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Also see: Estimated Number of Dog, Cat & Bird-Owning Households throughout Los Angeles County
Report provided by the Humane America Animal Foundation. Figures are based upon results of a December 1999 random telephone survey of 517 City of Los Angeles households. Interviews were conducted by Davis Research, LLC, in English and Spanish.
City of Los Angeles residents are much less likely to have dogs or cats than the national average. While the average number of dogs per dog-owning household was close to the national average, the average number of cats per cat-owning household was much lower.
| Households | City of Los Angeles | Nation* |
|---|---|---|
| With at least one dog or cat | 26.7% | --- |
| With at least one dog | 19.9% | 39.1% |
| With at least one cat | 13.0% | 32.1% |
| With at least one dog and one cat | 6.19% | --- |
| Average number of dogs per dog-owning household | 1.48 | 1.41 |
| Average number of cats per cat-owning household | 1.57 | 2.40 |
* Based on 1998/1999 APPMA Pet Owners Study
The following is an extrapolation of the total number of privately owned dogs and cats
in the City of Los Angeles:
| Number of dogs | 367,000 |
| Number of cats | 254,000 |
Percentages shown in the following tables are that of all households regardless of pet ownership.
| Household | Ethnic Background | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caucasian | Hispanic | Asian | African American | Other | |
| Has a dog | 33.1% | 14.1% | 8.3% | 16.7% | 5.3% |
| Has a cat | 25.5% | 5.7% | 2.8% | 10.0% | 15.8% |
| Has an unaltered pet | 13.4% | 8.1% | 2.8% | 10.0% | 10.5% |
Households with older people are more likely to have cats, but age does not appear to strongly determine whether a household has a dog.
| Household | Age Group | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | |
| Has a dog | 23.4% | 19.6% | 21.1% | 25.4% | 21.9% | 9.3% |
| Has a cat | 10.5% | 7.0% | 13.7% | 22.4% | 15.6% | 14.0% |
Families with young children are less likely to have dogs or cats, but that changes as the children get older, especially after age 13.
| Children in Household | Has a Dog | Has a Cat |
|---|---|---|
| None | 21.6% | 15.7% |
| Under 3 years | 10.3% | 7.7% |
| 3 to 7 yrs | 7.4% | 3.7% |
| 8 to 13 yrs | 20.3% | 15.3% |
| 14 to 18 yrs | 39.1% | 19.6% |
Households that are homeowners (as opposed to renters) are more likely to have a dog or cat.
| Household | Owners | Renters |
|---|---|---|
| Has a dog | 40.2% | 9.2% |
| Has a cat | 20.6% | 8.7% |
Source: Humane America Animal Foundation
There are estimated to be more than 2.6 million privately-owned cats and dogs in Los Angeles County. Of those pets classified as "exotic" pets, more than 90 percent are reptiles.
Dog or cat ownership is strongly affected by the ethnic background of a household.
