It’s no secret that Americans love their pets. In fact, approximately 69 million households own a dog, 45 million have a cat, and almost 12 million own a fish, according to Statista.
Many Americans became pet “pawrents” during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 23 million (almost 1 in 5 nationwide) adopting a pet during the pandemic. We surveyed American pet owners to find out just how much they spoil their pets in 2022.
Most pet owners (31%) solely have dogs, and just over 1 in 4 (26%) only have cats. One in five American pet owners (21%) have both cats and dogs. The other most popular pets include fish (9%), birds (6%), reptiles (5%), rodents (4%), bunnies/rabbits (2%), and horses (1%).
Most (35%) American pet owners have just one pet. Almost one in three pet owners (29%) have two pets, and the remaining have three or more. In fact, 15% have 5 or more pets (we might call that a zoo!).
The COVID-19 pandemic afforded many who always wanted a pet the opportunity to get one, with more flexibility at work and the ability to move somewhere more spacious. With lockdowns between March 2020 and December 2020 leaving many Americans lonely, our survey found 28% of pet owners adopted at least one of their pets during this time period.
When asked why Americans got their pet or pets, the top reason was for companionship and love (86%), because they always wanted one (40%), for their mental health (39%), and for fun (39%). Nearly one in six (15%) say they were able to get a pet because their lifestyle changed.
With great pets comes great responsibility. Americans are taking it seriously – over 1 in 5 American pet owners consider themselves a “crazy pet parent”.
Pets aren’t all fun and games – they can also cost a pretty penny. When it comes to necessities, the most common things Americans buy for their pets are food (100%), toys (87%), litter (57%), enrichment (49%), and vitamins/supplements (46%). Other expenses include collars, tags and leashes (38%), costumes and accessories (23%), carriers and crates (14%), insurance (12%) and a care giver, sitter or walker (11%).
According to our survey, pet owners spend an average of $109.12 on these necessities per pet every month. That’s about $1,309.44 each year – which can quickly add up! Pet owners spend an additional $525.10 every year on veterinary bills per pet. That’s almost $2,000 a year per pet on necessities and healthcare!
When asked what the top expenses for their pets are, owners say veterinary bills (51%), followed by food (36%), the initial cost of purchasing the pet (5%), medications and vitamins (3%), and grooming (2%).
It feels like the cost of everything has gone up – and pet supplies are no exception. Almost half (49%) of pet owners are feeling they’ve spent more money on their pets in 2022 than in previous years.
Veterinary bills and medicine can be especially expensive for our furry friends. The popularity of pet insurancemay be on the rise, with more and more employers offering pet insurance to employees.
While pet owners may be spending more than $525 each year on vet bills per animal, pet insurance can helpsavemoney. Just for the sake of comparison, the average monthly quotefor pet insurance through Insuranks is $25. Assuming this is the coverage that pet owners have, and assuming they’re spending about $525 annually on vet bills,insurance would allow a savings of about $225 per animal each year.
Currently, 17% of pet owners have pet insurance, and the majority of those with insurance agree that it’s worth it. Almost half (45%) say pet insurance has helped cover a procedure or medication they wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.
Of those pet owners who don’t have pet insurance, 40% wish they did, and 22% plan to get pet insurance sometime in the future.
We also surveyed pet parents to find out how truly spoiled some of America’s pets are. At least one in five pet parents have bought something lavish for their pet.
The most bought extravagant pet supplies are merchandise with a pet’s photo on it (19%), luxury pet products (12%), a pet portrait (10%), clothing with a pet’s photo on it (8%), a robot litter box (7%), and even a pet DNA test (6%).
When it comes to being a “pawrent”, there’s love… and then there’s downright obsession. The most common pet parent habits include sleeping in bed with a pet (80%), buying a Christmas gift for a pet (65%), sharing food or beverages (60%), celebrating a pet’s birthday (56%), and taking a road trip with a pet (54%).
Other common pet parent habits include taking a pet to a public park or beach (54%), buying high-end food or supplements (43%), buying a personalized tag (36%), canceling plans with friends to hang out with a pet (20%), and having a pet room in their home (16%).
While it can be tempting to buy a luxury collar, a Halloween costume, or extravagant treats for your pet - remember that pets can (and do) get sick, and you may be better off investing in pet insurance sooner than later. There’s nothing wrong with spoiling your pet, and they deserve nothing but the best.
Methodology
In October 2022, we surveyed 500 American pet owners on their pet expenses and ownership habits. Respondents were aged 18 to 75 years old, with an average age of 40 years old. Respondents were 49% male, 50% female, and 1% transgender/non-binary.
For media inquiries, please contact media@digitalthirdcoast.net.
Fair Use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing https://www.insuranks.com/
Insuranker
Policy Type: Pet Insurance
Company name: Fetch Pet Insurance by the Dodo (Formerly PetPlan)
I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Fetch Incorporated, Pet Insurance, and let me tell you, it was an absolute nightmare. This company not only operates as a shameless scam, but they also have no qualms about abusing people's privacy and changing policies whenever it suits them. It's nothing short of a money-stealing operation! Their customer service is appalling. When I finally realized Fetch Pet Insurance was a scam and called to cancel my policy, a year before calling again and $2,400 later, I talked to a Mendy, who consistently patronized and belittled me. Despite my request for a cancellation confirmation, Mendy refused to provide one. It was clear they wanted to hide their fraudulent activities. When I explicitly asked Mendy to cancel my account and ensure that I wouldn't be charged any further, she claimed to have taken care of it. However, she flat out refused to provide any confirmation for the cancellation. How convenient for them, right? I smelled something fishy at that moment. To add insult to injury, Fetch Incorporated makes it incredibly difficult to remove your credit card information from their system. Mendy insisted that I had to handle everything through my online account, but surprise, surprise - there was no option to delete my payment details. It's obvious they want to hold onto that information for their own benefit, even after cancelation. I was appalled by this blatant disregard for customer privacy and satisfaction. It became clear that Fetch Incorporated had no intention of providing genuine insurance coverage for our beloved pets. They are solely interested in preying on vulnerable pet owners and siphoning off their hard-earned money. I refuse to let this go unnoticed. I am determined to warn every contact I have about these despicable thieves and ensure that they don't continue to steal money from unsuspecting people. Furthermore, I will be filing complaints against Fetch Incorporated in every possible venue to expose their fraudulent practices. In conclusion, stay away from Fetch Incorporated, Pet Insurance, if you value your money and your privacy. They are nothing more than a scam operation, taking advantage of pet owners who genuinely care for their furry companions. Don't fall victim to this thieves and pet abusers.
Netza hualcoyotl Roldan Insuranker
Policy Type: Pet Insurance
Company name: Fetch Pet Insurance by the Dodo (Formerly PetPlan)
I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Fetch Incorporated, Pet Insurance, and let me tell you, it was an absolute nightmare. This company not only operates as a shameless scam, but they also have no qualms about abusing people's privacy and changing policies whenever it suits them. It's nothing short of a money-stealing operation! Their customer service is appalling. When I finally realized Fetch Pet Insurance was a scam and called to cancel my policy, a year before calling again and $2,400 later, I talked to a Mendy, who consistently patronized and belittled me. Despite my request for a cancellation confirmation, Mendy refused to provide one. It was clear they wanted to hide their fraudulent activities. When I explicitly asked Mendy to cancel my account and ensure that I wouldn't be charged any further, she claimed to have taken care of it. However, she flat out refused to provide any confirmation for the cancellation. How convenient for them, right? I smelled something fishy at that moment. To add insult to injury, Fetch Incorporated makes it incredibly difficult to remove your credit card information from their system. Mendy insisted that I had to handle everything through my online account, but surprise, surprise - there was no option to delete my payment details. It's obvious they want to hold onto that information for their own benefit, even after cancelation. I was appalled by this blatant disregard for customer privacy and satisfaction. It became clear that Fetch Incorporated had no intention of providing genuine insurance coverage for our beloved pets. They are solely interested in preying on vulnerable pet owners and siphoning off their hard-earned money. I refuse to let this go unnoticed. I am determined to warn every contact I have about these despicable thieves and ensure that they don't continue to steal money from unsuspecting people. Furthermore, I will be filing complaints against Fetch Incorporated in every possible venue to expose their fraudulent practices. In conclusion, stay away from Fetch Incorporated, Pet Insurance, if you value your money and your privacy. They are nothing more than a scam operation, taking advantage of pet owners who genuinely care for their furry companions. Don't fall victim to this thieves and pet abusers.
Insuranker
Policy Type: Pet Insurance
Company name: Fetch Pet Insurance by the Dodo (Formerly PetPlan)
Pet Plan is an Absolute SCAM. You’re premium goes up every year excessively in jumps like £15 to £20. Started off at £35 and eight years later is £105 . They cover absolutely nothing . The £780 dental work was considered cosmetic and not covered . I have stopped the insurance now as the first time I make a claim because my dog got sick, nothing was covered because I had to pay 20% excess deductible which was the cost of the visit and so Pet Plan wiggled their way out of paying anything. I paid and they didn’t . I cannot for the life of me understand why I have been paying thousands of pounds over the years and nothing nothing nothing was ever covered under their terms . Pet Plan are a scum insurance . Put your money in a bank account for your pet and pay for things this way . Note I was paying £105 per month for a £4000 coverage Do you know that a simple scan and test was priced at £8000 so even if you have pet insurance your £4000 doesn’t even get you a test result let alone any treatment . And your excess on a £4000 claim will be £800 . So the actual coverage is only £3200. Meanwhile in four years you could have £5000 in your pets bank account and in 8 years over £10,000 saved for treatment . I massively regret paying into Pet Plan all these years . They only care about making money and not you pet.
Unfortunately I had a terrible experience with this company. I am a huge animal lover and I am also an insurance agent. Initially I wasn’t aware you needed to video call their vet to get approval and the reason I wasn’t aware is because they don’t tell you, however it’s in the fine print, which is A HUGE thing to not tell your clients right off the jump. When I came to them they gave false hope stating they can still possibly provide the coverage as long as the documents I send in show everything that happened for his emergency visit. Well I sent them in extreme detail my dog was hospitalized for 4 days with pancreatitis and after no one answered me for 2 & 1/2 weeks they finally emailed back after threatening the BBB, saying my claim wasn’t accepted since I didn’t video call with their vet. They also stated they had no way to contact me this since they were sent to spam. I find this puzzling since I’ve gotten several emails from them in the past. Not sure why on earth they tell clients to send in paperwork since they can approve it after the fact, knowing they have no intention of doing so. It’s clear now how they make their $ and it’s to avoid paying out claims… all while I’m trying to get ahold of someone via email regarding the status of my claim they made sure to charge me for my monthly fee which is at this point comical they also made sure to tell me they won’t be refunding me that installment. Anything to squeeze out every cent from your clients is not an ethical company the fact that they made sure to tell me they’d see on my claim being approved and then ghosted me for 2 weeks, only to deny the claim the day after they made sure to take my monthly installment. Take this as a sign to sign up with a more reputable A rated carrier that doesn’t have hoops you need to jump through. Just signed up with Lemonade. I’ll be reporting these unethical practices to the insurance commissioner.
I got pet insurance through lemonade. For the insurance they have you go to the vet to get a health check up. During the health check up my cat was healthy, but had a lump. The vet did a cytology and determined that it was a cyst. There was some hardened material, but the results showed no cancerous material and I was referred out to a surgical center to have the cyst removed. 2 months later, when she went in to have the cyst checked the vet was worried it might be more. They checked her lungs and again, everything was healthy. But her leg were the cyst was had to go and the vet was worried it may be something more. They had to take her leg and when they did, they did a biopsy and determined this was actually a fibrosarcoma. This was 2 months after I started the policy. But they are trying to say it was preexisting and won't pay out the claim. They're just trying to take money from people and don't want to hold up their end of the contract.