10 Most Common Pets in the US in 2022

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1. Dogs

Dogs are the most popular household pet in America.  According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), it is estimated that there are over 76 million pet dogs in the country that are cared for by 48 million households.

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1. Dogs

This means each household has an average of 1.5 dogs between them. Looking at the statistics, their popularity makes sense, after all, they’re man's best friends.

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1. Dogs

They are easy to care for, talk to, and make for great companions for both children and adults alike.

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2. Cats

Cats are a close second to dogs. They were originally brought to North America by the English to help control the rodent problems that persisted on the east coast.

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2. Cats

A few hundred years later, they are widely domesticated and favored by most animal lovers because of their innate curiosity, cuteness, and playfulness.

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2. Cats

According to the AVMA, there are about 31 million households in America with cats, with over 58 million total felines between them all.

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3. Fish

Fish are the third most popular pets in the United States, and nearly 12% of all American households have at least one fish or more. Their aquariums are lovely home decors and are fairly easy to care for and maintain.

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4. Birds

Birds come in fourth place. They are not quite as popular as fish, or cats, but they are just as fun and rewarding to nurture, and 2.8% of American households have birds as pets.

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4. Birds

Cockatiels, parrots, and other birds with some capacity to mimic human speech are particularly popular among bird owners.

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5. Reptiles

Reptiles in general, which include snakes, salamanders, iguanas, and all types of lizards, are growing increasingly popular among animal lovers in America.

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5. Reptiles

They are particularly loved by millennials and favored because they have a somewhat exotic flair and aesthetic to them. Reptiles, of course, make for popular companions and can be somewhat exciting to care for.

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5. Reptiles

According to a survey carried out by Reptiles Cove, there are 9.4 million reptile pets across the United States, with each pet household housing a reptile or two. They are the No. 1 "specialty" pet.

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6. Rabbits

Rabbits are an enormously popular specialty pet among animal lovers. It comes just after fish and birds and could be more popular if they were not so difficult to care for.

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6. Rabbits

However, like hamsters, gerbils, and other furriers, they are incredibly cute, lovely to pet, and are moderately active as far as pets go. According to the AVMA, they are the second most popular specialty pet.

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7. Poultry

As unlikely as it might seem, poultry—chicken, turkey, ducks, and geese—are popular pet choices in a lot of households in the US. They are a more pragmatic choice for some pet owners, seeing as some of them lay eggs, which could be sold.

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7. Poultry

AVMA estimates that they are more popular than smaller mammals and other popular pet choices.

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8. Hamsters

Hamsters are right on track with other popular household pets, next after poultry. They’re beloved because they are easy to care for, small in size, and they rarely get sick.

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8. Hamsters

They are very resilient, and your hamster is more likely to die from old age than suffer random death via a viral infection or disease. Statistics from the AVMA show that 887 out of 1000 households in America own hamsters.

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9. Guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are just as cute but a bit less popular than hamsters. Most young pet owners often struggle to choose between the two pets because of how similar they can sometimes be.

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9. Guinea pigs

They are small, easy to care for, very active, and fairly long-lived.

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10. Ferrets

Ferrets are a natural choice for most exotic animal lovers.  They are spritely, fun, and cute. In addition to that, most pet stores keep and carry food for them, so sustaining a few ferrets long-term should not be an issue.

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10. Ferrets

Mammals, pet livestock, and even amphibians are also popular pet choices that animal lovers care for in the United States.

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