Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Canadians love their pets! There are so many different reasons for keeping a pet. They can help with anxiety, stress, and depression, relieve feelings of loneliness, provide motivation for exercise, and improve physical and mental well-being. Pets can help teach children responsibility and the meaning of unconditional love. Canada’s pet industry statistics prove just how big the pet industry is and provide valuable information on how Canadians are doing with their companion animals.
(Statista)
Quebec follows second with 487, British Columbia has 352, and Alberta has 269. The fewest number is located in the Northwest Territories, which only report two stores. This, of course, is in part to the remote nature of the area.
(Statista)
Canadian dogs clearly prefer dry food, as dry dog food sales were close to $2 billion. Dry cat food totaled $841 million. Also, dogs are more likely to be fed treats, apparently. Cat treat sales were only $149 million in 2020, but dog food treats raked in about $500 million.
(Statista)
There are tons of different pet stores in Canada, including Petland, PETCO, and Pet Valu, but PetSmart and PETCO clearly have the market cornered with 1,650 and 1,559 stores, respectively.
(Statista)
This is a huge surprise, given the prevalence of pandemic lockdowns over the course of the year. 76.6% of Canadian pet owners still flocked to brick-and-mortar stores for pet food and shopped for other pet supplies in store.
35.6% were unsure, while 21.9% said that they wouldn’t switch foods.
(Statista)
Products with “natural” ingredients are becoming more common, with Blue Buffalo, Nature’s Variety, and Natural Balance among the most popular brands. Imported natural ingredient pet food from the U.S. increased from $790 million in 2012 to over $1 billion in 2016.
(Pet Food Association of Canada)
Here’s a further breakdown of how pet ownership looks in Canada:
(Statistics Canada)
Nova Scotia and Quebec residents are most likely to be dog owners, while urban residents of British Columbia and the prairie provinces are more likely to have cats.
(PetBacker)
Of these, 9% own fish, birds, reptiles, or hamsters. There are many other unique pets too. Here are a few:
(Pawzy)
This could be due to the high percentage of rural areas, as British Columbia and Saskatchewan follow close behind at 55% and 56%.
(Insurance Institute)
While the Canadian pet insurance industry is worth about $595 million, few owners buy into it. For comparison’s sake, pet insurance is purchased by 25% to 30% of pet owners in the U.K., and Sweden has approximately 50% of their pets insured.
(World Animal Protection)
478,648 of these are tropical birds like cockatoos and parrots; wild cats like servals and caracals number 186,104. Wild dogs include dingoes and fennec foxes. Someone somewhere in Canada keeps crocodiles and alligators as pets too!
(World Animal Protection)
Quebec has 286,693, followed by Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The Atlantic provinces hold 73,534 wild animal pets.
(Statista)
Only 7.23% report regularly buying pet food online.
(Statista)
Sales of cat treats totaled $73.38 million, and canned cat food totaled $199.21 million.
(Statista)
Treat sales amounted to an estimated $227 million, while canned dog food sales equaled $101.73 million.
(Statista)
Stated reasons for buying traditional pet food include availability and lower price.
(Mordor Intelligence)
As more and more pets become family members, more people are looking for high-quality food products.
(Mordor Intelligence)
While there are countless pet food formulations for owners to choose from, dry food is preferred due to its convenience.
(Statista)
This spending has been steadily rising since 2010.
(Canada’s Pet Wellness Report)
Only 33% of pet owners purchase food to meet health requirements, despite 70% of vets proactively discussing proper nutrition with owners.
(Statista)
Food is the leading pet expense, followed by dental care and pet insurance, which cost owners $582 and $979, respectively.
(Statista)
Cat food was more affordable than dog food, costing about $490 per year. Other cat owner expenses included litter ($180/year), vaccinations ($162/year), and flea prevention ($131/year).
(Statistics Canada)
This compares to the spending of only $7.2 billion in 2015.
(IBISWorld)
The pet boarding industry has been the hardest hit by the pandemic due to reduced demand.
(Canada’s Pet Wellness Report)
While vets consider clean teeth a marker of good overall health, it doesn’t even rank in the top 10 signs that pet owners use to judge their pet’s health.
(Canada’s Pet Wellness Report)
Canadian pet owners spend about three times as much time watching TV as they do exercising their pets on the average weekday. While this statistic sounds alarming, it’s important to note that most parts of the country are in the dark for approximately 15 hours of the day in winter, even in the most southern locations. Combine this with frigid temperatures and high amounts of snow during these months, and there may be more to a pet’s lack of exercise than just having a lazy owner.
The Canadian pet market has a net worth of US$7 billion. This is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.3% by 2025. (Government of Canada)
The biggest challenges currently faced within the Canadian pet industry are competition from e-commerce-only retailers, industry consolidation, and increased demand for healthy food options. Pet owners are looking for more food variety for their pets, particularly foods that are designed to address health concerns.
2021 metrics show the pet industry as one of the most lucrative online markets in Canada. There is intense competition in the pet care, pet food, and pet supply niches, particularly by mass merchandisers that profit from high-volume, low-price sales.
The most popular pet in Canada is a dog. 41% of Canadian households own a dog, while 37% own cats. (World Atlas)
Pet statistics show that Canada is an animal-loving country, with the majority of households owning a pet. Most of these pets are dogs and cats. However, there is also a large number of exotic pets. There are improvements to be made in improving pet wellness. Factors preventing this from being a priority include geographical location, cost of healthy food, and knowledge of health indicators.
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Featured Image Credit: Tatyana Vyc, Shutterstock
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