New Zealand: declining household penetration and shifting barriers to pet ownership

Household penetration of dogs and cats has declined in New Zealand, at least according to a nationwide survey of 2,058 people (pet owners and non-owners) by charity group Companion Animals New Zealand and Insights HQ. 

It is believed that 4 out of 10 households in the country had at least one cat in 2024. 31% of households owned a dog last year. In 2020, those numbers were 41% and 34%, respectively. Dogs are up in the long run – the current number is higher than the 29% reported in 2011. Cats are on the decline, with current household penetration below the 48% 2011 rate.

According to the survey, 37% of Kiwis have no pets, and 15% neither have a pet nor want one. The survey concludes that an estimated 440,000 households with no pets express a desire to get one.

Terminology

Just 10% of survey respondents with pets say they prefer to be called a “pet parent,” with most people (53%) preferring the term “pet owner.” This may mark a limit on humanization in the country. Humanization tends to benefit pet companies by pushing consumers to spend more on their pets.

The preference for the term “owner” was higher among those with children (61%) than those without (50%). 

Barriers to pet ownership

The report also details why some non-owners are not interested in getting a pet, reasons that have changed since a previous survey in 2020. The largest factor deterring people from getting a pet was the perceived time required, cited by 49% of those asked, up from 34% who said the same in 2020. 

A close second is cost. 48% say they did not want a pet because of the expenses, up from 38% who said the same in 2020. Perceptions of pets as being “too much responsibility” also increased – 36% cite this as a reason not to own a pet, up from 28% in 2020.

Income and age

The survey also found that ownership declined in individuals over 65 and that higher-income households are more likely to have pets. 72% of those making NZ$100,000 or more annually ($57,100/€52,500) had pets, while just 59% of those making less than that amount had a companion animal of any type.

Age was also a factor. Pet ownership in New Zealand seemingly peaks in middle age, though that change is sharper with cats than dogs. Those with kids tend to be more likely to have pets.

Location

Urban households were less likely to have pets. In Auckland, the country’s largest city, just 24% of households have dogs, and 35% have cats. In the rest of the North Island (barring Auckland and Wellington), those numbers are 38% and 46%, respectively.

Among those who want a pet but don’t have one, 31% say it’s because they are not allowed by their landlord or property manager, despite a push from the government to ease housing choices for pet owners.