Cat population and ownership

• There are around 10.6 million owned cats in the UK, a slight fall from 11 million in 2023
• One in four households (25%) own a cat, down from 26% in 2023
• For the first time, more pedigree cats (45%) were acquired in the last 12 months than moggies (43%)
• The percentage of pedigree cats obtained has increased over time: 45% of cats obtained in the last 12 months were pedigree or purebred compared with 35% more than five years ago
• The proportion of 18 to 34-year-old cat owners owning a pedigree cat has seen a significant increase this year, with 41% now sharing their home with one (35% in 2023)
• 67% of UK cat-owning households own one cat; 33% own two or more cats
• A higher proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds own a cat (33%). Compared to this, only 12% of people over the age of 65 are likely to own a cat
• For the first time, the proportion of males has matched the proportion of females owning a cat, both at 25%

Where are owners getting their cats from?

• Cats tend to be bought (34%), adopted from a UK rehoming charity (24%) or have been taken on from a neighbour, family member or friend (16%)
• Overall, 63% of cats purchased were found online, the same rate as 2023. Social media is a popular source for finding cats to buy. 20% of cats bought were found on Facebook

Find out more about getting a cat or kitten.

Neutering, breeding and microchipping

• Neutering numbers have remained stable, 9 million (85%) are neutered, 1.4 million (13%) are not neutered. The top reason for not neutering is that the cat does not go outside (20%)
• The number of people who say they have not had their cat neutered because of the cost has decreased to 13% (from 15% in 2023). Cats Protection offers a low-cost neutering scheme for eligible owners
• Microchipping numbers are increasing in cats, following the introduction of compulsory pet cat microchipping in England. 75% of cats are microchipped but despite increasing microchipping numbers, 22% (over 2.3 million cats) are not microchipped. Top reasons for not being microchipped are that the cat doesn’t go outside (26%), the cat doesn’t stray or go far (19%), and the owners hadn’t thought about it (14%)
• 92% of cat owners that have microchipped their cat say that their contact details are up to date, same as 2023

Find out more about neutering and microchipping.

Cat health

• 9% of owned cats are not registered with a vet, 10% in 2023
• 62% of cat owners take their cat to the vet routinely each year
• 58% of owners say that they do not visit the vet as often as they would like to (57% in 2023)
• Cost remains the top reason for not taking their cat to the vet, 28%
• Over three quarters of owners (78%) say that their cat has no diagnosed health conditions
• The number of cat owners with pet insurance is increasing, 50% up from 49% in 2023
• 75% of owners say their cat is up to date with vaccinations, up from 72% in 2023
• 33% of owners identify their cat as overweight, while 27% think their cat is an ideal weight and 37% worry that their cat is underweight, very similar to 2023 figures
• Owners are increasingly researching their cat’s needs, both before and after purchase:  
• 34% of owners did lots of research before getting their cat: (31% in 2023)
• 32% of owners tend to do lots of research about how best to look after their cat: (28% in 2023)
• Some cat accessories seem to be gaining in popularity but can be associated with stress for cats. 11% use tracking devices, 10% a cat harness and 8% a cat backpack

Find out more about looking after your cat’s health.

The role that cats play in our lives

• Companionship, reducing loneliness and reducing stress were collectively the top reasons for owning a cat (54%) for the fifth consecutive year (54% in 2023)
• 23% of owners said the main reason for having a cat in their life is to help them feel less stressed
• 72% of owners say having a cat brings them joy
• 92% of owners consider their cat part of the family
• 85% of owners spend time stroking their cat or sitting together every day, with 72% regularly talking to their cat
• 45% of cat owners say their cat gives them something to get up for in the morning
• Over a quarter (26%) of those who don’t own a cat say it’s because they couldn’t go through the pain of loss again

Safety of cats

• 28% of cat owners said that their cat had been injured in the time that they had owned them. The most common reason for injury is fights with other cats outside the household, 12%
• 4% of injuries were due to a road traffic accident (up from 3% in 2023)
• Of the cat owners who have seen their cat experience fireworks, 64% say that their cat is adversely affected by them, including hiding (25%) or trying to escape/run away (14%), same figures for 2023

Find out more about keeping your cat safe.

Cost-of-living concerns

• The impact of cost-of-living increases has not eased, with over a third (34%) of owners saying that they have been significantly and negatively impacted by the rise in living costs, matching last year
• 12% of people who used to own a cat but no longer do say that it’s because they can’t afford it
• 14% said that they worried about how they will meet their cat’s needs in the future and 7% said that they have had to reduce their spending on necessities such as cat food and litter in the last 12 months
• 3% of cat owners have had to rely on food banks to feed their cat

Find out more about how to look after your cat during the cost-of-living crisis.

Where do we go from here?

In its fifth year, the CATS Report continues to shine a light on the changes we are seeing for cats, providing vital insight for the animal welfare sector, the veterinary profession and government. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest shifts we are seeing is a new generation of cat owners coming through, who are drastically changing the feline landscape. This younger generation of cat  owners care greatly for their beloved companions, spending more time searching for advice about how to best look after their cat, ensuring they have insurance and making sure their cat is up to date with vaccinations.

The changes we are seeing do however, present some major challenges and risks. For the animal welfare sector, this younger demographic is significantly more likely to buy their pet than adopt. This potentially has long-term implications for our ability to rehome cats, but also removes an important interaction point with these cat owners.

Inextricably linked to the move to ‘purchasing’, is an increased interest in pedigree cats, which  are, of course, less likely to be found in cat centres than moggies. These cats tend to be  presented to the vet more regularly than moggies which may be a reflection of positive owner motivation or the potential likelihood for health issues in this group. We have also seen a disturbing rise in the popularity of extreme body types.

This is a vital time to consider how the animal welfare sector communicates with this new generation of cat owner. If we get it wrong at this crucial moment, the sector’s expertise risks being drowned out by other, potentially less reliable, sources.

This is why Cats Protection is focussing efforts on reviewing our communication channels, ensuring the right information for cat welfare is available and accessible. We are also calling on the veterinary profession to stand up for cats, to make welfare a priority, and to support cat  owners, particularly those new to cat ownership, in making the right decisions for cats.

The new government also has a key role in addressing these challenges. With a growing but largely unregulated market, we know there are unscrupulous individuals out their looking to make a profit, breeding cats in poor conditions and with extreme traits, detrimental to their welfare.

Cats Protection will continue to focus efforts on highlighting these challenges with government and hopes to see swift action with cat breeding regulations introduced to make a life better for cats, because life is better with cats.