Around 44% of EU homes have at least one pet, of which over 90% are cats or dogs. While we’ve been bringing more and more pets into our lives in recent decades, the trend really shot up during the COVID pandemic. Europe’s pet population rose by an estimated 11% in 2022 to reach 340 million in total, primarily cats (127 million) and dogs (104 million).
As people take in more and more pets, they are increasingly concerned with protecting their welfare. At the same time, falling wildlife numbers mean we are also increasingly preoccupied with preserving biodiversity.
