Independent pet food manufacturer Burgess Pet Care is celebrating an incredible response to its first Great British Small Animal Census.

More than 6,500 responses have been recorded, providing vital data from owners, with the in-depth work covering the five welfare needs of companionship, health, environment, diet and behaviour.

As well as providing key insights into the UK’s small animal care trends, the survey has also highlighted important learnings and given a clear indication of issues to address.

Nathan White, online brand manager at Burgess Pet Care, said: “We are so pleased with the number of responses to this new survey. The health and wellbeing of all animals, small pets included, is our priority at Burgess Pet Care, so to be able to obtain nationwide data is brilliant to aid our endeavours to support and educate all owners and lovers of animals in 2024 and beyond.”

Responses were collated over a 12-week period between September and November last year, with 6,514 participants taking up the invitation, picking up on a social media campaign.

Rabbit ownership topped the list, at 64.3%, with 47.4% providing homes to guinea pigs. Hamsters, rats and gerbils completed the top five species.

The consumer survey highlighted many areas of interest including:

• More care: 84% of pet owners would consider adopting more small animals in the future;
• Seeing double: Owning two small animals is the most common;
• Charity comes home: Adoption from animal welfare topped where the pets came from, followed by pet shops and family adoptions;
• Move over muesli: Rabbit owners said that the most important item in their rabbits’ diets was hay, with 89% of rabbit owners said they never feed their pets muesli, whilst 5% said they used muesli daily; and
• Time for a treat: The most popular treat amongst Guinea Pigs were forage mixes, closely followed by fresh fruit and vegetables and fresh herbs.