For most pet owners, their furred, scaled, or feathered friend is a beloved companion. Others, however, seem to shy away from keeping animals. What’s the connection between genetics and pet ownership?

An AncestryDNA^® + Traits test looks at how your genetics influence your traits, including personality traits such as the likelihood of pet ownership.

Characteristics of a Pet Lover

Whether your preferred pet is in the ever-popular dog-and-cat category, or a more exotic option like a tarantula, bearded dragon, hedgehog, sugar glider, or ferret, pet owners overall are typically social and empathetic. It takes a certain degree of selflessness to take on the responsibility of caring for a pet, as well as a dependable, patient, and committed personality.

One study based on over 4,500 online survey participants revealed that an individual's self-reported personality traits and their pet of choice shared some interesting correlations. Additional studies came to similar conclusions.

• Dog owners tend to be more thoughtful, empathetic, extroverted, and cooperative.
• Cat owners typically have more adventurous and unconventional personalities, as well as being more emotionally sensitive and dependable.
• Fish owners tend to be the happiest; they report themselves as emotionally stable and calm.
• Reptile owners often show more independence than those who have other types of pets. Snake owners report themselves as being tidy.
• Horse owners describe themselves as self-disciplined.
• Guinea pig owners tend to describe themselves as introverted.

(Curious to learn more about your dog’s genetics? Know Your Pet DNA by Ancestry^® can test your dog's DNA against over 400 breeds, giving you new insights into your pet’s characteristics and breed mix.)

Is Being Good With Animals Genetic?

Being a pet lover is genetic, to a degree. Pet ownership, as with many personality traits, is influenced by genetics and environmental factors.

A genetic study of over 85,000 Swedish twins found that if you grow up with a pet, you’re more likely to have one in adulthood. But it also concluded that this was less about that environmental factor and more likely influenced by genes inherited from pet-loving parents. In fact, they estimated that the genetic contribution to this trait (heritability) was around 50% for men and women!

When Ancestry^® scientists considered the genetic connection to pet ownership, they used a genome-wide association study to look at the DNA of over 690,000 people who answered the survey question, "Do you have any pets?" The results show that more than 5,490 DNA markers relate to the likelihood of pet ownership.

Using a statistical tool called a polygenic risk score (PRS), the AncestryDNA team can predict from your DNA whether you are more or less likely to own a pet. In general, though, other factors like your living situation, culture, and resources play more of a role in determining if you own a pet. As the interactions between the thousands of genes that influence this trait are further studied, we may be able to make new predictions and your results may update.

What Else Does Science Say About Pet Ownership?

Having a pet can bring health benefits far beyond the joy of companionship. Multiple scientific studies concluded that positive interactions with animals can impact a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. For example, it may reduce cortisol and blood pressure, lower levels of anxiety, and boost the immune system.

Research also shows that the human-animal bond, through pet ownership, can help to alleviate social isolation and decrease loneliness.

In addition, owners of pets that need regular exercise, like dogs or horses, are also likely to get more exercise.

Interesting Facts About Pet Ownership

While approximately 66% of homes in the U.S. have at least one pet, pet ownership can vary for many reasons: living situation, age group, marital status, gender, location, and more, for example. Here’s a sampling of statistics.

• 75.1% of pet owners live in single-family, detached houses, compared to 12.8% of pet owners who reside in apartments or other multi-family housing units. (Renters who live in apartments, however, could be prohibited from keeping pets.)
• Having children in the home increases the odds of owning a pet, and more specifically, owning a dog.
• Over half of pet owners are married, while just under a quarter have never married.
• 54.3% of women own a pet, compared to 45.7% of men. But men make up a slightly higher percentage of cat owners (47.2%) than dog owners (45%).
• Women are more likely than men to see their pets as much of a part of the family as a human member—57% of women versus 43% of men.

Generational categories also influence pet ownership. Of those who currently own pets:

• 33% are Millennials (born 1981-1996)
• 25% are Gen X (born 1965-1980)
• 24% are Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964)
• 16% are Gen Z (born 1997-early 2010s)
• 2% are from the Silent Generation (born 1925-1945)

Location also factors into pet ownership, within the U.S. and beyond.

• In the U.S., Wyoming leads the nation with per-capita pet ownership, with 71.8% of the state's citizens reporting owning at least one pet. At the other end of the scale, only 38.2% of residents in the District of Columbia keep pets.
• Across the globe, pet ownership rates are also high in Australia (61% of households); Canada (58% of the population; and the UK (57% of households).
• After the U.S., Brazil has the second highest number of domestic canine companions and China has the second highest number of feline companions.
• Brazilian residents own the highest number of birds by far—more than 191 million avian companions—compared with Italy, in a distant second place, at almost 13 million.

So are you a dog-owning Baby Boomer who lives in Wyoming? A New Jersey parent who also counts hamsters, birds, and fish as part of your household? An AncestryDNA + Traits test can say what your genes suggest about your preference for pet ownership as well as more than 40 different traits, such as sun sneezing, bitter taste sensitivity, dancing. If you've already taken an AncestryDNA test, you can also see your traits with an Ancestry subscription.

References

Blair, Nichole. Pet Spending Statistics in Canada. Made in Canada. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://madeinca.ca/pet-spending-canada-statistics.

Brown, Anna. “About half of U.S. pet owners say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member.” Pew Research Center. July 7, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/07/about-half-us-of-pet-owners-say-their-pets-are-as-much-a-part-of-their-family-as-a-human-member/.

Fall, Tove, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, et al. “Evidence of large genetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish Twin Registry has implications for understanding domestication and health associations.” Scientific Reports. May 19, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44083-9.

“How many pets are there in Australia?” RSPCA. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-many-pets-are-there-in-australia/.

Megna, Michelle. “Pet Ownership Statistics 2024.” Forbes Advisor. January 25, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/.

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“Pet Industry Market Size, Trends & Ownership Statistics.” American Pet Products Association. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://www.americanpetproducts.org/news/News-Public-Relations/pet-industry-market-size-trends-ownership-statistics.

“Pet Owners.” American Heart Association. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-bond-for-life-pets/pet-owners.

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Sexton, Chrissy. “The Personalities of Animal Owners Are Reflected in Their Pets.” Earth.com. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://www.earth.com/news/personalities-animal-owners-pets/.

Simring, Karen Schrock. “What Your Pet Reveals about You.” Scientific American. September 1, 2015. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-your-pet-reveals-about-you1/.

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Stevens, Alison Pearce. Pets and Other Animals Can Boost Health and Well-Being. Science News Explores. January 4, 2024. https://www.snexplores.org/article/pets-animals-boost-health-wellbeing-psychology.

“What Pets are Considered Exotic?” Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital. July 15, 2020. https://advancedpetvet.com/2020/07/15/what-pets-are-considered-exotic/.