The Companion Animal Fundamentals page is the third in a series of “intelligent infographics” that Faunalytics will be publishing on different animal issues. Our goal with these Fundamentals is to provide a general overview of the issue at hand while also giving you useful data to help in your advocacy. These graphics and the sources will be updated periodically with the most recent data, so be sure to check back and share our latest infographics.
A special thank you to Ivy Collier for her help in putting this resource together.
An important note: though companion animals share a special place in our homes and in our culture, finding reliable, accurate, and up-to-date statistics on the range of issues affecting them can be difficult, as some have noted. Though different sources may offer different numbers for the same data points, we’ve opted to go for a balance between the most reliable and most recent.
Introduction / Meet The Animals
Meet The Animals
Dogs:
- Why Do Dogs Play? Function And Welfare Implications Of Play In The Domestic Dog
- 25 Most Popular Dog Breeds and Their Health Issues
- What Do Dogs Dream About?
Cats:
- Cats Have Many Lives: Applying Behaviour To Explore The Cat-Human Relationship
- Why Your Cat Needs To Climb
- Why Do Cats Purr?
- Study Reveals Public Opinions About Cats And Cat People
Hamsters:
- How long do hamsters live?
- Problems With Hamsters’ Teeth
- How Hamsters Can Stuff So Much Food In Their Cheeks
- Are Hamsters Nocturnal?
Goldfish:
Attitudes
Attitudes Towards Companion Animals
All figures in this section taken from our most recent Faunalytics Animal Tracker studies (2016 – 2018).
Breeding And Shelters
Dogs & Cats For Sale
Where Animals Were Purchased:
The Puppy Mill Pyramid:
$2.1 Billion Spent On Live Animal Purchases:
Shelters: Fostering Hope
Population Growth Is Exponential:
U.S. Shelter Intake & Euthanasia Rates:
Dog And Cat Adoption Sources:
What People Prioritize When Adopting A Dog & Why Don’t People Adopt Dogs from Shelters?:
In Our Lives
Companions In Our Homes And Lives
Homes With Companion Animals:
Spending On Our Companions:
Who We Share Our Homes With:
- APPA National Pet Owners Survey
- see also: U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics
- How many Americans have pets? An investigation of fuzzy statistics
Social Media And Our Companions:
- New Survey Shows How Much We Love Posting Our Pets On Social Media
- Study Shows The Paw-sitive Effects Of Watching Cat Videos
- How To Make Your Dog Instagram-Famous, According To A Manager For “Pet Influencers”
- The Numbers Don’t Lie: Dogs Are The Internet’s Favorite Animal
The Things We Do For Our Companions:
Breed Specific Legislation In The U.S.
Ten States With The Most Cities With BSL Legislation & Breeds Most Affected By BSL:
Ability Of Shelter Workers To Identify Breeds:
Antipathy Towards Pit Bulls:
Misidentification Of Breeds In Incidents:
On The Streets And In The Wild
The Scope And Impact Of Free-Roaming Dogs And Cats
Number Of Free-Roaming Dogs:
Number Of Free-Roaming Cats:
Free-Cats Kill Mammals and Birds:
Free-Roaming Dogs And Threats To Species Around The World:
Living Our Best Lives
Cat Enrichment
By The Numbers:
Typical Activity Budget:
Varied Menu:
Alone Time:
Dog Enrichment
By The Numbers:
Typical Activity Budget:
Family Feeding:
Socialites:
The Benefits Of Living With Companion Animals
Living With Companions Helps Older Folks Stay Active:
Raising Babies Near Dogs Helps Allergy Resistance:
Family Members’ Mental Health Improves:
Thinking About Companions Helps, Living With Companions Helps Self Esteem, & Companions Listen Better Than A Spouse: