Wisdom Health Genetics, the world’s leader in pet genetics and maker of Wisdom Panel™ dog DNA tests, recently announced the results of the 2020 Pet Census survey and comparisons with the 2010 survey show a number of changes.

More than 13,000 pet parents responded to the 2020 Pet Census survey, representing nearly 25,000 dogs and more than 6,000 cats.

Some of the findings include:

• The Rise in Rescuing: Dog adoption has increased by more than 16% since 2010; with nearly 63% of 2020 pet parents surveyed adopting their pup and 51% adopting their cat from a shelter or rescue.
• The most common spot for both dogs and cats to sleep is in bed with their humans.

• The activities pet parents enjoy most with their dogs and cats are snuggling and playing, and 75% of pet parents listed companionship as the top reason for getting their pets.
•  The bond with pets is so strong that 72% of dog parents and 32% of cat parents admit they’ve canceled plans to spend time with their pets.
• 64% of pet parents view their dog or cat as a child or family member.

Pet genetic testing
When it comes to DNA tests, the 2020 survey revealed a stark difference between dog and cat DNA testing: 66.6% of dog parents have done a DNA test for their pet, while only 1.6% of cat parents have.

The majority of dog parents were motivated primarily by curiosity. But both dog and cat parents indicated a desire to better understand their pets. Improving potential health outcomes were cited as additional motivators.

Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200910005312/en/Comparison-of-survey-responses-ten-years-apart-show-lifestyle-evolution-of-dogs-and-cats-in-the-U.S.

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