A new report from Animal Medicines Australia into Pet Ownership in 2016 showed there are more than 24 million pets in the country, slightly more than the human population at 23.77 million.
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Overall pet numbers fell by almost 9 per cent in the past three years, down from over 26 million in 2013 driven by declines in the ownership of fish and birds.
Tasmania has the third highest rate of pet ownership in Australia at 66 per cent, behind the ACT at 75 per cent and the Northern Territory at 82 per cent.
Statewide two in five households have a dog, while cats appear in three out of ten homes.
Fourteen per cent of homes in the state have a fish and birds are present in one out of 10 households.
The report said the ‘rise of the fur baby’ had changed the roles of cats and dogs.
“Two-thirds of households with dogs (65 per cent) and cats (66 per cent) now regard them as part of the family, up from 59 per cent and 57 per cent respectively in 2013,” the report said.
Female owners were more likely to regard their cats as part of the family than males.
