The study looked at 840 of the most popular phrases people searched for on Google related to spoiling their pets – such as “best toys for pet” and “cat scratch post.”
Two-thirds of United States households, or approximately 86.9 million homes, own pets. While pet ownership has been steadily on the rise since the 80s, pet adoption rates skyrocketed during the pandemic.
According to Forbes Advisor, 85% of dog owners and 76% of cat owners consider their pets to be a member of the family. Further study into the online search habits of US residents now reveals the top 10 US states most likely to spoil their pets.
Researchers looked at how often people were searching online for ways to spoil their pets, including searching for toys and treats.
It comes as the US pet industry continues to grow rapidly – with huge sums spent on pets by the average American every year.
The method
Sponsored by the custom gift experts at Printed Memories, the study looked at 840 of the most popular phrases people searched for on Google related to spoiling their pets – such as “best toys for pet” and “cat scratch post.”
The experts then took these terms and identified how frequently they were searched for, divided by each US state. To keep the results fair despite differing state populations, the rankings were compiled based on how out of each 100,000 searches were related to spoiling a pet.
Top 10 states revealed
Results show that Vermont is the state most likely to want to spoil its pet, with 729.4 out of every 100,000 searches being one of the identified terms. It won by some distance – almost 10% higher than Maine in second place, with 660.5 searches out of every 100k.
Wyoming (645), Oregon (644.8), and Rhode Island (626.3) then rounded out the top 5, with New Hampshire (625.7), Washington (599), New York (597), North Dakota (591.6) and Massachusetts (589.9) completing the top 10.
States at the bottom
The state the study showed was least likely to look for ways to spoil their pet online was Mississippi, with just 313.3 out of every 100k searches being one of the chosen terms – arguably making those from Mississippi less than half as likely to want to treat their pet.
Louisiana (351.8), Alabama (381.7), Arkansas (394.3), and South Carolina (417) were the rest of the bottom 5, with Oklahoma (428.4), Georgia (433), Hawaii (445.8), New Mexico (447.6) and Tennessee (451.3) completing the rankings down at the bottom.
Record money spent
Americans aren’t just searching for ways to spoil their pets – they’ve forked out record amounts on their pet in the last year. 2022 saw $136.8 billion spent by US citizens on their pets – an increase of around 10.7% over the previous year.
The American Veterinary Association also estimates that the average annual spend by American pet owners on toys was $79 for households with dogs, $50 for households with cats, and $83 for households with both cats and dogs.
Dogs number one
Understandably, dog toy searches are the most popular in the US due to the country’s higher volume of dog owners.
A spokesman from Printed Memories says, “With such a large amount of money spent on pets in the US each year, it is interesting to see which states are the most and least generous when it comes to their animals.
“Dog-specific products are the most popular when considering the type of products searched for online. Dogs seem to be the pets most spoiled by their owners in most US states, with toys being the most popular gift.”
The physical benefits of cat toys
There were still many thousands of searches for cat toys and with good reasons. Cat toys have a number of benefits for cats, including many physical benefits. Cat toys can help cats exercise, which is even more critical for breeds primarily kept indoors, such as Ragdoll cats.
While cat toys can help keep a cat’s weight in check, they can also provide other physical benefits, including some scratch toys that allow cats to sate their urge to scratch, keeping their claws healthy.
The mental benefits of cat toys
Beyond the physical benefits of cat toys, there are several mental benefits. Cats need stimulation to avoid becoming bored and, ultimately, depressed. Cat toys help to provide that stimulation, keeping brains active and engaged.
The most popular searches
The most popular search phrase from the study was “dog toys.” Still, many cat-related terms were popular, too, including “cat toys,” “cat scratcher,” and “cat scratch post.”
Adding a scratch post in the home is really important – not only does it help your cat find a healthy way to meet their natural urges, but it also protects your furniture.
Cat toys as dietary aids
Cat puzzle toys are some of the best cat toys for overall health benefits. These are toys with compartments where treats or food can be placed, and cats must work out how to access the food they can smell.
These are excellent for mental and physical reasons. They are entertaining and tricky, giving cats something to work out. Using them with food can help slow down cats that are usually fast eaters and could be causing themselves issues.
Cat toy dangers
While cat toys do make a cat’s life much better, pet owners must be responsible when they try to spoil their pets. Many cat toys are designed only to be used when the owner is present and could be dangerous if a cat is left with them unattended.
Pet owners should always evaluate the potential risks of a cat toy, including any small parts that a cat may try to swallow or wires and strings that could wrap around a throat and get caught somewhere.
While it is clear that US pet owners love to treat their pets, it is vital to do so responsibly and to store any potentially dangerous toys in a safe, secure location when the owner is not around.
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