Pets Vie For The Limelight

Cats, dogs, and hamsters compete for international popularity

According to a recent analysis of Google searches in the last five years, dogs have held a consistent lead over both cats and hamsters globally. Search trends vary from country to country, with cats leading in Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and dogs leading in the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Scandinavia, and many African countries.

Surprisingly, there are countries in which hamsters are the most popular search, including France (46%), Syria (41%), Tunisia (37%), and Algeria (61%). The most hamster-friendly HSV (high search volume) country is France (46%), while for cats it is Romania (87%), and for dogs, India (70%). Austria and Belgium both stood out as countries in which all three animals are essentially tied.

Taking a closer look at hamster popularity in France beginning in 2004, we can clearly see an explosion of interest in hamsters during the Spring of 2009, with hamsters remaining in the lead ever since. Even more surprisingly, hamsters are the most-searched pet in every subregion of France, each of which has at least 40% interest in hamsters.

Based on the relatively static nature of the worldwide five-year line graph provided by Google Trends, it’s unlikely that cats will overtake dogs as the most-searched pet in the coming years. However, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. If France is any indication, public interest in certain pets can always skyrocket unexpectedly.