Pet ownership is more work and more costly than Americans anticipated

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked about pet ownership: For one thing, pets and pet ownership is an endlessly fascinating topic. And we have a secret reason which we’ll share later. Stay tuned for a special edition Dispatch coming soon. Also, happy National Dog Day.

What we found: First off, we asked people if they have pets and only 32% said they don’t have pets. Half said they have a dog in their household. Those that have pets love their pets and treat them like members of the family. Three in four say that having pets was important to them when they were growing up. Seven in ten say that they try to buy the freshest food for their pets when possible.

But pet owners also underestimated what is involved in owning a pet. Six in ten said it costs more than they thought it would. And half said owning a pet is more work than they thought.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Harris has voters’ confidence far more than Biden

Here’s how people are spending their grocery dollars

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?