Pet loss statistics: UK and US

Pet loss touches many households, but there is no single measure of it. These UK and US figures bring together pet populations, cremation findings and a survey of bereaved owners, with the source and year beside each.

Last updated: 13 November 2026.

If you are choosing a resting place for ashes, our pet urn size guide explains capacity by pet weight. You can also see our pet urns.

How many UK households have pets?

UK Pet Food estimates that 62% of UK households had a pet in 2026. Its estimates include 15.5 million pet dogs and 13 million pet cats.

Source: UK Pet Food, UK Pet Population 2026. The source describes a Kantar / Soulor Consulting online survey of 8,951 respondents in January 2026. Animal totals are rounded to the nearest 100,000. These are living-pet estimates, not annual pet deaths.

How many US households have pets?

APPA reports 95 million US pet-owning households from its 2025 National Pet Owners Survey, cited in its 2026 State of the Industry Report. Source: American Pet Products Association, Industry Trends and Stats.

For numbers of dogs and cats, AVMA's 2026 figures estimate 88.9 million dogs and 77.0 million cats.

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association, U.S. pet ownership statistics (2026 Sourcebook). AVMA describes a weighted, opt-in online survey of 7,547 people, including pet owners and non-owners, in early spring 2026.

Households and animals are different measures. A household can have several pets, and can own both cats and dogs. APPA and AVMA also use different surveys: do not combine their estimates or read differences between them as a change over time.

How many pets are cremated, and what does it cost?

The UK's CMA reported in 2026 that two thirds of pet owners have their pet cremated at the end of its life. This is a statement about pet owners in its UK report, not a count of all animal deaths or a US cremation rate.

The same report estimated that owners could be paying in the order of £100 more for an individual cremation than they would with strong price competition. That is an estimate of an additional payment, not an average cremation bill, a saving every owner can make, or the price of a memorial.

Source for both findings: Competition and Markets Authority, Summary of the final report: Veterinary services for household pets (24 March 2026).

We do not turn the remainder into a burial percentage: this summary does not say that every other owner chose burial. Nor do we give a UK–US average for end-of-life care or memorial spending: the sources listed here do not establish a comparable figure.

How do people experience pet bereavement?

A 2018 survey for Cats Protection asked 1,000 employed adults who had lost a pet during their working life. It was an online survey by Atomik Research, carried out from 10 to 13 August 2018.

Source: Cats Protection, Survey: Time off when your pet dies (30 August 2018). These are older findings from a particular group, not current percentages of every pet owner, and not a clinical diagnosis.

No percentage tells you how you should feel, or how long grief should last. If talking would help, Cats Protection's Paws to Listen explains the support it offers.

How to cite this page

White Doe, Lake District, UK. Pet Loss Statistics: UK and US. Updated 13 November 2026. https://whitedoeurns.com/en-gb/pages/pet-loss-statistics.

When quoting a number, cite its original source above too, and keep its year, country and survey group with it. This page brings together published figures; it is not an original survey or a count of annual pet deaths.

Choosing a memorial

For practical help, see what size urn your pet needs, how a custom pet urn begins with your photos and caring for cast stone.

Our wrapped portrait urn and canopic story urn are among the pieces in our pet urn collection.