The Most Popular Animals Owned As Pets In The US
| Rank | Animal | Number Of Households Owning The Pet |
| 1 | Dogs | 48,255,413 |
| 2 | Cats | 31,896,077 |
| 3 | Fish | 1,047,500 |
| 4 | Reptiles | 366,900 |
Full Answer
What animals are illegal to have as a pet?
Other animals that you cannot legally keep as pets in California include:
- Hawks
- Sloths
- Falcons
- Crows
- Wild rodents
- Primates
- Wolverines
- Marsupials
- Zebras
- Bats
What are wild animals not to keep as a pet?
Wild Animals as Pets
- Wild Animals as Pets: Ethics and Potential Problems. Before considering a wild animal as a pet, carefully consider the ethical issues involved and the potential problems associated with owning a ...
- Reptiles - Captive Bred vs. Wild Caught. ...
- The Problem With Primates. ...
- Big Cats - Tigers, Lions, and More. ...
- Kinkajous. ...
- Skunks. ...
- Raccoons. ...
- Fennec Foxes. ...
- Wolfdogs. ...
What animal should you get as a pet?
Top 10 Best House Pets. There are so many popular house pets, but what is number 1? The Top Ten. 1 Dogs The domestic dog is a wolf-like canid in the genus Canis, and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore. It is active all around the world, and is one of the most popular domestic pets as of 2021. They come in more than 350 breeds.
What are the Worst Pets to own?
What Are the Worst Pets to Own for Your Health?
- Turtles. : Although we might assume turtles are fun pets, the Humane Society of the United States warns that they deserve to stay in nature, rather than our homes.
- Rabbits. : Rabbits may develop diseases that don’t make them sick but make humans ill. ...
- Reptiles. : Just like turtles, lizards and snakes may spread salmonella to their owners. ...
What animals can be kept as pets?
Many animals can be kept as pets! The most common pet choices are dogs, cats, birds, rodents, and fish. There are less common pet types as well that include amphibians, snakes, and other exotic creatures.
What is a pet?
A pet is a domesticated animal that lives with an individual or family. There are popular, well-known pets like dogs and cats. Alternatively, there are less common pets sometimes called exotics such as snakes, turtles, and iguanas. Whether a pet is common or exotic, it can offer pleasure and joy to a household.
Why are pets devoted to their owners?
Devoted to Its Owner – Pets are often devoted to their owners. They can establish a trust with their owner over time. In fact, some pets want to be with their owners 24/7! Provides Companionship – A pet is meant to be a companion to its owner.
What is dependent on humans to live?
Dependent on Humans to Live – A pet needs to be given food, water, and shelter by its owner. Being domesticated means the animal depends on its owner for all of its care. Lives in a Home – A pet lives in a home. Some pets such as parakeets and hamsters live in cages.
How long do turtles live?
In short, you can’t just put it into a cage with bedding like it’s a hamster! Plus, turtles have a long lifespan if you take care of them correctly. Keep that in mind if you plan to get a turtle for a pet. Turtles can live for 30, 40 or more years!
What is a corgidor dog?
Corgidors are herding dogs that typically help out on cattle farms.
What are the pros and cons of having a dog as a pet?
One of the pros of choosing this pet is there are hundreds of breeds of dogs to choose from so it’s easy to find the right fit your household. Another pro is a dog can be a loyal companion that can guard your property as well.
What are some good pets to own?
After dogs and cats, other popular pets include fish, reptiles, rabbits, birds, livestock, ferrets, and many more. Pets can be therapeutic for us, giving us the much-needed support just by constantly being there for us. This is why many people turn to pet ownership as a way to make life more bearable.
What are some animals that are cute?
Other mammal species are also fairly common, and these include animals like hamsters and guinea pigs, which have the advantage of being extremely cute. They are also mostly small, so people with smaller apartments can still keep them as pets.
What is the most popular pet in the US?
The Most Popular Animals Owned As Pets In The US. The majority of the pet owners in the United States own dogs and cats. As one would expect, dogs are the most popular pets in the United States, with almost 50 million households owning at least one dog. Cats are some of the oldest known pets, with scientists discovering ...
How many people own a dog?
As one would expect, dogs are the most popular pets in the United States, with almost 50 million households owning at least one dog.
How many dogs does a dog owner have?
However, on average, a dog owner has 1.7 dogs, according to the American Pet Products Association, which significantly increases the total number of dogs being kept as pets. And, understandably, most people own more than one dog. The amount of love and loyalty these creatures are able to project is second to none.
Why are reptiles becoming more common?
Reptiles are also starting to become increasingly more common as pets, possibly because they are unique, making them popular among younger people. They give their owners something to talk about since the experience of owning one is unlike anything else.
Where did cats first appear?
Cats are some of the oldest known pets, with scientists discovering that a cat was being kept as a pet in Cyprus more than 9,500 years ago.
Why do people buy animals?
Sometimes people are interested in buying animals with specific physical traits or behavior. In other cases, they seek animals who can compete in athletic skill or agility contests. In others, the aim is increased strength, so the animals can be taught to behave aggressively.
Why are animals locked up in pet stores?
In addition to this, in shops the animals are locked up until they are bought, often with little food and water. They have to withstand uncomfortably high and low temperatures, and often uncomfortable lighting conditions. Having people constantly walk by their cages can cause them a great deal of stress and frustration, because they want to run away or hide but they are trapped in their cages, often with nowhere to hide. In general, animals like puppies suffer from frustration and psychological distress when they are torn away from their mothers and confined in an environment in which they don’t feel comfortable and safe. 4 In recent decades, there has been a growing awareness of the stress and discomfort of animals kept in pet stores, but concern is mainly focused on dogs and cats. In response to this as well as the number of homeless animals, some pet shops in the US and Canada have banned the sale of dogs and cats, but they still sell rodents, fishes, and reptiles.
Why are ethical breeders contradictory?
They present themselves as being interested both in the breeding of animals for certain genetic traits and in the care and wellbeing of animals. This is contradictory because those two goals are incompatible.
What is animal breeding?
Those in the animal breeding business use animals as resources. To them, animals are commodities to be bought and sold. The animals’ hormonal cycles are manipulated so their reproduction can be controlled for the sake of the breeders’ convenience and profit. The bred animals are taken to shops or are directly sold to people interested in buying them.
What happens when an animal reproduces?
When a domesticated animal reproduces, another animal comes into the world who will need care and help. Since the resources to care for animals are limited, each animal birth leads to it being more difficult to care for all of them.
What does it mean to breed animals?
Animal breeding simply means, in practice, that more and more animals come into the world only to be killed, often after having suffered enormously.
Why is breeding important?
Breeding promotes the idea that nonhuman animals are resources available to us to use for our purposes.
Who has popularized the idea of owning exotic animals as house pets?
Celebrities from Michael Jackson to Salvador Dali have popularized the idea of owning exotic animals as house pets .
Where do kangaroos live?
Though kangaroos are indigenous to Australia, some have made their way into backyards throughout the US. Many animal advocates, however, are fighting back against the laws that allow private citizens to keep them as pets, arguing that inhumane conditions have led to too many kangaroo deaths at the hands of unprepared caretakers.
What kind of animal is a tamandua?
Especially beloved is the 10-pound tamandua — the diminutive cousin of the giant anteater — which makes for a cuddly, non-violent companion in many states. Tamanduas love to gobble up termites and — you guessed it — ants, though this doesn't make them an effective form of pest control, according to many experts.
How long do alligators live?
But adults can grow to be more than 11 feet long, weigh a whopping 1,000 pounds, and live up to 50 years, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
How many states have foxes?
Today, pet foxes are legal in up to 15 states, but the rules vary by breed.
Why do llamas have guard dogs?
Need another compelling reason to adopt a few of these cuties? It turns out llamas rival guard dogs in their ability to ward off predators, according to Mother Earth News.
Who is the artist who walks his pet anteater?
It's been 50 years since eccentric artist Salvador Dali was photographed in Paris walking his pet anteater, but this unusual animal is still beloved by plenty of modern-day exotic pet enthusiasts.
What are the three classes of domesticated animals?
Archaeozoology has identified three classes of animal domesticates: Live stock (cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, etc.)
Can a tame be domesticated?
Due to the somewhat unclear outlines of what precisely constitutes domestication, there are some species that may or may not be fully domesticated. There are also some species that are extensively used or kept as pets by humans, but are not significantly altered from wild-type animals.
5 Things to Consider Before Getting an Exotic Pet
Exotic pets aren’t all safe to live with a busy family. Some are grumpy, while others bite or scrape. While generally amiable and gregarious, Rabbits may have a negative reaction to some treatment by unskilled children. Families who already have dogs or cats may find it difficult to have all of their pets adjust to life with others.
21 Fun Exotic Pets That Are Easy to Care For
You won’t be disappointed with a fennec fox as an exotic animal. These foxes are small, equivalent to a Chihuahua dog once fully grown. These foxes are difficult to come by and could be expensive, yet as their demand develops, they will become more widely available and far less costly.
What Is Classified as an Exotic Pet?
Exotic pets are animals that are relatively uncommon or odd to keep or are often considered wild creatures rather than pets. The definition differs by culture, place, and time-as animals become well-established in the world of animal fantasy, they may lose their exotic status.
Wrapping Up
As we have seen above, some exotic pets are easy to maintain than others. If you’re considering adopting an exotic pet to your residence, conduct your research carefully to get the one that you will fulfill its requirements.
Why Do People Keep Animals as Pets?
An important question to answer before we ponder on our rights to keep animals as pets. People keep animals as pets for companionship. Yes, we do make friends and have a family as well as acquaintances to keep us company. But bringing home a pet animal gives us a different feeling altogether. Animals give us pure solace and support. After a tiring day at work, it is always a pleasure to be greeted with a slobbery tongue or soft purrs. You can share their deepest thoughts and disappointments with their pets without having to fear your secrets will ever be revealed. Talking to our pets helps unload the burden we carry on our chests. Playing with them helps bring a smile to our faces and gives us our much-needed quota of daily exercise. People who live a lonely existence, the elderly, sick, shy, and the reserved, may find that a pet takes away their loneliness. Taking care of a pet helps inculcate the feelings of responsibility towards another life. Thus, making us proud of ourselves and imbibing the feeling of love in our heart. Animals require care, support, and love. In return, they are staunchly loyal and faithful towards us. In most cases, it is a give and take relationship, where humans offer protection to a vulnerable animal, and the animal gives back love and company.
Why is it important to talk to your pets?
Talking to our pets helps unload the burden we carry on our chests. Playing with them helps bring a smile to our faces and gives us our much-needed quota of daily exercise. People who live a lonely existence, the elderly, sick, shy, and the reserved, may find that a pet takes away their loneliness.
What happens if an animal is released in the wild?
And the final judgment passed will label the animal as too dangerous to keep around humans or be called a man-eater. It will either be put to sleep or released in the wild. If released in the wild, it may not have learned survival tricks of the jungle as it was always under human care.
Can exotic animals harm you?
They may not harm you as they have known you all their lives. But, one cannot guarantee they may not harm others who they perceive as threat or a tasty snack! It is wrong to keep wild and exotic animals as pets. They are not programmed or born to serve you as a pet.
Do you have to neuter or spay a pet?
Make sure you neuter or spay your pet to prevent overpopulation of pets. Unwanted pups and kittens often end up on the streets and either become roadkill or are attacked by other strays. Those who survive may have to live a long, treacherous life on the streets. As you can see, our right to keep animals is debatable.
Can you keep a bird in a cage?
When it comes to keeping birds, I am strictly against holding a bird in a cage. Look at the bird people! It has wings. These wings are not for show, but to soar high in the sky. They are born to fly, not be held in a cage. They are free birds who know no boundaries. People clip the wings off these creatures of the sky and allow them to walk or hop around the house. Reality check- this is not freedom! There are many varieties of parrots and similar exotic birds kept as pets. Do not hold them in cages or cut off their wings. Won’t you feel happy to see a free bird chirp on your window sill, instead of a caged bird singing sad songs of freedom? If you still want to have a bird as your pet, think of doves and pigeons. Train them to come back to you in the evening and fly free to their heart’s content during the day. This way you provide them with living space in today’s concrete jungle and allow them to live their free natural life.
Can you keep a leopard as a pet?
If you think it’s cool to own a leopard or a similar wild cat as a pet, you are wrong. This beautiful animal of the wild will be ultimately kept in a cage. You can’t take it along for your shopping trips or picnics. They are basically wild and may harm you or someone else. It is their nature; it is in their blood. And the final judgment passed will label the animal as too dangerous to keep around humans or be called a man-eater. It will either be put to sleep or released in the wild. If released in the wild, it may not have learned survival tricks of the jungle as it was always under human care. This may ultimately lead to its untimely death. Many people who bring home snakes, turtles, iguanas, lizards and other such out of the ordinary animals as pets forget one thing – these animals require a lot of care and attention. Their food requirements are different from the requirements of a cat or dog. They need special living conditions and this may lead to increase in financial costs of keeping a pet. Some do not consider the future, wherein they may have children of their own. This is when it becomes difficult to manage a pet and a child together. The result- abandon the animal on the highway or nearby wilderness.
Many Animals Who Are Bred End Up Homeless, Suffering and Dying
The Negative Consequences of Breeding Affect Other Animals as Well
- Animal breeding simply means, in practice, that more and more animals come into the world only to be killed, often after having suffered enormously. There are several reasons why: 1. The above mentioned harms often lead to the deaths of animals bred as pets. 2. Cats, and also some dogs, cause the deaths of other animals, mainly those they hunt. Stu...
Shops and Breeders
- In view of what has been said above, we can clearly see the terrible consequences of breeding and selling huge numbers of animals. “Pet” shops, puppy mills and other private breeding businesses are directly contributing to an increase in the suffering and deaths of animals. In addition to this, in shops the animals are locked up until they are bought, often with little food an…
Seeking Solutions: Spaying and Neutering
- With so many stray and abandoned animals in the world, spaying and neutering ensures fewer births of animals who no one can care for.6Spaying and neutering are simple procedures. Even though they are carried out under anesthesia, the animals are walking again on the same day of the operation and are fully recovered within a week. Most animals can be spayed or neutered fro…
Adoption
- We have seen the harm that animals suffer when they are bred as animals for use as “companions”. However, there’s a way of living with animals in an ethical and respectful manner, according to their needs and interests rather than our convenience or desires: adopting them and taking care of them. Fortunately, there are shelters in many countries that care for homeless ani…
Further Readings
- American Pet Products Association (2020) “Pet industry market size & ownership statistics”, American Pet Products Association[accessed on 8 September 2020]. Bateson, P. (2010) Independent inquiry into dog breeding, Halesworth: Micropress [accessed on 14 April 2013]. Bouw, J. (1982) “Hip dysplasia and dog breeding”, Veterinary Quarterly, 4, pp. 173-181. Christian…