Companion Animals
Companion animals bring joy to their owners, provide emotional support, reduce feelings of stress and loneliness, and increase social contact.
The animal health industry actively promotes responsible pet ownership through the responsible use of medicines ensuring good health for our pets. Follow our We Care campaign on Facebook for further information on responsible pet ownership.
About pets
In general terms ‘companion animals’ are all animals which are kept by people for companionship and enjoyment. They are often referred to as pets, with cats and dogs being the most popular pets. Others include:
- small mammals: rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets, among others.
- fish: including goldfish, rainbow fish, etc.
- birds: such as parrots, monk parakeets and domestic canaries.
HOW MANY PETS ARE THERE?
In the EU there are 196,775,900 pets in total and 70 million homes have companion animals.
- 64 million cats
- 60 million dogs
- 8 million ornamental fish (number of aquaria)
- 39 million cage birds
- 24 million small mammals
Source: FEDIAF Facts and Figures 2010
Worldwide there are 223 million dogs and 220 million cats (excluding strays).
Source: Vetnosis
NATIONAL FIGURES
Population
- In France there are more than 31 million fish, close to 11 million cats and 7.5 million dogs.
- In the United Kingdom there are over 40 million fish, 8 million cats and another 8 million dogs.
- In Germany there are 8 million cats, over 5 million dogs and another 5 million small animals
Sources: FACCO (France), PFMA (United Kingdom) and IVH (Germany)
Households
- In France almost one in two households have a companion animal.
- In the United Kingdom almost 1 in 2 households (46%) own a pet.
- In Germany more than one third of households have a pet.
Latest Campaign
Animals give us daily companionship and support - We care for them
Pets help people in many ways and for certain populations such as those in a later stage of life pets can bring so much more than companionship. They can help the elderly stay active and healthy and give them a sense of responsibility.
Read more