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The most popular pets across the USA and the world
Many people all over the world enjoy keeping animals as pets and companions. They are an incredibly important part of many of our lives, offering companionship, friendship, and support to their human friends and owners. But, with so many pet options out there, including countless cat breeds, dog breeds, and other more exotic pets, it can be difficult to pinpoint the perfect pet companion for you.
From all manner of cats and dogs to perhaps less traditional animals like snakes and lizards, our animal friends come in all shapes and sizes, each being the ideal pet for somebody. However, as trends and fashions come and go, and global events affect our wants and needs, how are our pet preferences changing?
We’ve investigated which pets, as well as specific breeds of cats and dogs, are the most popular, and which are rising in popularity the quickest. Our research has looked at pet preferences in more than 50 countries around the world, as well as honing in on some of the largest US cities, in order to reveal how our choice of animal buddies changes from place to place.
We’ve looked at hundreds of breeds of cats and dogs to find the most popular puss and pooch in the United States. We also looked at a broader spectrum of pets to see which are the most popular outside of cats and dogs. Are you a fan of the most on-trend animals?
These are the most searched for cats in the United States, being Googled more than any other breed.
Search Volume:
The most popular cat in the USA by a long way is the Maine Coon, which received almost nine and half million searches in the last 12 months! Popular for their size, these are one of the largest breeds of domestic cats and can stand at up to 16 inches tall and 40 inches long. These fabulous felines are a naturally occurring species native to the state of Maine, where they have been recognized as the official state cat.
Search Volume:
The second most popular cat breed in the country is the Bengal cat, which was searched for over five million times. Bengals are a highly popular breed, originally a mix of several types of cat including the Egyptian Mau and the Asian leopard cat. These cats are prized for their distinctive spotted coats and sleek appearance.
Search Volume:
Savannah cats are the USA’s third most popular cat breed, being searched for almost four million times in the last twelve months. The Savannah cat’s unusual and striking appearance comes from the breed’s heritage, being a cross between a domestic cat and a serval, a wild cat found in many parts of Africa.
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In the same way that we looked at the number of searches that each breed of cat received, we’ve also found out which breed of dog is the most popular in the USA.
Search Volume:
The most popular breed of dog in the USA is the Cane Corso, which received 16,320,000 searches over the last year. This breed of dog is a part of the mastiff family and is native to the Italian peninsula. While Cane Corso make excellent guard dogs and are often used for tracking and law enforcement, they make equally good companions if you’ve got the space for this bulky pup.
Search Volume:
French bulldogs are the USA’s second most popular breed, having received just over fourteen million searches in the last twelve months. French bulldogs are popular for their cute looks and diminutive size, which means they need slightly less exercise and makes them perfect for city living.
Search Volume:
The third most popular dog breed in the USA is the Australian shepherd, which totaled 12,660,000 searches in the last year. These dogs are highly intelligent and easy to train and are great choices either as a working dog or as a family pet. Originally bred in California, these dogs have become popular the world over for their eager personalities and wonderfully varied coats, which come in a variety of colors and patterns.
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We’ve also taken a look at the demand for various pets in the country, in addition to cats and dogs. Here you can see the ten animals that people are looking to buy the most.
Search Volume:
Dogs are as popular as ever and easily take the top spot, with over two and a half million searches from people looking to buy their own pooch. That’s almost two million more searches than second place!
Search Volume:
The pet with the second-highest demand is axolotls, which received 702,700 searches from people looking to buy one. Axolotls are a member of the salamander family, a group of amphibious lizard-like animals that spend their lives completely underwater.
Search Volume:
Cats are the third most in-demand pet in the USA, with 640,000 searches from potential buyers. Cats are generally quite low-maintenance pets that enjoy their independence and like to act on their own terms, which makes the affection they give all the more rewarding. There are many varieties of cats each with their own individual quirks and qualities.
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Having looked at the popularity of pets in the USA as a whole, we now turn our attention to some of the biggest cities in the country to see how our preferences change from place to place. Which pets are the most popular in your city?
The most popular cat in every US city is the Maine coon, which dominated our rankings. These large kitties are big bundles of fun and their playful and loving nature makes them excellent family pets.
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We’ve also found the most popular breeds of dogs in the biggest US cities. How will preferences change from town to town? And will one breed dominate the rankings? Check out our ranking below to find out.
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Having looked at cats and dogs, we now turn our attention to the other animals that many of us like to adopt as pets. So, check out our results below to find the most popular other pets in each US city.
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We’ve seen which pets and breeds of cats and dogs are the most popular in the USA, but how do preferences differ in other countries? We’ve looked at over 50 major countries all over the globe to find out which animals are the favorites in different parts of the world.
Cultural preferences, as well as other factors such as the local climate, can change people’s perceptions of which cats are the best to keep as pets, so here we’ll look at which breeds of cat are the most popular in different countries.
Again, the Maine coon came top in every country apart from Malta, Indonesia, India, and Saudi Arabia.
It’s not just our taste in cats that changes from country to country, as our preference in dogs also varies greatly around the world. Here you’ll be able to see the most popular pooches in different parts of the world. Will this inspire your choice for your next puppy?
We’ve also looked into the demand for a range of other pets in each country. This paints a picture of which animals are most valued as companions across the world, outside of cats and dogs.
We’ve looked at the current popularity of all sorts of cats, dogs, and other pets, using the total number of searches over the past year. However, in order to measure the changing popularity of these animals, we’ve found the total searches for each breed of cat and dog in July 2021, and have compared them to the levels in July 2019.
This two-year gap will give us a good idea of how our favorite pets may have changed and will avoid using data that was skewed by the pandemic.
These are the ten breeds of cats that have risen in popularity the most over the last two years.
2 Year Increase
Thai cats have risen in popularity the most in the USA, with searches increasing by 326% over the last two years. This reflects an increase of 6,200 searches from 1,900 in July 2019 to 8,100 in July 2021.
2 Year Increase
The Chausie cat is the second most on-trend cat, having experienced a boom in searches of 241%. This takes the total monthly searches for Chausies from 2,900 in July 2019 to 9,900 in July 2021.
2 Year Increase
The Khao Manee takes third place, with searches for the breed increasing by 175% from 4,400 in July 2019 to 12,100 in July of this year.
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Here we can see which cat breeds have grown in popularity the most across the whole planet.
2 Year Increase
The Khao Manee is the cat that has increased in popularity the most across the whole world, with a rise in search volume of 395.50%
2 Year Increase
In second place globally is the Thai cat, with searches for the breed increasing by 235.19% over the last two years.
2 Year Increase
The Chausie takes third place in the global ranking, but it is less than 1% behind second place with a two-year increase of 234.34%.
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These are the dogs that have experienced the greatest increase in searches over the last 24 months.
2 Year Increase
The dog breed that has experienced the highest growth in search volume since July 2019 is the huntaway, with an increase of 309.09%. The huntaway is a large breed of dog from New Zealand bred specifically for herding sheep.
2 Year Increase
The Central Asian shepherd has the second-highest increase in searches, rising by 308.64% from 8,100 in July 2019 to 33,100 in July 2021.
2 Year Increase
The biewer terrier may be a small dog, but it’s had a very big increase in search volume, with searches rising by 173.65% over the last two years.
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USA: July 2021 |
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These are the breeds of dog that have grown in popularity the most across the whole world in the last two years.
2 Year Increase
The Central Asian shepherd has experienced the biggest global increase in search volume out of any breed of dog. Searches increased from 12,100 in July 2019 to 49,500 in July 2021.
2 Year Increase
The huntaway received the second-highest increase in the number of searches, with search volume rising by 234.71%
2 Year Increase
The third-highest increase in search volume belongs to the biewer terrier, with boosted its searches by 173.41% over the last two years.
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It may be raining cats and dogs but it’s not raining money, so the cost of acquiring a pet can be a real concern for many people. The price to purchase an animal is only the first expense for a prospective pet owner as pet food, vet bills, and insurance will all add to the overall cost.
In order to cast some light on the potential cost of adding an animal friend to your family, we’ve looked into the prices of various breeds of cats and dogs to find out which are the most expensive, and which are the most affordable.
We’ve found the average prices for some of the most popular breeds of cats. See which are the most expensive below.
Average Cost:
Savannah cats are crosses between domestic cats and servals, which are a type of wild African cat, and this makes them very rare, and subsequently, very expensive too. The average cost of a Savannah car can range from anywhere from $1,500 right up to $50,000 at the top end.
Average Cost:
The cost of owning a Bengal cat can vary quite a lot depending on the various sub-breeds that are available. For example the Rosetted Bengal is amongst the most valuable varieties due to the distinctive markings on its coat.
Average Cost:
Persian cats are highly coveted for their luxurious coats and distinctive round faces, and as such, demand a high price tag, fetching as much as $5,500.
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These are the most expensive breeds of dogs, which will set your back more than a few bucks if you’re set on having one as your new four-legged friend.
Average price:
Two breeds were tied as the most expensive when it came to dogs, starting with the Neapolitan Mastiff. This big, wrinkly, dog certainly has a distinct look and are also among the most expensive, with an average cost of $3,500.
Average price:
Norwich Terriers are friendly and cute dogs which are very popular with owners but hard to get a hold of as they can be a challenge to breed, only producing small litters. This means that demand is usually greater than supply and thus, they have a premium price tag.
Average price:
The Norfolk Terrier is very similar to the Norwich Terrier, able to be distinguished by its “drop ears”, compared to the “prick ears” of the Norwich variety. Like its cousin, Norfolk Terriers can be very expensive, with an average cost of $3,250.
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We wanted to find out which pets are the most popular in the USA and across the world. To find this out, we turned to search data gathered using Google Keyword Planner. We first built lists of cat breeds, dog breeds, and other pets to compare against one another. We then created usable search terms from these names before downloading the search data. The data we collected was for the last 12 months to July 2021, which was the most recently available data at the time.
For the US cities, we found data for the 30 most populated places according to Wikipedia. For the country comparisons, we collected data from all EU, G20, and OECD countries.
By looking at search data for the past year, we were able to see which animals were searched for the most in different parts of the world, revealing the most popular pets.
We also wanted to find out which pets had experienced the greatest increase in popularity, so we took search data for each term from July 2019 and July 2021, and compared the % difference between the two figures. Those with a higher % change increased in popularity the most, while those with lower or negative % differences increased the least, or even dropped in popularity.
Additionally, we wanted to compare how much the different breeds of cats and dogs cost, so we could find out which were the most expensive. To do this, we used data from Cats.com for cats and PetBudget for dogs.
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Find the best cat food brands with our expert reviewed, thoroughly-researched guides to help you do the best for the feline in your life.