The Germans and their pets - is a never-ending love story. They're getting more and more pets as the years pass by and the pet population just keeps growing.

The Germans hold an estimated 34.3 million pets. This was 2.7 million more than in 2016. In

European terms, this means second place behind Russia (with a much higher population).

According to the estimates of the Wiesbaden-based Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe

(ZZF) Central Association of Zoological Specialists (ZZF), the largest numbers are cats and dogs, cats taking over the first place.

Almost every second person in Germany owns an animal at home - 10 years ago it was only one in three.

The number of cat owners are around 8 million people. There are around 14 million cats living in Germany's households. An approximate of 22 percent of all households own a cat. Of these owners, about two-thirds own a cat and the remaining third have two or more animals.

The number of dog owners is around 9 million people.

In third place followed the so-called small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs. Of them, there were a total of 6.1 million.

According to Statista reports a mans best friend is not the dog, but the cat. This is followed in second place by dogs and it continues with fish and other animals such as hamsters or rabbits.

Birds land on rank five and then following reptiles. Just over a third of respondents said they did not own a pet.

The following Visuals are some of Statista infographics on pet populations in Germany (Statista 2017).

The market volume in the pet industry segment has grown steadily in recent years. The market volume for pet supplies in Germany amounts to a total of about 4.7 billion euros, making it the second most important market in the industry in Europe (after Great Britain).

The increasing number of pet populations also means that more food is being sold. Pet owners spent an incredible 5 billion euros on pet food last year.

PSI’s report highlights growing competition in the pet care & services industry, with the newcomers in the pet-care scene, including new pet-sitter websites and apps, and examines how the increased competition will influence industry trends as professional pet-sitting services seek to remain competitive in the tech-driven, “sharing economy.”

The high level of pet ownership in Germany, combined with the high increase in pet spending, indicates the need for pet-care services will only continue to grow.

This means now is a great time for us to launch a personalised pet-sitting service platform that is in desperate need in the market.