We’re thrilled to unveil the results of our recent pet survey, where you shared your tails of pet preferences, shopping escapades, and more! We hope you enjoy digging into our fur-tastic findings!
How many people have pets?
Of our survey respondents, 57% of them own a dog or cat.
Here’s a breakdown of those responses.
Dogs:
– 43% have one dog
– 23% have 2-3 dogs
– 3% have four or more dogs
– 31% have no dogs
Cats:
– 25% have one cat
– 22% have 2-3 cats
– 7% have four or more cats
– 46% have no cats
Pet food & supplies
Another question we asked is where do panel members purchase food and supplies for their pets. Here’s what our respondents said:
– Mass Merchandise Store (Target, Wal-Mart, etc)
– Online Store/Website (Amazon.com, Chewy.com)
– Chain Pet Store (PetSmart, PetCo, etc)
– Grocery Store
– Warehouse Club (BJs, Costco, Sam’s, etc)
Along with choosing where to purchase pet food, other factors are important when choosing which food to buy. These are the top five most important factors survey respondents consider when choosing pet food:
– Ingredients
– Price
– Pet’s preference
– Nutritional value
– Dietary or medical needs of pet
If you have pets, how often do you buy their food? The majority of our respondents said they purchase pet food monthly. Here are the survey results:
– 48% buy pet food monthly
– 24% buy pet food 2-3 times per month
– 10% buy pet food weekly
– 2% buy pet food more than once per week
– 16% said they buy at other times
When it comes to pet food, there are a variety of options: dry food, wet food, bags, cans, multi-packs and pouches. We asked our panel members what type of pet food they buy and how it’s packaged.
– 53% of respondents feed their pets dry food
– 35% of respondents combine dry/wet food
– 6% of respondents feed their pets wet food
– 6% of respondents use some other type of food
Of those panel members who purchase dry pet food:
– 14% buy up to 5 lb packages
– 26% buy 6-15 lb packages
– 31% buy 16-30 lb packages
– 26% buy over 30 lb packages
– 3% buy something else or don’t buy dry food
For the panel members who buy wet pet food:
– 28% buy multi-pack cans
– 22% buy single cans
– 6% buy multi-pack pouches
– 5% buy single pouches
– 2% buy something else
– 37% of those who responded to this question don’t buy wet food
Rising prices are a concern for many consumers, but it hasn’t impacted pet purchases for the majority of our survey respondents. 55% of panel members said they buy the same for their pets as usual, while 24% said they buy fewer toys and 21% purchase fewer treats. Another 13% of panel members buy what’s on sale, while 11% purchase lower-priced items.
And finally… while this survey focused mostly on cats and dogs, we also wanted to know if panel members had other pets in their home! Of those respondents without a cat or dog, 93% said they don’t have any pets at all. A small number of panel members have other pets: 3% have fish, 2% have birds, and 1% have reptiles. The remaining 1% of respondents had other pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.
That’s it for this edition of “In The Know!” Got a topic you want to see covered? Let us know!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
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My cats and dog like to eat the same thing. So when I buy food I only have to buy I brand. I’m glad it works that way cause it’s cheaper.
I hope you mean you are buying the same brand and not the same food for your dog(s) and cat(s).
My husband worked for a nationally well known and respected pet food company.
As a chemist myself, I learned much about the different needs to keep each type of pet in great health. It’s why the dogs we have had have each lived to 17 years old in human years before we had health issues that made the decisions for us to not allow them to suffer, and we put them down.
We only had one cat and when he got cancer, we too put him down and never opted for another cat.
Each type of animal have very different health needs and to keep them in optimal health, I urge anyone to buy food appropriate for the species of pet if they are buying pet food and look up ingredients.
We buy products and we also make products here at home for our pets to keep them in optimum health. Our fur babies have all grown up healthy, and enjoy the diet I created. Our vets through our moves have all been impressed with their health as well.
I urge anyone reading this to examine ingredients and most importantly if one is thinking of obtaining a pet to remember they are lifelong commitments, and we as pet parents are responsible to keep them in their best health possible.
You deserve to have a happy and healthy pet which is ultimately less expensive and less heartache. When we take care of them you have a happy pet who gives you unconditional love, joy and happiness.
I have 2 indoor kitties: a curmudgeon-y old woman, Stormy, who is 17 and a very hyper little 1 year old boy. Both were strays. In addition to my fur babies, there is an innumerable amount of strays roaming around my neighborhood. They shelter under my house and porch. Since I am an animal lover, I encourage this by providing food and additional shelters for the cold months. I also provide kitty first aid when I am able to any injured cats (I am talking scratches, maybe superficial bites).