22% of Italian families have at least one dog, a figure which has been growing in recent years, while 17% have at least one cat. From Christmas gifts to choosing a partner, four-legged friends are now an integral part of the family, which is also willing to change their free time, work and home for them.
According to the Istat multipurpose survey “Citizens and Free Time”, over 10 million Italian families live with at least one pet: especially dogs (22%) and cats (17%), but also fish (3%), birds (1.5%) and turtles (1%).
Among the families that own them, the average number of dogs is 1.3, while that of cats is 1.8: a sign that felines in particular tend to be adopted in pairs. This difference is probably also due to the fact that cats adapt better to domestic life, making it easier for a family to adopt more than one without upsetting their daily routine.
There are more in small towns, where almost one in two families owns at least one pet. Larger houses and a greater availability of green spaces probably contribute to encouraging this diffusion.
Those who welcome them most into their homes are families with older children (over half have at least one). Couples under 65 without children also show a growing interest: from 38% in 2006 up to 48% in 2024. This growth is also linked to the demographic and social changes of recent years: couples without children are increasingly numerous and often choose a pet as a form of stable companionship, care and shared responsibility. At the other extreme, among single people over 65, less than 23% live with an animal.
The daily management of animals falls mainly on women. The gender difference is present at all ages and reaches the maximum gap of 10 percentage points between 45 and 64 years, and then disappears after 65 years.
A recent study by Santévet, the main French insurance company for animal health, highlighted how deep the emotional bond with our four-legged friends is: 94.5% of respondents consider them family members, 43% as best friends and 36.5% as children. This affection is also reflected in their daily and nocturnal habits: 19% let them sleep in their own bedroom, and over 28% in bed together. Furthermore, more than half give them special cuddles and attention at Christmas and birthdays, and 18% also celebrate them on Valentine’s Day.
On the other hand, for their animals, many Italians are ready to reorganize their lives: a third of families decide their schedules based on the animals’ needs and as many as 72% would change their leisure activities for them, almost half (42%) their home and 29% their work. And it doesn’t end there: almost a third of respondents (31%) would even change partners if the latter did not meet the needs of their pets, and more than two thirds (67%) could not have a relationship with someone who does not like animals.
In a changing country, with fewer children and increasingly smaller families, dogs and cats are not only more pets, but represent a new form of family, which includes them in our affections but also in habits and life choices.
