A total of 57,241 cats and 88,384 dogs are registered in the Brussels-Capital Region, according to 2023 figures.
These statistics, published on Sunday and collated from the CatID and DogID databases, were shared by the office of Animal Welfare Minister Bernard Clerfayt. The number of registered cats saw a particularly significant increase from the previous year, up by 10,096.
The European Shorthair cat – often known as the 'alley cat' – ranks as the favourite amongst Brussels households.
Conversely, dog registration has remained consistent compared to 2022 figures, showing a minor drop of 783. The Chihuahua reclaimed its position as top-ranking breed, a spot it held from 2016 but lost to mixed breeds in the previous reporting period. The Border Collie, Dachshund and German Spitz follow closely, whilst the Labrador Retriever has fallen in popularity.
The areas of Uccle, Anderlecht and Schaerbeek have the highest dog ownership rates, with respective counts of 10,162, 9,652 and 6,470 registered canines.
As for pet names, 'Simba' tops the list for both cats and dogs. 'Bella' and 'Luna' respectively follow closely, as popular choices for female pets.
