What kinds of household pets are common around the world?

Pets are an important part of many people's lives across the world, and a developing economy frequently equals an increasing pet population. Dogs and cats are the most popular pets in the United States and across the world. Despite the fact that certain Asian nations are heavily populated, there aren't as many pet-owning households as in other areas of the world. In Islamic tradition, dogs are shunned as unclean and dangerous, and thus it has never been common for people in the Muslim world to own pets. However, in Saudi Arabia and Egypt it has become fashionable among the upper class to own dogs and cats.

Because many African nations have not been thoroughly studied, it is impossible to estimate how many Africans keep dogs. Ethiopia has an estimated 5 million dogs and just 250,000 cats. South Africans also prefer dogs (7.4 million) to cats as pets (2 million). Pet ownership in Australia is lower than in other countries due to rigorous pet restrictions and laws (only 3.5 million dogs and 2.4 million cats). The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) conducted the largest pet ownership study in Europe to date (2008), and discovered an estimated 6.7 million pet dogs and 9.8 million pet cats. Argentina has the highest pet ownership rates in South America: a whopping 80% of the residents polled reported in as pet owners. Brazil comes in at a close second with 75%.