Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, withmore than 25 million pets large and small being housed across the nation. Arecent study by the Pet Industry Association Australia confirmed that moreAussies live with an animal than a child, and has put together a definitivelist of Australia’s top ten pets.
Editor-in-Chief for Love Your Pets magazine, Dr. Shibly Mustapha, said thatthe list was extremely varied, showing the determination of Australians to letanimals into their home.
“The top ten list includes animals as small as goldfish to ones as expensiveand high maintenance as horses. It’s a really insightful snapshot into justhow important the presence of animals is within the typical Australian home,”Dr. Mustapha said.
“There are many benefits to having a pet: they encourage exercise, socialinteraction, companionship, promote mental health, and teach responsibilityand love. Pets outnumber people in Australia – even if it’s a little fish in atank, Aussies will do what they can to include animals in their home,” hesaid.
Australia’s Top Ten Favourite Pets list is as follows:
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Who let the dogs out? Approximately 36 million Aussies! Man’s best friend is Australia’s #1 favourite pet, with that’s two in every five households owning at least one dog.
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Paws up! Cats come in a close second, with approximately three in every ten homes making space for the furry feline companions. That’s almost 16 cats for every 100 people.
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Surf’s up: around 8.7 million fish are live as pampered pets in tanks across the nation. The easy upkeep and low maintenance make them an ideal pet for small living spaces.
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Birds of all shapes, sizes and squawks are the fourth favourite Aussie pet, with 4.2 million being invited to nest indoors. The varied list includes cockatiels, budgies and finches which are easy to take care of and make for easy company.
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Cute and cuddly bunny rabbits take fifth position on the list. Known for their individual personalities, some bunnies are naturally social while others keep to themselves. The overall winning characteristic: they are unbelievably cute.
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Slow and steady wins the race: Turtles are cute, compact and relatively low maintenance. They’re a little more complex to take care of than your average furry friend but are a definite talking point that visitors and family members will adore.
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Horses for courses: most people would love to have a pony to trot around on, and some are lucky enough to. The downside of this fabulous pet is that they are extremely expensive, high maintenance and require a lot of space.
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Slinky and scaly, snakes sneak onto the list at #8. Surprisingly low maintenance, all snakes need to be happy is a warm place to curl up, something to coil around and to be offered their favourite snacks from time to time.
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Ferrets flock in at #9. The cute little creatures have a lot more attitude than other furry pets, but are smaller and require a little less attention. They can be a little bitey though, so watch your fingers!
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Bearded dragons are native to Australia and roll in at #10 on the favourite pets list. While they have complex nutritional and environmental conditions, they’re much lower maintenance than a dog that needs to be walked every day.
For more information on which pet suits you best and how to best look afterthem, pick up a copy of Love Your Pets magazine which is available [email protected]
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