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Pet Stats: Staggering, Silly, and Sharable

Published  August 27, 2015 10:17am EDT
Consumer
FOX 13 Tampa Bay

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TAMPA (FOX 13) - They have us wrapped around their paws.

The flood of photos and videos on social media for National Dog Day illustrated our obsession with our pets. And so do statistics. 

SPENDING ON SPARKY:

We are estimated to spend $60 billion on our pets this year, according to the American Pet Products Association. That figure has nearly quadrupled over the past 20 years, rising from just $17 billion in 1994.

We cover the essentials, such as food, medicine, and toys. But an increasing proportion of our pet spending goes to accessories – which run the gamut.

RELATED: FOX 13 tries Fit Bit for dogs

DOG PEOPLE VS. CAT PEOPLE:

Hunch.com, a research division of eBay, compared an eclectic array of consumer survey results against respondents’ pet ownership. The results are, at the very least, fodder for that inevitable cat versus dog conversation: 

  • Cat people are 11 percent more likely to be introverts
  • Dog people are 15 percent more likely to be extroverts
  • Dog people are 36 percent more likely to have a pop song as their ringtone
  • Cat people are 25 percent more likely to choose George Harrison as their favorite Beatle
  • Dog people are 18 percent more likely to favor Paul McCartney as their favorite Beatle 

CLICK: Complete list of results

DARK HORSE, NOT A HORSE:

The complexion of the country’s pet population surprises us. Dogs are not number one. Neither are cats. Fish win. Here’s an alphabetical breakdown of the pet population in the U.S.A. These statistics are from the American Pet Products Association.

  • Bird 14,300,000
  • Cat 85,800,000
  • Dog 77,800,00?
  • Horse 7,500,000
  • Freshwater Fish 95,500,00
  • Saltwater Fish 9,500,00
  • Reptile 9,300,00
  • Small Animal 12,400,000