What’s popular with pets in 2025?

Who doesn’t love a roundup of pet popularity?

Recently, the American Pet Production Association (APPA) released its annual survey, which digs into some of the data to show, among other things, which pet breeds are most popular, names that are topping the charts, and more. 

In all, there’s some pretty interesting findings. Take this, for instance: There are 49 million households in the U.S. with a cat, and that’s up from 40 million two years ago. That’s a near 20% increase in cat ownership in two years.

Another thing: more people seem to be taking their cats on walks. The number of cat owners who have a cat leash is up 52% since 2018, and the number of cat owners with a harness is up 69%.

Here are some more facts and figures from the study:

• More cat owners own more than one cat—with the number of households with a cat surging, single-cat households have simultaneously decreased by 9% since 2018.

• Pet parties are definitely a thing now. The number of pet owners holding birthday parties for their cats has increased 250% since 2018.

• Dogs are increasingly running errands with their owners, as the number of dog owners who take their dogs on foot to a store or elsewhere is up 6% over the past two years.

• More people are traveling with their dogs. The percentage of dog owners taking their dogs on planes increased 6% over the past two years, and half are likely to take their dogs to work with them, if allowed.

• Giving dogs and cats food-toppers is also increasing in popularity. The survey finds that 16% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners purchased mixers/toppers in 2024, increasing by 129% and 138% from 2018, respectively.

• Premium food brands are also seeing a spike in popularity, as 41% of dog owners and 38% of cat owners say they purchase premium food for their pets—in whatever form that may be. Those are increases of 5% and 9% over the past two years.

Finally, the most popular dog breeds of 2025 are:

1. Labrador Retriever

2. Chihuahua 

3. Golden Retriever

4. American Pit Bull Terrier

5. German Shephard

6. French Bulldog

7. Goldendoodle

8. Shih Tzu 

9. Yorkshire Terrier

10. Dauchsund

And the most popular dog names of 2025:

1. Luna

2. Bella

3. Charlie

4. Max

5. Daisy 

6. Lucy

7. Coco

8. Milo

9. Cooper

10. Teddy

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• Unleashed! Why to Leash Your Dog, and How to Pick One