Number of cats in the U.S. 2017

Number of cats in the United States from 2000 to 2017 (in millions)

Characteristic	Number of cats in millions
2017	94.2
2015	85.8
2013	95.6
2011	86.4
2008	93.6
2006	88.3
2004	90.5
2002	77.7
2000	73

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Release date

April 2017

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Region

United States

Survey time period

2000 to 2017

Supplementary notes

Data prior to 2017 has been taken from previous press releases of the same source.
The source does not mention the exact publication date. The date given is the date of access.

Citation formats

According to a national pet owners survey, there was a total of approximately 95.6 million cats living in households in the United States in 2017. In the same year, some 68 percent of all U.S. households owned at least one pet.

Increasing pet expenditure

Whilst the number of households owning cats, and pets in general, has remained relatively consistent over the last few years, pet industry expenditure has steadily grown. Consumers are expected to spend a record breaking 75.38 billion U.S. dollars on their pets in 2019. The majority of pet market revenue comes from food sales, followed by veterinary care costs.

Shopping location preferences

When it comes to shopping locations, most consumers still purchase their pet products in physical retail stores. However, the number of consumers buying pet products online is on the rise. Dry cat food was the number one pet product bought online by cat owners in the United States in 2018.