Pet Industry Statistics

Aspen Pet Products, Inc. strives to develop innovative products that enhance the lives of pets and the families that love them.

• Pet spending has more than doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to a projected $35.9 billion for 2005, positioning the pet industry 60 percent larger than the toy industry ($20 billion) and 33 percent larger than the candy industry ($24 billion)
• Pet ownership is at an all time high, with 63% of all U.S. households owning a pet
• At the present time, it is estimated there are 73.9 million dogs, 90.5 million cats, 139 million freshwater fish and16.6 million birds in the U.S.
• 87% of pet owners reported that their pets are a good source of affection while 82% said having a pet makes them feel safer at home
• Women are the primary purchasers of pet products (78%) and the average age of people most likely to buy pet products is 46 years old

Aspen Pet Products’ story begins with a tree, a dog, and three men with a mission to make traveling with your dog, whether by foot or by car, an easier undertaking. With the initial invention of the EZ Hitch leash the company took off, and today collars and leashes account for over one-third of Aspen Pet’s revenue.

• Nine out of ten dog owners (93%) own a leash for their pet
• Among leash owners, 75% own nylon leashes, the material most preferred
• One out of ten leashes are made from chain or leather
• Currently 1% of leashes owned are reflective/illuminating, which are used more in multiple dog owning households and for medium and large sized dogs
• For two-thirds of leash owners, a new one is bought once every three or more years
• There has been a significant increase in the number of dog owners using a retractable leash from 30% in 2002 to 35% in 2004. Retractable leashes evidence more growth among owners of small and large sized dogs.
• In comparison, there has been a significant decline in the use of no-pull collars for dogs from 28% to 18% from 2002 to 2004
• Three out of ten (30%) dog owners have collars. Nylon is the fabric most preferred, noted by 56% of collar owners, followed by leather (20%) and cloth (15%) 

 Branching off into other types of pet supplies, Aspen Pet now has a wide variety of products for dogs, cats and birds

• The total number of households reporting they own a cat increased to 37.7 million in 2004 from 35.3 million in 2002
• Per household, the total number of cats owned increased to 2.4 cats from 2.2 cats
• 51% of cat owners have bought toys for their pet in the past 12 months
• Catnip toys (80%) are the most popular cat toy purchased, followed by interactive toys (62%) and scratching posts (37%)
• 18% of cat owners have cat collars.  The material preferred is nylon (54%), followed by cloth (18%) and leather (13%)
• 6.4 million households report that they own a bird
• Per household, the total number of birds owned are 2.6
• Cockatiels are the most popular type of bird owned at 38%
• Parakeets are the next most widely owned bird at 32%
• 61% of bird owners have purchased a toy for their bird in the past 12 months while 36% plan to purchase a toy for their bird in the next 12 months
  

Aspen Pet Products invented the rope category with the BOODA Bone. Aiming for constant improvement, the company later introduced the Fresh N’ Floss rope bone to combine dental hygiene with dogs’ favorite toy.

• 40% of dog owners purchased a rope toy for their dog in 2004
• 13% of dog owners purchased a dental rope toy for their dog in 2004
• On average, two rope toys and 2.7 dental rope toys were purchased in the past 12 months