HOLIDAY DECOR

Plenty of options for 2020

A new survey shows Canadians are welcoming more furry friends into their homes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

According to the Narrative Research analysis of data gathered in the Logit Group's Canadian Omnibus, 18 per cent of current pet owners have obtained their pet in that time, a news release about the survey said on Friday.

Overall, more than half of Canadians have a pet in their household, the survey revealed.

“Perhaps unsurprisingly, cats and dogs are by far the most commonly owned pets and are essentially tied in popularity,” the release said. “Interestingly, residents living in Quebec and Nova Scotia are less likely to own a dog and more likely to own a cat. Those in B.C. and the Prairies are more likely to own a dog compared to any other region.”

Margaret Chapman, COO of Narrative Research, said interest in felines extended to the Atlantic region, too.

“For Atlantic Canada, I was interested to see that there's a higher incidence of people who have cats than have dogs compared to the rest of Canada,” Chapman said. “In Atlantic Canada, it's 63 per cent of people have a cat and 50 per cent of people have a dog.”

Those numbers total more than 100 per cent because some people have both, she said.

“But I think the big thing that struck me is just how many people got a pet during the pandemic. That's a huge number to me — 18 per cent — so one-in-five pet owners is a brand-new pet owner. And a lot of them are Gen Z and Millennials.”

Those in the 18 to 24 age range are the most likely to have obtained a pet since the start of the pandemic at 38 per cent. Millennials are at 24 per cent. Boomers were the least likely to get a new pet at nine per cent.

“I think people ... are at home more, and they're turning to pets for comfort, and I'm hoping — I'm a dog owner — that they do provide some of that comfort during these uncertain times,” Chapman said.

Results shown are from a survey conducted online from Nov. 11 to 13, with 1,231 Canadians 18 years of age or older.

STUART PEDDLE • THE CHRONICLE HERALD Ella looks for food at her home in Bedford on Friday. A survey shows Canadians are adopting more pets during the pandemic, with Nova Scotians choosing cats more than dogs.