With insights from over 20,000 pet parents (dog and cat owners) across 20 countries, the Mars Global Pet Parent Study delves into the evolving needs of pet parents, including generational differences in ownership, the most common breeds, and new insight into the pain points pet parents around the world experience today.
With pet ownership known to be on the rise and people considering pets one of the most important things in their lives, the results signal a new era of pet parent centricity, where the emotional connection between a pet parent and their pet is stronger than ever.
“Almost half (47%) of those surveyed are first-time owners, signaling a new era of pet parents,” said Ikdeep Singh, global president of Mars Pet Nutrition. “We know that pet parents are evolving, and we need to evolve with them, which means embedding pet parent centricity into our DNA to transform the experience and build lifelong relationships with the 455 million pets and pet parents we reach.”
One item of note from the study focuses on sustainability. According to the survey, 45% of pet parents consider sustainability a key item when purchasing pet food. It was noted the sustainability sentiment was particularly strong among Generation Z (Gen Z), indicating a shift toward more sustainable and ethically produced products.
Puppies and kittens, men versus women
According to the study, pet parents are clearly devoted to their pets, with more than one-third (37%) of dog and cat owners considering their pets the most important thing in their lives. The percentage is even higher amongst Gen Z (45%) and Millennials (40%).
There’s a preference toward kittens and puppies: 84% of dogs and cats are acquired before the age of 12 months. The most commonly owned global dog breeds are Labrador (6%), Chihuahua (6%) and Golden Retriever (5%), and the most commonly owned global cat breeds are Persian (16%), British Shorthair (11%) and Siamese (9%).
Today, cat ownership is more common than dog ownership globally, with more men (52% male versus 48% female) being cat owners. The decision to get a pet is greatly influenced by those closest, with family (26%) as the primary influence, followed by friends (21%), social media (13%), online search (13%), and veterinarians (11%).
Dogs and cats play pivotal roles in their parents’ lives. Of those satisfied with their pets, dog owners appreciate unconditional love (50%) and family completeness (49%), while cat owners appreciate the entertainment (48%) and stress relief (44%) their four-legged friends bring. Being a pet parent, however, also brings challenges: 32% feel guilty about leaving their dogs and cats alone, and only 42% find their neighborhoods very pet-friendly, with a further 26% of pet parents claiming they find the idea of traveling with their pets demanding/challenging.
“We’re always working on the next big thing in pet parenting, using the insights from this study to continuously innovate and adapt to solve pet parent pain points,” said Singh. “Pet parents aren’t born – they become, which is why we must ensure they have the advice, guidance and support they need along every step of their journey.”
About the survey: Mars commissioned Ipsos to to conduct an online survey in 20 markets with more than 20,000 dog/cat owners and non-owners (with a minimum of 500 cat parents and 500 dog parents in each market). Markets included Canada, U.S., Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Türkiye, Poland, Brazil, South Africa, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
According to Petfood Industry’s top companies database, Mars Petcare’s annual revenue in 2023 reached US$20 billion. However, this figure was an estimate, since the company is privately owned. Mars Petcare is one of the top two pet food companies. Its nearly 50 pet food brands include several billion-dollar brands.
Adapted from a press release.
