Pets squeezed out of our tiny homes

WHEN people say they don’t have room to swing a cat nowadays, they probably aren’t joking.

Pets are falling out of fashion as houses and flats become smaller. In addition, more people are renting their homes from landlords who ban animals.

Financial strains have also led to couples marrying and having children later in life, squeezing out the time and money needed to look after an animal.

The news comes from the retail analysis firm Mintel, which suggests the decline is bad news for the nation’s wellbeing.

Mintel found that ownership of all types of pets has fallen in the past five years. It carried out a survey that found owning a pet is fun, relaxing and comforting.

Having a dog even boosts your health because of all the walks in needs.

Fish ownership has taken the biggest dive, down from 17 per cent of British households to just 10 per cent.

The figure for small mammals, such as hamsters and guinea pigs, is down from 10 per cent to 7 per cent since 2012.

Over the same period dog ownership is down 33 per cent to 31 per cent, while the figure for cats has dropped from 31 per cent to 29 per cent. Generally, owning a pet is associated with families and children. Three in four households with children under 16 have a pet, but this falls to one in three pensioner households.

Emma Clifford, from Mintel, said: ‘Pet ownership does have a positive effect on the owner.’

But she added: ‘Shrinking household sizes and the trend of consumers starting their families later in life are all having a negative effect on pet ownership.

‘Additionally, the shift towards privately rented accommodation continues to put downward pressure on pet ownership.

‘Long-term, the growing population of over- s present an ongoing challenge to the pet industry.’