Walk down any suburban street, and you’ll spot the evidence everywhere: leashes by the door, litter boxes in the laundry room, the occasional fish tank glowing in a living room window. Americans keep more animals as companions than almost anywhere else in the world, and the numbers behind that habit are genuinely striking.
So what are the most popular pets in America people actually bring home, and why do some animals dominate the list while others stay niche? This guide breaks down the real rankings, the reasoning behind them, and how to figure out which pet actually fits your life.
What Counts as a Pet? Ownership Definition and Criteria
Before ranking anything, it helps to define the term. The general pet ownership definition criteria used by researchers and industry groups (like the American Pet Products Association) is fairly simple: an animal kept primarily for companionship rather than food, labor, or commercial breeding, living in or around a person’s home, and receiving regular care from that household. This definition is why a backyard chicken kept for eggs might not count the same way a pet rabbit does, even though both live in a yard.
Under this definition, the range of animals that qualify as household pets is wide from the obvious (dogs, cats) to the less expected (tarantulas, bearded dragons, even mini pigs).
The Most Popular Pets in the United States, Ranked
Based on recent household ownership data, here’s how the favorite pets in the United States actually stack up:
- Dogs owned by roughly 65 million U.S. households
- Cats owned by roughly 46 million U.S. households
- Freshwater fish a surprisingly close third, found in millions of homes
- Small mammals rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs combined
- Birds parakeets, cockatiels, and parrots
- Reptiles bearded dragons, turtles, and snakes have grown fast in popularity
This list of pets hasn’t shifted dramatically in decades dogs and cats have held the top two spots for generations but the animals further down the ranking have seen real movement, with reptile ownership in particular climbing noticeably over the past several years.
Dogs: America’s Favorite by a Landslide
Dogs aren’t just the most popular animals in American homes they’re not particularly close to being unseated. Their long history of domestication, trainability, and genuine “owned by roughly 65 million U.S. households makes them the default answer whenever someone asks what the best animals for companionship are. Dogs work as protectors, playmates, service animals, and everything in between, which is part of why no other species has matched their staying power across thousands of years of human history.
How Many Dogs Are in the World (and in the U.S.)?
How many dogs are in the world exactly? Estimates vary because so many dogs are free-roaming rather than registered pets, but researchers generally put the global dog population somewhere between 700 million and 1 billion, with roughly half of those living as cared-for pets rather than strays or feral animals.
Within that total, how many dogs worldwide are specifically pets (not strays) comes out to an estimated 470 million or so. The United States alone accounts for a large share of that number, with tens of millions of pet dogs spread across more than 60 million households — meaning how many dogs on earth live specifically as American companions is a meaningfully large slice of the global total. Asking how many dogs are there in the world almost always comes back to this same range, since exact global counts are inherently difficult given how many dogs live outside formal ownership systems.
Cats: The Quiet Runner-Up
Cats hold second place among popular animals by a comfortable margin, and their appeal comes from a very different place than a dog’s. Lower daily maintenance, independence, and a smaller living-space footprint make cats a natural fit for apartment dwellers and people with less time for structured walks or training. Cats are also disproportionately popular online millions of cat videos rack up billions of views but that internet fame roughly tracks with their real-world popularity as good pets for busy households.
Beyond Dogs and Cats: Other Popular Animals
While dogs and cats dominate, plenty of other creatures round out America’s animal pets landscape:
- Fish are the most common “third choice,” valued for being low-cost, quiet, and visually calming rather than interactive.
- Small mammals like rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters are frequently a family’s entry point into pet ownership, especially for younger kids who want an animal they can gently pet as they’re learning to care for.
- Birds offer long lifespans and real personality, though they require more social interaction than many owners expect going in.
- Reptiles have grown into a genuinely mainstream category, driven largely by bearded dragons and leopard geckos, which are hardy and relatively low-maintenance compared to what people assume.
What Are the Best Pets for a Small House or Apartment?
If space is tight, the calculus changes. What are the best pets for a small house or apartment usually comes down to exercise needs and noise level rather than size alone. Cats, small dog breeds, fish, and most small mammals all adapt comfortably to compact living. Larger, high-energy dog breeds can technically live in an apartment, but they need significantly more outdoor exercise to stay balanced, which matters more than square footage on its own.
Some genuinely nice house pets for limited space include cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and betta fish all of which thrive without a yard and tolerate quieter, more contained environments well. If you want something a little more novel, small reptiles like leopard geckos also make surprisingly cool pets to have in an apartment, since they need a controlled enclosure rather than open floor space.
What Is the Best Pet for a Family?
What is the best pet for a family depends heavily on the kids’ ages and the household’s daily routine. For families with young children, dogs known for patience and gentleness (Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Beagles) are frequently recommended, since their temperament tends to handle unpredictable toddler energy well. Cats can also work beautifully for families, particularly ones with older children who understand how to respect an animal’s space.
For families wanting a lower-commitment introduction to pet care, small mammals and fish are often awesome pets to have as a first step, letting kids build responsibility gradually before taking on something as demanding as a dog.
What Pet Should I Get? A Quick Decision Guide
If you’re still asking yourself what pet I should get, a few honest questions tend to clarify things fast:
- How much daily time can you realistically commit to exercise or interaction?
- Do you live somewhere with outdoor space, or strictly indoors?
- Are you looking for an animal that’s affectionate and interactive, or calm and low-maintenance?
- What’s your budget, both for setup and ongoing costs like food and vet care?
Answering those honestly usually points toward one of the best pets to have for your specific situation, rather than whatever happens to be trending.
FAQs – What Are the Most Popular Pets in America?
What are the most popular pets in the United States overall?
Dogs rank first, followed closely by cats, with fish, small mammals, birds, and reptiles rounding out the rest of the list.
How many dogs are in the world right now?
Estimates place the global dog population somewhere between 700 million and 1 billion, though only about half of that number are pets rather than strays or free-roaming animals.
What are the best pets for a small house or apartment?
Cats, small dog breeds, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, and small reptiles like leopard geckos all adapt well to limited space and don’t require a yard.
What is the best pet for a family with young kids?
Gentle, patient dog breeds are commonly recommended for families with small children, though cats and small mammals can also work well depending on the kids’ ages and temperament.
What pet should I get if I’ve never owned one before?
Fish or small mammals are typically the easiest starting point, since they require less daily commitment than a dog while still teaching the basics of responsible pet care.
Conclusion
Dogs and cats remain America’s clear favorites, but the full picture of pet ownership is much broader fish, small mammals, birds, and reptiles all have real, growing followings of their own. The “best” pet ultimately isn’t the most popular one on a list; it’s the animal that actually fits your space, your schedule, and the amount of care you’re realistically ready to give.
