US Household Care Habits of Pet Owners: 2026
Pet ownership is becoming a more influential force in household care, shaping not only what consumers clean but how they evaluate the products used throughout the home.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for pet homecare products
- Opportunities
- Expand from pet-safe cleaning to pet wellbeing
- Move beyond pet products to systems
- Make routine pet cleanup easier, not just more effective
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THE MARKET
- Consumers and the economic outlook
- US economic snapshot
- Pet ownership is increasingly shaping household care needs
- Graph 1: pet ownership, 2020-26
- Younger pet owners will shape future household care demands
- Graph 2: pet ownership, by generation, 2026
- Graph 3: plan to get a new cat or dog in the next 12 months, by generation, 2026
- Win health-conscious pet owners with transparent ingredients and safety testing
- Ageing in place will make pet-related cleaning convenience increasingly important
- Housing pressures are changing pet care needs
- Graph 4: 30-year fixed mortgage rate, 2021-26
- As pet relief becomes more intentional, so does cleanup
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THE CONSUMER
- How pets reshape household cleaning needs
- Meet pet parents’ cleaning needs, not pet types
- Graph 5: difficulty managing pet-related messes NET – any difficulty, by pet ownership, 2026
- Move beyond one-size-fits-all fur removal
- Deliver easier paths to stain-free fabrics
- Graph 6: any difficulty removing pet-related stains on soft furnishings, by generation, 2026
- Connect tools to specific pet-cleaning challenges
- Address the gap between perceived and actual pet odors
- Graph 7: worry that guests will notice pet odors, by generation, 2026
- Use pets to spotlight overlooked cleaning tasks
- Become part of new pet owners’ routines
- Graph 8: any difficulty managing pet-related dander or allergens, by length of pet ownership, 2026
- Expand the role of allergen-focused solutions for pet parents
- Raising wellness standards for pet-safe products
- Position core cleaning products through a pet-health lens
- Graph 9: most important cleaning products that consumers want to be safe to use around pets, 2026
- Show consumers what makes products pet-safe
- Graph 10: agree that they are not confident that products labeled as pet-safe are actually safe for their pet, by generation, 2026
- Turn ingredient scrutiny into ingredient confidence
- Make cleanliness feel reassuring without relying on fragrance
- Graph 11: attitudes toward scent and fragrance around pets, by generation, 2026
- Create scent experiences that support pets
- Align pet-safe messaging with how consumers assess risk
- Graph 12: important safety factors when choosing a cleaning product for pet-related messes, by generation, 2026
- Use partnerships to build pet-safe credibility
- Making pet ownership easier through household care
- Ease the household demands of pet ownership
- Graph 13: agree they underestimated the responsibilities of owning a pet, by generation, 2026
- Focus on the application, not just the solution
- Reduce re-cleaning with preventative solutions
- Help make pet cleanup less hands-on
- Create tools designed for pet-specific routines
- Turn pet laundry into a distinct category
- Help pet owners tackle fur at every stage of laundry
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PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
- Clorox Pure highlights the shift to functional aircare
- Mrs. Meyer’s bridges household care and pet wellbeing
- Show how convenience can outperform traditional cleaning methods
- Bissell expands from pet cleanup to pet care
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APPENDIX
- Report scope
- The consumer
- Consumer research questions
- US generation groups
Pet ownership is becoming a more influential force in household care, shaping not only what consumers clean but how they evaluate the products used throughout the home. With pets present in 80% of US households and many consumers planning to add a dog or cat within the next year, pet-related messes, odors, fur and allergens are becoming everyday cleaning considerations rather than niche concerns.
At the same time, pet owners are raising expectations around safety, convenience and wellbeing. Consumers want products that are effective enough to manage recurring pet-related messes, but they are also paying closer attention to ingredient safety, air quality and the comfort of both pets and people in the home. The strongest opportunities for household care brands will come from moving beyond pet-safe claims alone and showing how products can make pet ownership feel easier, more reassuring and more integrated into everyday cleaning routines.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- Pet-related cleaning challenges and pain points
- How pet ownership reshapes cleaning routines
- Factors influencing pet-related cleaning product choice
- Expectations for pet-safe household care products
- Attitudes toward pet health, safety and wellbeing
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