By Brian Browdie / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
A new survey finds that there are fewer pets in America than five years ago, but the ‘human-animal’ bond is as strong as ever.
Sorry, dogs, cats are more numerous, though dogs are found in a slighly higher percentage of U.S. homes.
The economy’s bite may mean less barking.
Americans owned about 2 million fewer dogs and 7.6 million fewer cats at the end of 2011 than they did in 2006, according to a quinquennial study of ownership trends released recently by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The household-owned horse population fell to 4.9 million from 7.3 million over the same period.
Though cats remain the most prevalent pet – with a total population around 74.1 million, compared with about 70 million dogs – more than 36 percent of households own a dog, compared with fewer than one in three that own a cat.
In all, pet ownership has dropped 2.4 percent since 2006.
“Very likely it’s related to the economy,” Dr. Ron DeHaven, the association’s chief executive officer, told the Daily News. “As pets are living out their natural lives, they’re not being replaced due to the economic concerns that go with responsible pet ownership.”
“We do know the human-animal bond is as strong or stronger then ever,” added DeHaven, who says most pet owners consider their pet to be a close companion or one of the family.
The mean number of dogs per household fell to 1.6 per household in 2011, down 5.9 percent from 2006. The number of cats per household fell to 2.1 per household, down 4.5 percent over the same period.
Spending on veterinary care continues to rise. Dog owners spent $19.1 billion on medical services for their pets in 2011, up 18.6 percent from 2006. Veterinary expenditures for cats rose 4.2 percent, to $7.4 billion.
“Preventative care in the long run is cheaper than treating a sick or injured animal,” DeHaven said.