Mars Unveils The World’s Largest Pet Parent Study

Mars unveils the world’s largest pet parent study to better understand and serve the over one billion pets - and growing - across the globe.

• More than half (56%) of people are pet parents1, with 47% of these as first-time owners.

• More than one-third (37%) of pet parents consider their furry friend the most important thing in their lives.

• Cat ownership is more common than dog ownership globally, with more men (52% male vs 48% female) being cat owners.

• Mars is launching its first-ever Global Adoption Weekend- an event supporting the company’s ambition to find every pet a healthy and happy home.

Mars Incorporated, a global leader in pet care products and services, confectionery, snacking and food and the maker of some of the world’s most-loved brands, has revealed the results of the world’s largest pet parent study today.

With insights from over 20,000 pet parents (dog and cat owners) across 20 countries, the Mars Global Pet Parent Study shows the significant influence of pets on our lives, delving into the evolving needs of pet parents, including generational differences in ownership, the most common breeds and new insight into the pain points pet parents around the world experience today.

With pet ownership known to be on the rise and people considering pets one of the most important things in their lives, the results signal a new era of pet parent centricity, where the emotional connection between a pet parent and their pet is stronger than ever.

Ikdeep Singh, Global President of Mars Pet Nutrition, comments:

“Almost half (47%) of those surveyed are first-time owners, signalling a new era of pet parents. We know that pet parents are evolving, and we need to evolve with them, which means embedding pet parent centricity into our DNA to transform the experience and build lifelong relationships with the 455 million pets and pet parents we reach.”

To ensure every pet has a happy and healthy home, and as part of the company’s ongoing purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS, the study launches in tandem with the first ever global Mars Pet Adoption Weekend. Mars Pet Adoption Weekend will take place in twelve countries across Europe, Asia, South America and North America, to celebrate new pet parents and encourage more adoptions across the world.

With over one billion pets globally, we’re becoming a pet obsessed world

Pet parents are clearly devoted to their pets, with more than one-third (37%) of dog and cat owners considering their pets the most important thing in their lives. The percentage is even higher amongst Generation Z (Gen Z) (45%) and Millennials (40%).

There’s a preference towards kittens and puppies too: 84% of dogs and cats are acquired before the age of 12 months. The most commonly owned global dog breeds are Labrador (6%), Chihuahua (6%), and Golden Retriever (5%), and the most commonly owned global cat breeds are Persian (16%), British Shorthair (11%), and Siamese (9%).

Cat ownership is more common than dog ownership globally, with more men (52% male vs 48% female) being cat owners. The decision to get a pet is greatly influenced by those around us with family (26%) as the primary influence, followed by friends (21%), social media (13%), online search (13%), and veterinarians (11%).

Dogs and cats play pivotal roles in our lives. Of those satisfied with their pets2, dog owners appreciate unconditional love (50%) and family completeness (49%), while cat owners appreciate the entertainment (48%) and stress relief (44%) their four-legged friends bring. However, being a pet parent also brings challenges: 32% feel guilty about leaving their dogs and cats alone, and only 42% find their neighborhoods very pet-friendly, with a further 26% of pet parents claiming they find the idea of traveling with their pets demanding / challenging.

Since launching the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program in 2017, Mars has created a range of programs around the world to help cities become certified as pet-friendly, so more people can enjoy the benefits of a life with pets. Similarly, earlier this year, the Mars brand CESAR® partnered with Tripadvisor to launch a new pet travel hub in the U.S. to connect pet parents with the resources and guidance to travel with their pets.

Singh continues: “As the world’s leading pet care company, we’re always working on the next big thing in pet parenting, using the insights from this study to continuously innovate and adapt to solve pet parent pain points. Pet parents aren’t born – they become, which is why we must ensure they have the advice, guidance and support they need along every step of their journey.”

The first-ever Global Mars Pet Adoption Weekend

For 16 years, Mars and its family of pet care and veterinary health brands including PEDIGREE®, IAMS™, ROYAL CANIN®, with additional support from PEDIGREE Foundation, along with its snacking and food brands, have come together for Mars Pet Adoption Weekend.

This year, Mars Pet Adoption Weekend will be hosted globally for the first time, with twelve countries participating during one of the two weekends in October. These include Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, The Philippines, the UK, and the U.S.

With pet ownership known to be on the rise, there is more opportunity than ever to ensure pets living in shelters or on the street find loving homes. Considering the undeniable joy pets can provide and the fact that only 11% of dog owners across those countries surveyed adopt from shelters, Mars is spotlighting the importance of the company’s ambition to end pet homelessness, by celebrating new pet parents and encouraging adoption across the globe.

Mars Pet Adoption Weekend will support pet adoption worldwide through various activities including financial contributions to shelters, adoption events, volunteer activities and other awareness-raising events.

Ikdeep Singh, Global President of Mars Pet Nutrition, concludes: “With an estimated 362 million homeless cats and dogs globally3, it’s our job to find innovative ways to remove barriers to pet adoption, connecting with pet parents at the start of pet parenthood so they can find a perfect four-legged companion that will bring love and joy to their daily lives. As we launch our first-ever global Pet Adoption Weekend, we reaffirm our commitment to our purpose: A Better World for Pets - a mission that has been at the heart of Mars for nearly 90 years.”

*One billion pets statistic in headline - source: Euromonitor data 2024

1. Pet parents refer to dog and cat owners surveyed in 20 markets

2. Those who gave a satisfaction score of at least 7 out of 10 (95% for dogs and 94% for cats)

3. 1 in 3 pets are homeless according to new global report, August 2024