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Pet ownership rates are stabilizing post-pandemic, with return-to-office mandates and housing costs potentially boosting cat ownership over dogs
Source: American Pet Products Association (2025)
Notes
Cats require less supervision, making them better suited for office-returning owners
American Pet Products Association. (2025). APPA State of the Industry Report 2025. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/trends/#post-pandemic-normalization
No pandemic boom for cats
Cat population remained stable during COVID-19 with no pandemic boom, unlike dogs which saw significant increases
American Veterinary Medical Association (2024)
35% by 2030
APPA projects cat household ownership will climb to 35% by 2030, outpacing recent dog ownership growth
American Pet Products Association (2024)
19% growth
US pet industry spending grew 19% from $103.6 billion (2020) to $123.6 billion (2021) during the pandemic
American Pet Products Association (2022)
25% → 32.1%
Cat household ownership rate increased from 25% (2016) to 26% (2020) to 29% (2022) to 32.1% (2024)
American Veterinary Medical Association (2025)
