Positive Prospects for Cat Population Growth

Positive Prospects for Cat Population Growth

Historically speaking, pet product manufacturers, retailers, and marketers have been canine-centric, since pet care spending is typically higher for dogs than for cats. Over the last few years, however, pet population trends have spurred the pet industry to recalibrate its relative emphasis on dogs vs. cats. Most notably, the number of kitten households reached 99% of the number of puppy households in 2025, compared with 66% in 2019. This parity is central to current and near-term growth opportunities in the pet industry.

Pet Industry Reset is Warranted

A comparison of dog and cat owner psychographics validate the pet industry’s recalibration of relative attention levels to dogs vs. cats. Pet owners’ defining psychographic, which has been the driving force for pet industry growth, is the “pets as family” mindset. Packaged Facts survey data show that 66% of dog owners and cat owners alike agree that their pets are “part of the family”. Similarly, about half of overall dog or cat owners agree with related psychographic statements about having pets:

In addition, comparably high levels of dog owners and cat owners (at 62% vs, 57%, respectively) prize the companionship these pets offer.

Dog and cat owners are also in sync in other key motivations for pet ownership: pet is affectionate (43% vs. 42%, respectively) pet is fun to interact with (40% vs. 39%) pet has great personality (38% vs. 36%) for more liveliness in home (34% vs. 31%) for mental health/stress reduction benefits (31% each). Also factoring in is the strengthening of the human-animal bond over time for dog owners and cat owners alike. Among Baby Boomers, 75% of dog owners and 72% of cat consider themselves happier because they have their pets, compared with 46% of dog owners and 53% of cat owners among Gen Zers.

Combined, these factors bode well for continued cat population growth and illustrate why the feline part of the pet market is deserving of the increased focus of marketers and retailers alike.

Want to learn more? Check out Packaged Facts' new Pet Population and Ownership Trends in the US, 9th Edition, or visit our Packaged Facts Pet Knowledge Center, your resource for in-depth pet market intelligence.

About the blogger: The former publisher and research director at Packaged Facts, a division of the Freedonia Group, David Sprinkle continues as market analyst as part of the Packaged Facts pet market team.  His research focuses on pet population trends, pet owner demographics, pet industry retail/e-tail trends, and veterinary services.  Sprinkle also provides monthly columns to Pet Care Weekly and to Petfood Industry, along with contributions to trade publications including PETS International and The Fountain Report. He has presented extensively at pet & vet market conferences, including Global Pet Expo, GlobalPETS Forum, Petfood Forum, VMX, the NAVC Veterinary Innovation & eCommerce Summit, and the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor Market Insight Seminar.