Word: This text’s statistics come from third-party sources and don’t signify the opinions of this web site.
Cats have change into far more widespread pets in recent times. Whereas canine stay the commonest pet in most nations, cats aren’t that far behind, and the hole between pet cats and canine 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 because of this. 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 planet.
- Between 2023 and 2024, 46.5 million US households personal a cat.
- Vermont is the state with the best charge of cat possession at 44.6%.
- Millennials have the best charge of pet possession at 33%.
- 39% of householders have pet cats, whereas 29% of renters have pet cats.
- 43% of cat homeowners get their cats from a pet retailer, and 40% of cat homeowners undertake their cats from an animal shelter or rescue.
- Asheras are listed as one of the crucial 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 had been adopted in 2023.
- Cat adoptions have elevated by 14% since 2019.
- Cat homeowners spent between $314 to $755 on preliminary cat care prices.
- Cat homeowners spend between $961 to $2,487 on their cats yearly.
- Cat homeowners spend probably the most on meals, with $310 being the common annual spending.
- The typical price of pet insurance coverage for cats is $30 a month.
- Gen Z cat homeowners are 16 occasions extra seemingly than Child Boomers to get pet insurance coverage.
- 38% of cat homeowners thought they had been financially prepared for pet care bills however truly weren’t.
Cat Possession Demographics
1. In 2024, the US, China, and Russia have the best cat possession charges on the planet.
(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 high 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 preferred 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 charge of cat possession at 44.6%.
(World Inhabitants Evaluate)
Most US states have extra pet canine than cats. Nevertheless, Vermont is among the many few states which have households with extra pet cats than canine. 44.6% of pet homeowners in Vermont have pet cats, whereas 28.3% of pet homeowners have canine. Maine is the one different state with extra pet cats than canine, with 43.6% of pet homeowners having cats and 35.9% of pet homeowners having canine. The state with the bottom cat possession charge inside the contiguous US is Rhode Island. Rhode Island has a usually low pet possession charge, and simply 16.7% of pet homeowners have cats.
4. Millennials have the best charge of pet possession at 33%.
(APPA)
Millennials surpass Gen Z, Gen X, Child Boomer, and Builder generations relating to pet possession. Gen X comes second with a pet possession charge of 25%. 24% of pet homeowners are Child Boomers, and 16% of pet homeowners are Gen Z.
5. 39% of householders have pet cats, whereas 29% of renters have pet cats.
(AVMA)
The vast majority of cat homeowners are additionally owners. It’s seemingly that cat possession amongst renters is decrease as a consequence of restricted rental housing choices and pet charges that landlords cost to pet homeowners.
Cat Adoptions
6. 43% of cat homeowners get their cats from a pet retailer, and 40% of cat homeowners 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 companion with native pet adoption businesses by briefly housing adoptable cats and coordinating cat adoptions. Solely about 7% of pet cats are acquired from a breeder.
7. Asheras are listed as one of the crucial costly cat breeds in 2024 and may price as much as $125,000 per cat.
(FinancesOnline)
Asheras had 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 embrace 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 charge is 3.2% decrease than the 2019 charge. 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 practically the identical, with 51% of animal intakes being cats and 49% of intakes being canine.
9. 6 million shelter cats had been adopted in 2023.
(Shelter Animals Rely)
In 2023, cat adoptions had been barely increased than canine adoptions. 54% of pet adoptions concerned a cat, whereas 46% concerned canine. 2023 additionally noticed a rise in stay outcomes, reminiscent of adoptions, being returned to homeowners, or feral cats being returned to the sector. When in comparison with 2022 information, 166,000 extra animals had a stay end result.
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 end result, 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 end result in 2023.
Cat Possession Spendings
11. Cat homeowners spent between $314 to $755 on preliminary cat care prices.
(Synchrony)
Preliminary cat care prices embrace adoption charges, buying provides, and vet visits. These prices rely on the cat’s age and well being situation. Spay and neuter charges are among the many most vital elements that have an effect on preliminary cat care prices, together with the kind of cat meals and pet insurance coverage.
12. Cat homeowners spend between $961 to $2,487 on their cats yearly.
(Synchrony)
Spending will rely on 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 attainable to make vital financial savings by selecting extra budget-friendly cat care merchandise. You too can expertise extra financial savings by selecting generic medicine, purchasing throughout gross sales, and signing up for subscription companies.
13. Cat homeowners spend probably the most on meals, with $310 being the common annual spending.
(AVMA)
Wholesome cats don’t actually have too many vital common care prices aside from meals and cat litter. Cat homeowners 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 might help stop 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 might help reduce the monetary stress that comes from sudden well being diagnoses in cats. Diagnostic exams and coverings can simply attain 1000’s of {dollars} that cat homeowners must pay out-of-pocket. Pet insurance coverage might help cowl these prices, and most pet insurance coverage for cats have common premiums which can be decrease than premiums for canine. Pet insurance coverage premiums are sometimes affected by the cat’s age and breed, and cities with increased residing prices normally have the most costly pet insurance coverage premiums.
15. Gen Z cat homeowners are 16 occasions extra seemingly than Child Boomers to get pet insurance coverage.
(MarketWatch)
Gen Z has been named the era with probably the most accountable pet homeowners as a consequence of having the best proportion of pet homeowners with pet insurance coverage and the higher probability of taking their pets to the vet.
41.5% of Gen Z pet homeowners have pet insurance coverage, and 33.1% are both or researching it. 14% of Gen Z pet homeowners suppose pet insurance coverage is simply too costly, and 9.4% imagine it’s pointless.
In distinction, lower than 3% of Child Boomer pet homeowners have pet insurance coverage. 37.9% imagine pet insurance coverage is simply too costly, and 19.8% imagine it’s pointless.
16. 38% of cat homeowners thought they had been financially prepared for pet care bills however truly weren’t.
(Synchrony)
Cats are sometimes extra budget-friendly than canine, however they’ll nonetheless take up a good portion of your funds. 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 older. Many pet homeowners aren’t ready to pay for sudden veterinary care prices when their cats get sick, particularly in the event that they don’t have pet insurance coverage.
Continuously 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 lots of adoptable cats have Home Shorthair of their lineage. On the subject of purebred cats, Ragdolls, Maine Coons, Devon Rexes, Unique Shorthairs, and Persians are among the many hottest breeds in American households.
Is cat possession inexpensive than canine possession?
Normally, cats are inexpensive than canine. Attributable to their small dimension, they have a tendency to eat lower than canine, and lots of cat toys and treats are cheaper than canine toys and treats. Pet insurance coverage premiums are additionally normally decrease for cats than canine.
Nevertheless, caring for a cat nonetheless takes up a big a part of most individuals’s annual funds. So, it’s necessary to calculate prices totally earlier than bringing house a brand new pet cat.
What’s the common lifespan of pet cats?
A cat’s lifespan is affected by each genetics and way of life. Some cat breeds are identified to stay longer lives, and cats which have wholesome existence have a decrease danger of shortened lifespans. Normally, you may anticipate pet cats to stay wherever 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 skill to be house alone will rely on their particular person temperament and social wants. Some cat breeds are extra social than others, they usually don’t do properly being by themselves for lengthy hours. Normally, it’s not advisable to go away your cat house alone for greater than 8 hours at a time.
It’s a standard fable that cats may be left alone for a number of days so long as they’ve meals and water. Nevertheless, most cats will really feel distressed when their homeowners depart and are left house alone for greater than 24 hours.
Cats are able to forming sturdy bonds with individuals, they usually have social wants. Failure to fulfill their social wants could cause emotional misery and result in behavioral points, together with separation nervousness and fascinating in damaging actions. Subsequently, when you plan to go away your cats for a few days, be sure to rearrange for cat sitters to deal with your cats when you’re away.
Conclusion
Cats are widespread pets in lots of nations, and the commonest option 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 most certainly to personal cats.
Whereas caring for cats usually prices lower than caring for canine, many individuals nonetheless face challenges with budgeting as a consequence of rising pet care prices. Probably the most vital monetary problem is sudden medical payments. Monetary challenges have precipitated extra curiosity in pet insurance coverage and different strategies of budgeting for pet care. It’ll be fascinating 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
