A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a leading custom market research firm, reaffirmed a couple of facts that everyone knows to be true: the pet industry is thriving and pets are considered family members among their owners.
More than three in five Americans (62%) have a pet. Among pet owners, seven in ten have a dog (69%), half have a cat (51%), one in ten have a fish (11%), and less than one in ten pet owners have a bird (7%) or some other type of pet (8%).
The survey also revealed in part why the pet industry is flourishing. Along with purchasing the basic necessities that every pet needs, one-third of pet owners (33%) frequently purchase holiday presents for their pet, while one-quarter (27%) occasionally do so. And these gifts are not just at holiday time as one in five pet owners (20%) frequently buy their pets birthday presents and while 17% do so occasionally.
Over nine in ten pet owners (91%) say they consider their pet to be a member of their family —a sentiment that remains constant among dog-owners (92%) and cat-owners (91%).
For more results of the survey, visit http://bit.ly/kb9vWC.