Well-established teams, some new additions: Fressnapf checks the pet population in Europe at the start of the European Championships

Krefeld, 14.06.2024 – As part of a recent representative study with more than 36,000 participants, Fressnapf I Maxi Zoo took a close look at the pet population in Europe. The study included strong European Championship nations from France, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands to the DACH countries, Poland, Hungary and Romania. An important finding of the study was that it is not only in soccer that the European teams differ greatly from one another. There are also major differences between the pet-human teams in the European Championship countries.

Perfect Match: Pets live in every second household in Europe
The best news first: the proportion of households with pets in the Fressnapf I Maxi Zoo countries is at a very high level. On average, dogs, cats or other pets live in every second household. While winning the title at the European Championships is a challenge for Hungary, the Eastern European country is the absolute leader when it comes to pets, with a share of 60 percent. The European Championship favorite Poland can look forward to an equally high proportion of pets. Denmark, which is hoping to reach at least the round of 16 in soccer, is in last place with 40%, but is in the fast lane compared to previous years. The countries also differ in terms of new additions: Poland has the highest proportion of new pet owners at 36%. It is also interesting to note that those who like pets are often not satisfied with just one pet. On average, 58 percent of all pet owners own several pets. Romania has the highest proportion of multi-pet households at 66 percent.

At an average age of 46, pet owners are significantly older than any professional soccer player
Pet owners in Europe seem to agree on the perfect age for pet ownership. The average age in the Fressnapf I Maxi Zoo countries is 46. At almost 48 years, Germany has the highest average age. A fun fact on the side: Germany is also sending the oldest team to the tournament with an average age of 28.4 years. The second-oldest European Championship team is the Danes with an average age of 27.8. Not so with the pet owners. Denmark is the only country in Europe where pet owners tend to be younger, with an average age of 45.

Dog or cat? There are differences across Europe as to who is number one
That leaves the crucial question of dog vs. cat. Are there countries that are more likely to be on the cat team, while others tend to favor dogs? A look at the figures shows: The Fressnapf I Maxi Zoo countries can definitely be assigned to one of these two categories. While cats come first in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium, dogs are the most popular pets in Poland, Hungary and Denmark. Only the Netherlands and Romania do not want to commit themselves clearly to one team. Here, the shares of dogs and cats are almost equal. On the other hand, almost all countries are united when it comes to cat ownership. With the exception of Germany, the country that traditionally favors house pets, cats are kept outdoors in all other European countries. On their forays, outdoor cats often cover several kilometers, comparable to the distance covered by professional footballers during a European Championship match.

It will be exciting to see which country will hold the European Championship trophy in mid-July. But anyone in Europe who forms an unbeatable team with a dog, cat or mouse can already celebrate as a winner.