It’s Official! Millenials Now Make Up Most of America’s Pet Owners

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic
The generational shift that’s been in effect for the last few years led to millennials replacing baby boomers as the largest portion of pet owners in the United States.


The American Pet Products Association ( APPA) just released its yearly reports that analyze data trends and buying behaviors, and it’s all about millennials, who now make up most of the 70 million pet owners in the United States. The goal of these industry insights is to reveal which target groups have the most buying power, and how to best advertise to them. So what does that mean, now that millennials are in the spotlight? Will we be seeing pet shop offers on Snapchat and companies investing in wearable tech for furballs?


Well, not exactly. While it’s true that millennials rely on the internet and social media in particular much more than the baby boomers ever did, it’s just one of the aspects that define them as pet owners. Your typical millennial might be more likely to see your ad if it’s on Instagram then published in the local newspaper, but it’s their buying preferences that might be quite different than those of other generations, especially when it comes to pets. Their most defining trait, as a generation, might be that they really, really love their pets. And this doesn’t mean that other generations of people don’t adore their pets (calm down, people). It’s just that millennials have taken their love of animals to another level.


There have been countless social studies of how millennials view their pets, highlighting that this generation chooses their home, partners, and even work based on how it affects their pets: essentially, what doesn’t work for them as pet owners, doesn’t work for them- period. For instance, one recent study even revealed that 45 percent of millennials are more worried about their pet’s approval when it comes to their choice of partner than that of their parents. More than 70 percent of them would even agree to a pay cut if it meant they could bring their pet with them to work. So does it really come as a surprise to realize that millennials are a bit picky when it comes to pet products?


For the generation of people that spares no expense when it comes to their furbabies and love to spoil them, nothing less but the best will do. Although it remains true that all pet owners want just the best for their four-legged companions regardless of their age, according to researchers millennials might be the generation of pawrents that will force all pet retailers to stock up on a mix of high-quality products and specialty items.

Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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