Get free weekly insights that help you understand your cat better.
Germany has 15.9 million cats compared to 10.5 million dogs, making cats the most popular pet by a wide margin
Source: ZZF/IVH (2024)
Notes
Cats outnumber dogs by over 50% in Germany
ZZF/IVH. (2024). Der Deutsche Heimtiermarkt 2024. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/comparison/#de-cats-vs-dogs-population-2024
25% cats vs 21% dogs
25% of German households own a cat compared to 21% owning a dog
ZZF/IVH (2024)
#1 in Europe
Germany has the largest cat population in Europe at 15.9 million, ahead of France and Italy
ZZF/IVH (2024)
€421 million
German municipalities collected €421 million in dog tax (Hundesteuer) in 2023, with no equivalent tax on cats
GlobalPETS (2024)
89.7M dogs vs 73.8M cats
The US has 89.7 million dogs vs 73.8 million cats (2024), though cats are gaining
American Veterinary Medical Association (2025)
