Italy’s relationship with pets continues to strengthen, with close to four out of ten households now living with at least one animal. In 2024, roughly 10 million Italian families – about 37.7% of all households – reported having a pet at home. This figure reflects a gradual but steady increase over the past decade and highlights changing lifestyles and social habits across the country.
Overall, an estimated 25.5 million pets live in Italian homes. Dogs and cats dominate the picture. About 22.1% of families own one or more dogs, while cats are present in approximately 17.4% of households. Among families that have them, dogs average 1.3 per household, while cats average 1.8, confirming that multi-cat households are relatively common.
