Notice: This text’s statistics come from third-party sources and don’t characterize the opinions of this web site.
Cats have develop into far more common pets in recent times. Whereas canines stay the most typical pet in most nations, cats aren’t that far behind, and the hole between pet cats and canines appears to shut extra with every passing yr.
Increasingly more households all through the world are adopting pet cats, and cat possession developments are altering in consequence. Listed below are a few of the newest statistics on pet cats and the way present developments search for cat possession.
The 16 Cat Possession Statistics
- In 2024, the US, China, and Russia have the best cat possession charges on the earth.
- Between 2023 and 2024, 46.5 million US households personal a cat.
- Vermont is the state with the best fee of cat possession at 44.6%.
- Millennials have the best fee of pet possession at 33%.
- 39% of house owners have pet cats, whereas 29% of renters have pet cats.
- 43% of cat house owners get their cats from a pet retailer, and 40% of cat house owners undertake their cats from an animal shelter or rescue.
- Asheras are listed as some of the costly cat breeds in 2024 and may price as much as $125,000 per cat.
- 3 million cats entered animal shelters and rescues in 2023.
- 6 million shelter cats have been adopted in 2023.
- Cat adoptions have elevated by 14% since 2019.
- Cat house owners spent between $314 to $755 on preliminary cat care prices.
- Cat house owners spend between $961 to $2,487 on their cats yearly.
- Cat house owners spend probably the most on meals, with $310 being the typical annual spending.
- The typical price of pet insurance coverage for cats is $30 a month.
- Gen Z cat house owners are 16 occasions extra probably than Child Boomers to get pet insurance coverage.
- 38% of cat house owners thought they have been financially prepared for pet care bills however really weren’t.
Cat Possession Demographics
1. In 2024, the US, China, and Russia have the best cat possession charges on the earth.
(World Inhabitants Evaluate)
The US is a pet-loving nation and much surpasses different nations in pet possession. There are an estimated 74 million domesticated cats within the US. China is second, with about 53 million pet cats, and Russia is third, with roughly 23 million pet cats. Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Ukraine, Japan, and Poland are subsequently among the many prime 10 nations with the best variety of pet cats.
2. Between 2023 and 2024, 46.5 million US households personal a cat.
(APPA)
Cats are the second hottest pets within the US, with about 46.5 million US households having not less than one pet cat. Canines stay the most well-liked pet, with about 65.1 million US households having not less than one pet canine. The third hottest pet is birds, and about 6.1 million US households have birds.
3. Vermont is the state with the best fee of cat possession at 44.6%.
(World Inhabitants Evaluate)
Most US states have extra pet canines than cats. Nonetheless, Vermont is among the many few states which have households with extra pet cats than canines. 44.6% of pet house owners in Vermont have pet cats, whereas 28.3% of pet house owners have canines. Maine is the one different state with extra pet cats than canines, with 43.6% of pet house owners having cats and 35.9% of pet house owners having canines. The state with the bottom cat possession fee inside the contiguous US is Rhode Island. Rhode Island has a usually low pet possession fee, and simply 16.7% of pet house owners have cats.
4. Millennials have the best fee of pet possession at 33%.
(APPA)
Millennials surpass Gen Z, Gen X, Child Boomer, and Builder generations with regards to pet possession. Gen X comes second with a pet possession fee of 25%. 24% of pet house owners are Child Boomers, and 16% of pet house owners are Gen Z.
5. 39% of house owners have pet cats, whereas 29% of renters have pet cats.
(AVMA)
Nearly all of cat house owners are additionally householders. It’s probably that cat possession amongst renters is decrease as a consequence of restricted rental housing choices and pet charges that landlords cost to pet house owners.
Cat Adoptions
6. 43% of cat house owners get their cats from a pet retailer, and 40% of cat house owners undertake their cats from an animal shelter or rescue.
(AVMA)
Cats usually tend to be adopted by way of a pet retailer or animal shelter. Many pet shops accomplice with native pet adoption companies by quickly housing adoptable cats and coordinating cat adoptions. Solely about 7% of pet cats are acquired from a breeder.
7. Asheras are listed as some of the costly cat breeds in 2024 and may price as much as $125,000 per cat.
(FinancesOnline)
Asheras have been developed by crossbreeding African Servals, Asian Leopard Cats, and domesticated cats. They’re extraordinarily uncommon as a result of they’re difficult to breed, and one Ashera cat breeder produces about 5 Ashera kittens a yr. Different costly cat breeds embody Savannahs, Bengals, Persians, and Peterbalds.
8. 3 million cats entered animal shelters and rescues in 2023.
(Shelter Animals Rely)
The speed of cat intakes at animal shelters has fluctuated barely for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 fee is 3.2% decrease than the 2019 fee. When in comparison with 2022, there was a 0.2% improve in cat intakes at animal shelters in 2023. Cat intakes and canine intakes are almost the identical, with 51% of animal intakes being cats and 49% of intakes being canines.
9. 6 million shelter cats have been adopted in 2023.
(Shelter Animals Rely)
In 2023, cat adoptions have been barely increased than canine adoptions. 54% of pet adoptions concerned a cat, whereas 46% concerned canines. 2023 additionally noticed a rise in stay outcomes, equivalent to adoptions, being returned to house owners, or feral cats being returned to the sphere. When in comparison with 2022 information, 166,000 extra animals had a stay consequence.
10. Cat adoptions have elevated by 14% since 2019.
(ASPCA)
The variety of cat adoptions has elevated usually since 2019, with about 319,000 extra cats getting adopted in 2023 than in 2019. The speed of intakes that led to adoptions elevated from 59% in 2019 to 65% in 2023. There has additionally been a rise within the variety of animals ready for an consequence, together with these in foster care and people transferring to completely different adoption organizations. In comparison with 2022, 177,000 extra animals have waited for an consequence in 2023.
Cat Possession Spendings
11. Cat house owners spent between $314 to $755 on preliminary cat care prices.
(Synchrony)
Preliminary cat care prices embody adoption charges, buying provides, and vet visits. These prices depend upon the cat’s age and well being situation. Spay and neuter charges are among the many most important elements that have an effect on preliminary cat care prices, together with the kind of cat meals and pet insurance coverage.
12. Cat house owners spend between $961 to $2,487 on their cats yearly.
(Synchrony)
Spending will depend upon quite a lot of elements, together with meals, veterinary care visits, cat litter, and toys. Contemplating how the vary of spending is comparatively broad, it’s potential to make important financial savings by selecting extra budget-friendly cat care merchandise. You may as well expertise extra financial savings by selecting generic remedy, purchasing throughout gross sales, and signing up for subscription companies.
13. Cat house owners spend probably the most on meals, with $310 being the typical annual spending.
(AVMA)
Wholesome cats don’t actually have too many important common care prices aside from meals and cat litter. Cat house owners can expertise some financial savings by selecting reasonably priced cat meals that doesn’t considerably sacrifice high quality. Scheduling mealtimes and monitoring how a lot a cat eats will help forestall meals waste and guarantee cats are consuming simply the correct amount of meals.
14. The typical price of pet insurance coverage for cats is $30 a month.
(Forbes)
Pet insurance coverage will help reduce the monetary stress that comes from surprising well being diagnoses in cats. Diagnostic checks and coverings can simply attain hundreds of {dollars} that cat house owners must pay out-of-pocket. Pet insurance coverage will help cowl these prices, and most pet insurance coverage for cats have common premiums which are decrease than premiums for canines. Pet insurance coverage premiums are usually affected by the cat’s age and breed, and cities with increased dwelling prices normally have the most costly pet insurance coverage premiums.
15. Gen Z cat house owners are 16 occasions extra probably than Child Boomers to get pet insurance coverage.
(MarketWatch)
Gen Z has been named the technology with probably the most accountable pet house owners as a consequence of having the best proportion of pet house owners with pet insurance coverage and the larger probability of taking their pets to the vet.
41.5% of Gen Z pet house owners have pet insurance coverage, and 33.1% are both or researching it. 14% of Gen Z pet house owners suppose pet insurance coverage is simply too costly, and 9.4% consider it’s pointless.
In distinction, lower than 3% of Child Boomer pet house owners have pet insurance coverage. 37.9% consider pet insurance coverage is simply too costly, and 19.8% consider it’s pointless.
16. 38% of cat house owners thought they have been financially prepared for pet care bills however really weren’t.
(Synchrony)
Cats are usually extra budget-friendly than canines, however they will nonetheless take up a good portion of your finances. Cat care charges range relying on a cat’s age and breed, and cats have the next danger of creating a persistent well being challenge as they become old. Many pet house owners aren’t ready to pay for surprising veterinary care prices when their cats get sick, particularly in the event that they don’t have pet insurance coverage.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions About Cat Possession
What’s the hottest cat breed within the US?
The most typical cat breed you’ll discover in somebody’s house is the Home Shorthair, and plenty of adoptable cats have Home Shorthair of their lineage. In relation to purebred cats, Ragdolls, Maine Coons, Devon Rexes, Unique Shorthairs, and Persians are among the many hottest breeds in American households.
Is cat possession cheaper than canine possession?
Usually, cats are cheaper than canines. As a result of their small measurement, they have a tendency to eat lower than canines, and plenty of cat toys and treats are cheaper than canine toys and treats. Pet insurance coverage premiums are additionally normally decrease for cats than canines.
Nonetheless, caring for a cat nonetheless takes up a major a part of most individuals’s annual finances. So, it’s necessary to calculate prices completely earlier than bringing residence a brand new pet cat.
What’s the common lifespan of pet cats?
A cat’s lifespan is affected by each genetics and life-style. Some cat breeds are identified to stay longer lives, and cats which have wholesome life have a decrease danger of shortened lifespans. On the whole, you may count on pet cats to stay anyplace from 12 to 18 years, and indoor cats have longer life expectations than outside cats.
How lengthy can cats be left alone?
Your cat’s capacity to be residence alone will depend upon their particular person temperament and social wants. Some cat breeds are extra social than others, and so they don’t do properly being by themselves for lengthy hours. On the whole, it’s not beneficial to depart your cat residence alone for greater than 8 hours at a time.
It’s a typical delusion that cats may be left alone for a number of days so long as they’ve meals and water. Nonetheless, most cats will really feel distressed when their house owners go away and are left residence alone for greater than 24 hours.
Cats are able to forming sturdy bonds with folks, and so they have social wants. Failure to satisfy their social wants may cause emotional misery and result in behavioral points, together with separation anxiousness and fascinating in damaging actions. Subsequently, for those who plan to depart your cats for a few days, make sure that to rearrange for cat sitters to deal with your cats when you’re away.
Conclusion
Cats are common pets in lots of nations, and the most typical solution to purchase them is thru pet adoptions. Cat adoptions have elevated steadily over the previous a number of years, and Millennials and Gen Z are almost certainly to personal cats.
Whereas caring for cats usually prices lower than caring for canines, many individuals nonetheless face challenges with budgeting as a consequence of rising pet care prices. Probably the most important monetary problem is surprising medical payments. Monetary challenges have brought about extra curiosity in pet insurance coverage and different strategies of budgeting for pet care. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how pet developments proceed to vary and adapt to fashionable cat possession and what cat possession will seem like as we proceed to comply with pet developments within the US.
Featured Picture Credit score: evrymmnt, Shutterstock
