Parrot Ownership in the USA

Counting the Bird Owners

Birds are the third most popular companion pet behind Dogs and cats. There are somewhere between 10 million to 17 million birds kept as pets in the United States. Numbers vary based on who conducts the survey but in any case, there are a large number of pet birds.

Bird owners in the United States have been profiled by two different groups. The first is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in their U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook published in 2002. Their survey was conducted by a company called NFQ Research who mailed out questionnaires to 80,000 households. These households were selected to be representative of all U.S. households. A total of 54,240 responses were received. Based on U.S. Census geographic data, the AVMA extrapolates totals for the entire United States. The AVMA has previous data from surveys conducted in 1991 and 1996 to use as comparisons to the 2001 survey.

The second profiling was done by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) and is published in the 2003/2004 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey (based on data collected from surveys in early 2002). The APPMA has been conducting surveys of pet owners every two years since they conducted the first survey in 1988. The 2002 survey was conducted by Ipsos-NPD, Inc. Initially, 45,000 two-page interviews were mailed out to Ipsos-NPD's HTI (Home Testing Institute) Consumer Panel to identify pet owners. 29,748 responses were received with 18,355 responding panel members being pet owners. Next 3,465 pet-owning panel members were mailed a detailed 12-page questionnaire that was specific to their type of pet (Dog, cat, bird, fish, etc). Specifically 470 bird owners were mailed a questionnaire and 290 completed returns were received. Ipsos-NPD's panel is balanced both geographically and demographically to represent the U.S population. According to them:

"Unlike other researchers, who select a panel balanced on geographic Census targets, the HTI panel is balanced by household size information. This is because research has shown that these factors, household size information, are more significant in determining marketplace behavior than are geographic factors. Ipsos-NPD has also developed a special panel balancing system. Demographic groups that are less likely to return the surveys are over-represented in outgoing samples and demographic groups that tend to over-return are under-represented. This provides a balanced return sample. (APPMA, 2002, pg. xi)"

Using the AVMA data, along with previous surveys in 1991 and 1996, the following conclusions have been drawn: Birds are the third most popular companion pet owned, behind Dogs and cats. 4.6% of all households own at least one bird, with households in the Pacific region having the highest concentration, averaging 6.3% of households.

According to the AVMA, in 2001, there were over 10 million birds owned. This varies dramatically from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2003-2004 survey that said that in 2002, there were 17.3 million birds owned by 6.7 million households.

One interesting note is that both surveys agree that, for some unknown reason total bird ownership dropped in 2001/2002 as shown in the graph below. According to the AVMA, total bird ownership dropped from 12.6 million in 1996 to 10.1 million and the APPMA reports a drop from 18.7 million in 2000 to 17.3 million in 2002. This is not consistent with other pet ownership (dogs, cats and horses).

According to the AVMA, one reason for the downward trend in total birds owned is the fact that the percentage of birds owned per household has gone down almost 30% from an average of 2.7 birds per bird-owning household in 1996 to 2.1 birds in 2001.

For more statistics on bird ownership including graphs and charts, visit Parrot Ownership

Larry Swanson is webmaster of several sites including http://www.parrots.com

The Benefits Of Dog Ownership

It is believed that man and Dog forged a partnership back in the cave man era. When supposedly a Dog followed 'man' on a hunting expedition and later sat close by eating the bones tossed aside by the hunter.

In today's modern home 'man's best friend' is still with us, providing unconditional love in return for his basic needs, food, warmth, shelter and affection. But underneath the simple partnership lies the true benefits of sharing your home and life with an animal.

Owning a Dog can be one of the most rewarding tasks you have ever undertaken. From the moment you hold that tiny bundle of fluff in your arms, you know that your life will never be the same again.

One of the chief advantages of living with your faithful friend is companionship. Your dog will always be there for you. Ever loyal, no matter what your mood, if you are happy tails will wag and they will want to share your joy. On your bad days, they sense this and a head will snuggle into your lap. Two large eyes will look into yours as you stroke his head, your anger or depression will ease your heart rate decrease.

Security for your home is unrivaled burglars can be deterred slightly by alarm boxes. However the teeth, growl and bark of an unknown canine assailant will make the average intruder think twice before jumping your fence or smashing your window. There are insurance companies who will give you a reduction for having a dog in your house.

The health benefits to you cannot be ignored a happy contented dog must be walked daily. The fresh air and the exercise will improve your circulation. Relieve stress by calmly walking through the countryside watching nature at work, an abundance of wild animals and flowers will delight you, see the birds as they soar through the sky. Save money, cancel your gym membership and jog around the park every morning instead. Whether young or not so young, daily exercise is important to your well being.

Having a dog by your side enables you to meet a lot of other people and dog walkers are very friendly. Make new friends, meet up for walks chatting as you go along. For anybody who does not in the course of their day mix with others, your daily outings could revitalize your social life.

You may decide to enter your dog into one of the numerous dog shows held regularly around the country. Not all shows cater for top class pedigree dogs, these days any dog can enter into the 'Scruffs' events. If your pooch wins a rosette, many owners are often happier than the animal.

If energy is no problem try obedience training and take that onto the next level. Fast, energetic and highly addictive as competitors run round a dog size horse show jumping arena, racing against the clock with a lot of skill involved.

At the end of the day your family pet, no matter which way you decide to lead his life, will always look up to you as his Master and will always be there for you. The most supportive faithful friend you could ever want to ask for.

If you want to have a laugh at what a really playful puppy can do then check out http://puppies-diary.blogspot.com a daily diary of a puppy growing up, written by the puppy.