whether during walks or at pet events, which
can be beneficial for those who tend to isolate
themselves.
Physical health:
• Increased physical activity: Pets, especially
dogs, require regular exercise, which can
motivate seniors to be more physically active.
• Reduced risk of heart disease: Research
suggests that owning a pet can lower blood
pressure, cholesterol levels and triglycerides,
factors that contribute to cardiovascular
health.
• Improved sleep routine: Caring for a pet can
help establish a more structured daily routine,
which can improve sleep quality.
Other benefits:
• Increased independence and responsibility:
Caring for a pet can help seniors feel more
useful and independent.
• Relief from pain and discomfort: The presence
of pets serves to, in some way, help relieve
physical pain or at least distract from it.
Demographics of companion animals
Companion animals, including but not limited
to dogs, cats, birds, fish, and small mammals,
are an essential part of many people’s lives
around the world. In addition to the fact that
they have accompanied us for centuries, some
have helped us with work, security, support
for people with certain disabilities, or even
bereavement.
I come from a city, Gijón, which has one of
the highest ratios of pets per inhabitant in
the world. With nearly 300,000 inhabitants,
there are almost 40,000 dogs. There are more
pets than children, and more cats than babies.
Clearly there are two very important challenges
in such a composition of society:
• The demographic challenge is high (balance
of deceased/born), and it could be thought
that pets in this case can be causative (child
substitutes) of it.
• And the high average age (increasingly aging
population), but with high life expectancy
and good health, perhaps in part due to the
contribution of pets.
Global statistics
Dog and cat ownership is especially popular
in Western countries. The United States, for
example, is known for having a very high
pet population. According to data from the
American Pet Products Association (APPA), it
was estimated that approximately 67% of U.S.
households (about 85 million households)
owned at least one pet in 2019. This figure has
likely increased since then. Dogs are generally
the most numerous, with about 90 million,
followed by cats, with about 94 million in the
United States.
As for other countries, Argentina, Mexico and
Brazil are known to have high rates of pet
ownership in Latin America. In Europe, Russia,
Germany and the United Kingdom stand out for
the number of pets. On the other hand, Asian
countries show considerable differences. For
example, China has seen a significant increase
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No. 107 – AUTUMN 2024 | THANOS MAGAZINE
STRATEGY & MARKETING