Italy is a nation of pet lovers, but which animals actually share Italian homes, and which breeds do owners choose? TGM Research data on Italian pet owners shows a clear favorite species, a close runner-up, and a surprising winner among dog breeds.
Dogs hold the top spot (62%) in Italian households. Among pet owners surveyed, the majority keep a dog, making it Italy's most commonly owned pet.
The more interesting finding is how little separates first and second place. More than half of Italian pet owners also keep a cat. Add the two together and it becomes clear that many homes have both, sharing the sofa between a dog and a cat.
Unlike markets ruled by one species, Italy is a dual-pet nation. Here, the household is the true customer, not any single species.
For pet food, care and accessories brands, that matters. A narrow gap means cat products deserve close to the same shelf space and marketing attention as dog products in Italy.
See the exact split between dog and cat owners in Italy:
Ask Italians about their cats and you will not hear many exotic breed names. The clear winner is the European Shorthair, a sturdy, easygoing breed that grew out of the ordinary domestic cats of continental Europe. It leads Italy's cat ranking by a wide margin.
In second place is a group that is not a breed at all. Mestizo, the Italian word for mixed-breed, describes the cats many Italians simply take in, adopt or find on their doorstep. The Siamese rounds out the top three, and the most recognizably "pedigree" name on the list.
Put together, the ranking reads like a portrait of Italian cat ownership. The top two are the cats you would meet in any Italian courtyard. Italians seem to choose cats like the way they choose neighbors: familiar, independent and low-fuss.
Just how far ahead is the European Shorthair? Find out in Most popular cat breeds in Italy.
Here is the twist. Italy's most popular dog isn't a Labrador, a German Shepherd, or any other famous breed. It is the mixed-breed dog - Mestizo- and it leads the ranking by 27% - a margin no single pedigree breed can match.
The pedigree breeds do have their place. The Labrador Retriever, loved worldwide as a gentle family dog, is Italy's top pedigree choice. The German Shepherd follows, a loyal working dog with a long history as a guardian.
Set the dog and cat rankings side by side and the same story appears twice. In both species, Italians lean toward ordinary, non-pedigree companions over prestige breeds. For many owners, a pet is family first and a breed second.
Want to dive deeper? Explore the full data on TGM StatBox, or simply create a free account to browse Italy's pet charts, save your favorites, and instantly unlock exact figures
Mixed-breed dogs and common domestic cats top the charts, proving that in Italy, pet ownership is driven by practical companionship and emotional connection rather than pedigree prestige. With dog and cat ownership running neck-and-neck, Italian consumers rarely fit into a rigid "dog person" or "cat person". Instead, they act as multi-pet households sharing their living spaces with both.
However, choosing a companion is only the starting point. TGM Research's pet care survey in Italy reveals the deeper consumer behavior that follows: 52% of participants house multiple pets. This high concentration of multi-pet homes cements Italy's status as one of Europe's most unique pet markets. Animal companions are fully integrated into the fabric of daily family life, requiring brands to look beyond single-species strategies and focus on holistic household value.
Italy's pet owners value the bond more than the badge. There are four implications stand out for brands to consider:
The Italian pet market is not won with the rarest breed or the flashiest campaign. It is won by understanding the everyday companion: the mixed-breed dog, the European Shorthair on the windowsill, and the household that loves them both. The exact shares of each category can tell you how big each opportunity really is.
Want to know how other markets in the region compare? Read more in Pet Ownership in APAC.
The methodology used for the TGM Global Pet Care Survey follows a quantitative research approach utilizing online panels.
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