The world’s most popular pets
Although we consider all domestic animals as a pet, it is clear that there are more species to choose from as animals for the home. In this article, we are going to discover the most popular pets in the world in 2023.
2024’s most popular pets worldwide
Human existence is not complete without pets. People who can walk prefer dogs, on the other hand, many of them like cats more because of their cuddly and less restless. There are some people who love the company of birds, fish, or even a lizard. It is clear that they are part of many people’s lives, even being treated as their family members.
In the world, it is rare to find a home without a pet. In the United States, At least one pet is present in over 70% of homes. Adopting, purchasing, or raising pets are becoming more and more prevalent practices as people become more conscious of the benefits of having an animal companion at home.
We’ll talk about the most common pets worldwide below.
- Dogs
The dog holds the top spot and is referred to as man’s best friend. Scientifically, the dog is known as Canis lupus familiarise. Approximately 470 million specimens can be found worldwide.
It is a mammal and belongs to the doggy family. About 15,000 years ago, people began to domesticate dogs.
Dogs were divided into up to 343 breeds of sizes, shapes, and colors by using artificial selection.
Among them, Chihuahuas is the smallest breed about 15-23 cm tall and 1.5-3 kilos, and Boxer is the largest breed about 63 cm tall and 33 kilos.
Dogs are typically gregarious, clever, loyal, loving, and friendly creatures. In addition to being devoted, they are also energetic, which compels us to play with them and take them on walks, making them ideal pets.
- Cats
Cats are second to Dogs. They are the classic idea of a pet. Felis silvestris catus is the scientific name for cats. You can see cats everywhere. Cats usually reside for 12 years, however certain varieties can survive longer than 20 years. In a day they spend 12 to 16 hours sleeping but they are sociable, funny, and playful. They aren’t as faithful as dogs. If you catch them wrong, they will scratch you without any reason. However, they are actually quiet and calm animals. They are best suited for those who desire serenity kitties.
- Fishes
Fish from fresh water rank fourth in popularity as pets and third in popularity as animals worldwide. People use them not only to get company but also to decorate their houses as like birds. Fish and aquariums are thought of as a relaxing element and for that reason, many people keep them in their homes.
Goldfish (Carassius auratus), is the most popular species. About 1,000 years ago, the goldfish was initially domesticated in the People’s Republic of China. If the water is changed frequently, is well fed, and is not made to be accompanied by other animals that can attack them, this animal can live for a long time. A typical lifespan is about 30 years, in addition some species may endure life up to 43 years.
The percentage of American families with at least one fish is close to 12%. They have really lovely, low-maintenance aquariums.
- Birds
Birds (Aves), especially canaries and parrots are very popular and common. It is believed that about 4,000 years ago birds were first domesticated to use them for the purpose of hunting.
People keep them in cases in their houses for their beauty and song. Depending on the species, the case may be big or small. Although people keep them in case, we should think that they are birds, they need to fly in the sky. Depending on their species, birds can live for dozens of years. Approximately 2.8% of American households keep birds as pets.
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- Hamsters
A subfamily of rodents (Cricetinae) includes hamsters. They are of Middle East origin and were first found in Syria. They have become amongst the most popular pets in the entire globe. They are 8-18 cm in length and 30-180 grams weigh. Their lifetime is 1-3 years. They are a favorite of housemasters because they are small in size and rarely get sick. About 887 out of 1000 households in America have hamsters as pets.
- Mice and Rats
Mice and rats are the most common animals on Earth, second only to humans. China was where they were initially domesticated. During the Qing dynasty, they were kept in palaces. Mice are members of the the family Mus. They are 15-19 cm tall with tails, weighing 12-40 grams, and generally eat seeds, small plants, and insects.
The brown rat, or Rattus norvegicus, is the most prevalent rodent species in homes. If they are well-fed and dewormed, they don’t pose any risk to human being. Throughout the last century, they were used as a subject for animal experiments.
- Guinea pigs
The Cavia porcellus, or guinea pig, is too cozy to keep as a pet. It generally lives 4-8 years and is 20-40 cm long, weighing about 1 kg. It is believed that about 5 million guinea pigs as pets all over the world.
Guinea pigs are so cute but less popular than Hamsters. Most young pet owners very often struggle to choose between these two pets. People love them because they are small, easy to care and act.
- Iguanas
Iguana has been gaining more popularity in recent decades. It is a lizard. Although it is so exotic, has got the attention of common people. It is indigenous to the Caribbean, South America, and Central Africa.
They are very popular for their quietness and not for giving too many problems. Iguanas are calm and quite lazy. If they are cared, they can live up to 20 years.
Although they enjoy the sun lying on a log, they don’t touch their nose. Generally, they are so calm but adults can reach 1.8 meters. With their tails, they can hit us. Although adults have a powerful bite, they won’t tear our skin but they will hurt us.
- Snakes
Snakes have become the most popular animals among people who have a lot of money. They can be small, large, brightly colored, and so on.
If anyone wants to acquire a snake as a pet, they must be careful. They belong to reptiles. Before buying a snake, everyone must read the documents about the species of snake. Although pet snakes are harmless for an adult, they can be dangerous for babies.
- Ferrets
Mustela putorius is the scientific name of the Ferret. For the purpose of hunting rabbits, it was initially domesticated around 2,500 years ago. This animals’ normal weigh 0.7 to 2.5 kg and measure about 38 cm long. During the reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (1840-1901), Ferrets began to become popular pets. Over time, ferrets became extremely demanded animals and nowadays they are highly demanded animals in the United States. They are so popular for their cat-dog-type nature. They sleep as much as cats, but they are playful and sociable like dogs. Although they are a little bit unstable, one can control them easily.
Before buying a pet we must consider that an animal is a living being, not a toy or something. We cannot get rid of it when we are tired. If we acquire it to keep us company, we must be conscious that it will claim a lot of care and responsibility. For that reason, we must choose the most appropriate animal for our situation.
When we talk about pets, we all think of only cats and dogs, but the truth is that we find different types of animals in the market. Various types of animals need different care.
Sources:
- englopedia.com
- pethelpful.com
- medium.com
- en.wikipedia.org
- petcarerx.com
- dogster.com
- museumsvictoria.com.au
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- journal.frontiersin.org
- biomedcentral.com