🇺🇸89.7M dogs vs 73.8M cats
The US has 89.7 million dogs vs 73.8 million cats (2024), though cats are gaining
Source: American Veterinary Medical Association 2025Current
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Comparative statistics between cats and dogs
🇺🇸89.7M dogs vs 73.8M cats
The US has 89.7 million dogs vs 73.8 million cats (2024), though cats are gaining
Comparing cats and dogs reveals interesting differences in ownership patterns, costs, and care requirements. While dogs remain America's most popular pet by household count, cats outnumber dogs due to higher multi-pet households. These comparative statistics help prospective pet owners make informed decisions and provide context for understanding the unique characteristics of cat ownership versus dog ownership.
There are more pet cats than dogs in the US (73.8M vs 65.1M), but more dog-owning households
Annual cat ownership costs are 30-40% lower than dog ownership costs on average
Cats require less daily time commitment, making them popular with busy professionals
Dogs have 27 facial movements compared to cats' 26 action units with 276 combinations
Cats achieve greater expression variety through more complex combinations
Supporting data points for this category
12.5 million
The UK has 12.5 million cats compared to 13.5 million dogs→
29%
29% of UK households own cats compared to 36% owning dogs→
39%
39% of UK cat owners have multiple cats compared to 24% of dog owners having multiple dogs→
13%
13% of Canadian households have both cats and dogs→
$711 vs $960
Annual veterinary costs in Canada average $711 for cats compared to $960 for dogs→
€421 million
German municipalities collected €421 million in dog tax (Hundesteuer) in 2023, with no equivalent tax on cats→
#1 in Europe
Germany has the largest cat population in Europe at 15.9 million, ahead of France and Italy→
1.68:1
France has 16.6 million cats versus 9.9 million dogs, giving cats a 1.68:1 ratio advantage over dogs→
Complete dataset with sources and citations
Common questions about cats vs dogs statistics