These U.S. cat ownership statistics show how many American households own cats, how large the owned-cat population is, how multi-cat living is changing, and how cats are moving through the shelter system.
US cat ownership statistics
U.S. Cat Ownership Statistics: Top Highlights
APPA reported that 49 million U.S. households owned at least one cat in 2024, up from 40 million in 2023.
APPA estimated that 37% of U.S. households owned a cat in 2024.
AVMA reported that about 32% of U.S. households owned at least one domestic cat in 2024.
AVMA estimated the owned-cat population at 73.8 million in 2024 and 76.3 million in 2025.
APPA said single-cat households fell from 64% in 2018 to 58% in 2024.
Shelter Animals Count reported cat adoption rates of 57% in 2019, 62% in 2023, 64% in 2024, and 63% in 2025.
The ASPCA said about 2.2 million cats were adopted from U.S. shelters in 2024.
The ASPCA also reported 362,000 cats were returned to their owner or the field, 273,000 were euthanized, and 369,000 were transferred in 2024.
U.S. Cat-Owning Households
APPA’s latest cat report shows a sharp jump in cat ownership from 2023 to 2024, with cat-owning households rising from 40 million to 49 million.
Label
Bar
Value
2023
40M
2024
49M
Max = 49M. Widths: 2023 81.63%, 2024 100.00%
Owned Cat Population in the U.S.
AVMA’s recent reporting points to a larger owned-cat population than a few years ago, rising from 61 million in 2020 to 73.8 million in 2024 and 76.3 million in 2025.
Label
Bar
Value
2020
61M
2024
73.8M
2025
76.3M
Max = 76.3M. Widths: 2020 79.95%, 2024 96.72%, 2025 100.00%
Single-Cat Household Share
APPA also shows that U.S. cat ownership is becoming more multi-cat, with single-cat households accounting for a smaller share than they did in 2018.
Label
Bar
Value
2018
64%
2024
58%
Max = 64%. Widths: 2018 100.00%, 2024 90.63%
Cat Adoption Rate in U.S. Shelters
Shelter Animals Count reported that cats have maintained relatively strong adoption rates in recent years, with 2024 slightly above 2025 and well above 2019.
The ASPCA’s latest shelter statistics show that adoptions were the largest single cat outcome in 2024, but hundreds of thousands of cats were also returned, transferred, or euthanized.
Label
Bar
Value
Adopted
2.2M
Transferred
369K
Returned to owner or field
362K
Euthanized
273K
Max = 2.2M. Widths: Adopted 100.00%, Transferred 16.77%, Returned to owner or field 16.45%, Euthanized 12.41%
What These U.S. Cat Ownership Statistics Show
The broad trend is clear: cat ownership remains widespread in the United States, and both APPA and AVMA data point to a larger cat population in recent years. At the same time, cat households appear to be shifting toward more multi-cat living, while shelter data shows strong adoption activity alongside continued pressure on the animal welfare system.
Sources
American Pet Products Association, 2025 State of the Industry Report and 2025 Dog & Cat Report
American Veterinary Medical Association, U.S. pet ownership reporting and 2025 sourcebook coverage
Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Statistics and 2025 Annual Data Report
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