Pet numbers fall because of Kiwi lifestyles

New Zealanders’ lifestyles and attitudes towards pets are changing, meaning cats and dogs are falling out of favour while birds and reptiles are on the rise.

Kiwis have historically been a nation of dog and cat lovers, with rates of animal ownership some of the highest in the world.

But a new Euromonitor International report shows the number of Kiwi dogs had fallen from 696,000 in 2012 to just over 680,000 this year. Cat numbers have shrunk by about 200,000 animals in that same time period and are also expected to keep falling.

Research analyst Alice Yu believes increasingly busy lifestyles, rising urbanisation and an ageing population are all contributors to a shrinking cat and dog population. Falling home ownership is also singled out as a lead contributor in the report.

Yu said consumers were opting for smaller pets that were easier to care for such as birds and reptiles.

Stuff website pet blogger Nick Barnett said pets were just as lovable as they had ever been, but if home ownership had fallen then there was bound to also be a reduction in pet ownership.

‘‘Very few rentals accept dogs, and many don’t accept cats. There are a lot of people yearning to have a dog or a cat, but waiting till they can afford or find a suitable house,’’ he said.

Barnett said there was also a cultural shift in attitudes towards the difficulties of pet ownership that was making people less casual about it.