Aspects of Pet Ownership in Yolo County, California

SUMMARY Demographic and economic aspects of pet ownership were studied in Yolo County, California. The county was divided into 4 study areas, 1 of which was strictly rural and the others more nearly describable as urban/ suburban. About 62% of households owned dogs or cats, and 3% owned horses. Proportions of pet-owning households were higher in rural than in urban/suburban areas, and numbers of pets in pet-owning households were higher in the rural area. About two-thirds of dogs were categorized as purebred and among these, Poodles were the most popular. Nearly three-fourths of cats were categorized as domestic shorthair. Use of veterinary services by pet owners was higher in the urban/ suburban areas than in the rural area, and was higher among dog owners than among cat owners in each of the 4 areas.