.
  
•  60% of single people in the UK buy a pet for companionship – 39% of whom have replaced their partner with a pet
  
• 21% of pet owners have wanted a pet since childhood, and almost of half of people living in the North East have wanted a pet since their early years
  
• Over a quarter (27%) of the UK’s pets were bought or acquired from an animal welfare or rescue centre compared to 20% from a pet shop    

Top ten pets in the UK 2009

1. Fish (over 50.0M) Indoor and Outdoor) 
2. Dogs (around 8.0M)
3. Cats (around 8.0M)
4. Rabbits (around 1.0M)
5. Birds (around 1.0M - Indoor)
6. Domestic Fowl (around 0.5M) 
7. Guinea Pigs (around 0.5M) 
8. Hamsters (around 0.5M)
9. Horses/Ponies (around 0.3M)
10. Tortoises/Turtles (around 0.2M)

Top 10 Dogs in the UK in 2008 

1. Labrador (0.6M)
2. Border Collie (0.6M)
3. Jack Russell Terrier (0.5M)
4. Yorkshire Terrier (0.4M)
5. German Shepherd (0.3M)
6. Bischon Frise (0.2M)
7. Rottweiler/ Dalmation (0.1M)
8. Cocker Spaniel/ Shitzu (0.1M)
9. Labradoodle/ Golden Retriever (0.1M)
10. Greyhound (incorporating Whippets)/ Chihuahua (0.1M)

Top 5 Cats in the UK in 2008 

1. Bengal (0.1M)
2. British Short Hair (0.1M)
3. Burmese (0.1M)
4. Manx (0.1M)

5. Siamese (0.1M)  

   
   

   In 2008 the main source in which owners aquire their dogs are a:

   Rescue Centre: 32%
   Friend/acquiantance: 25% 
   Recommended Breeder: 16%
   Private Ad: 16%
   Internet: 8%
   Pet Shop: 7%