How Many Cats Are There in the UK? 20 Surprising Statistics: 2024 Update
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Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Cats are a very common pet in the UK, with over 10 million in households across the country. They make perfect companions for the young and old alike, and many owners consider cats part of their family. This article looks at some fascinating statistics about cat ownership in the UK, including nine stats about cat numbers in the UK, seven statistics about their owners, and four facts about how cats in the UK are acquired.
How Many Cats Are There in the UK? Top 20 Statistics
How Many Cats Are There in the UK? Top 20 Statistics- There are currently 11 million owned cats in the UK.
- In 2022, 9.2 million cats resided in England.
- The total number of cats owned in Scotland in 2022 is 900,000.
- 300,000 cats lived in Northern Ireland as of 2022.
- The Welsh population had 600,000 cats in 2022.
- The current population of unowned (feral) cats in the UK is 247,429.
- In the last 12 months alone, the cat population in the UK increased by 200,000.
- 26% of households in the UK own a cat.
- 65% of cat-owning households own a single cat, while 35% are multi-cat households.
- Owners in the 25–34 age group own the most cats in the UK at 33%.
- Owners aged 65 and above make up the smallest percentage of cat owners, at 11%.
- 89% of all cat owners in the UK are under 65 years of age.
- 50% of all cat owners who got their cat within the last 12 months are in the 18–34 age bracket.
- Females own more cats than males in the UK, at 27% compared to 25%.
- Most of the owned cats in the UK live in central urban areas (32%).
- The same percentage of renters own cats as homeowners (26% each).
- In the last 12 months, 34% of the cats acquired were kittens under 4 months old.
- 24% of cats acquired in the last year were aged between 1 and 2 years and 11 months.
- The smallest percentage of cats homed in the last year were seniors (over 9 years old), at just 3%.
- In 2022, 8% of owners had a cat that they no longer own.
Cats Around the UK in Numbers
1. There are currently 11 million owned cats in the UK.
(PDSA PAW Report 1)
The PDSA’s 2022 PAW report reveals that there are now 11 million owned cats across the entirety of the UK, comprising England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The numbers of cats owned in specific areas of the UK are different, however, and are detailed below.
2. In 2022, 9.2 million cats resided in England.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
According to Cats Protection’s CATS report, most cats owned in the UK are in England. 9.2 million out of the 11 million cats in the UK reside in England, making them the top country for cat ownership.
3. The total number of cats owned in Scotland in 2022 is 900,000.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
The Cats Protection CATS report also shows how many cats reside in Scotland. Less than one million cats live in Scotland (0.9 million to be exact), equating to only 24% of households. However, they’re still the second-largest cat owners in the United Kingdom.
4. 300,000 cats lived in Northern Ireland as of 2022.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
The CATS report looked at cats owned in Northern Ireland, and the statistics show that Northern Ireland has the smallest population of owned cats in the UK: 300,000 cats out of the UK’s total of 11 million.
5. The Welsh population had 600,000 cats in 2022.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
The last statistic from this part of the CATS report from Cats Protection shows the number of cats owned in Wales. There are 600,000 owned cats in Wales, which is the third highest number in total in the UK.
6. The current population of unowned (feral) cats in the UK is 247,429.
(Nature.com)
This website drew statistics from the UK and collated them to find the number of unowned (feral or stray) cats. In total, there are 247,429 feral cats living in the UK. This could include cats living in colonies or cats that are “semi-feral.”
7. In the last 12 months alone, the cat population in the UK increased by 200,000.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
Within the last year (from 2021 to 2022), Cats Protection has recorded a 200,000 increase in the UK’s owned cat population across the UK. This has equated to a 4% increase in cat ownership in Northern Ireland and Scotland since 2021. Wales saw the number of cats owned fall by 4% in the same period.
8. 26% of households in the UK own a cat.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
The CATS report states that the number of cat-owning households across the UK remains stable, with 26% being the same as in 2021. This is after a surge in cat ownership during the pandemic, according to the report.
9. 65% of cat-owning households own a single cat, while 35% are multi-cat households.
(Cats Protection CATS report 1)
The last population statistic we can glean from the CATS report concerns single vs. multi-cat households. Cats Protection investigates the effect that muti-cat households have on individual cats, and their report shows that owners might be more considerate of most cats’ need to be solitary in the home. 65% of cat-owning households now own one cat, while 35% are multi-cat households.
All About Cat Owners
All About Cat Owners10. Owners in the 25-34 age group own the most cats in the UK at 33%.
(Cats Protection CATS report 2)
Data revealed by Cats Protection shows that a higher percentage of younger owners in the UK have cats, particularly cats in the 25–34 age group. Over 30% of cat owners in the UK are under 35. The cost of living crisis in the UK may influence this statistic.
11. 68% of cat owners aged 18 to 44 are “new” pet owners.
(PDSA PAW report 1)
In the last 12 months, over half of all cat owners (68%) in the UK in the 18–44 age group are actually new pet owners. This could again be due to the after-effects of the pandemic, as owning a cat has positive effects on mental health (as discussed below).
12. 89% of all cat owners in the UK are under 65 years of age.
(Cats Protection CATS report 2)
Nearly 90% of all cat owners in the UK are under the age of 65. The report doesn’t elaborate on this but shows that cat ownership in the over-45 age group is falling and has significantly increased in those aged 18–24.
13. 93% of cat owners said that owning a cat makes them happy.
(PDSA PAW report 4)
When discussing how they feel about their cats, the owners surveyed in the PDSA’s PAW report state that owning a cat improves their mental health and makes them happy. Nearly 100% of all cat owners in the UK stated that owning a cat makes them happy, and 82% agreed that cat ownership improved their mental health.
14. Females own more cats than males in the UK, at 27% compared to 25%.
(Cats Protection CATS report 2)
There is a slightly higher proportion of female cat owners than male cat owners, at 27% compared to 25% respectively. The number of female cat owners has decreased by 2% from 29% in 2021 to 27% in 2022. The percentage of male owners has actually risen by 1%, from 24% in 2021 to 25% in 2022.
15. Most of the owned cats in the UK live in central urban areas (32%).
(Cats Protection CATS report 2)
The CATS report also segregated the areas cats in the UK lived in and analyzed the number of cats in each group. They found that the largest portion of cats resides in central urban areas (32%), with the second largest portion living in other urban areas (29%). The smallest number of cats live in rural areas, with only 23% of residents in suburban and rural regions owning a cat.
16. The same percentage of renters own cats as homeowners (26% each).
(Cats Protection CATS report 2)
Surprisingly, the CATS report finds that owning or renting a home does not make much of a difference to cat owners, with 23% of both homeowners and renters owning a cat. This percentage has dropped for home renters since 2021 by 1% but has stayed the same for homeowners.
Cat Acquisition in the UK
17. In the last 12 months, 34% of the cats acquired were kittens under 4 months old.
(Cats Protection CATS report 3)
The number of kittens under the age of 4 months accounts for 34% in the last 12 months. However, this is a decline from the previous year. A higher percentage of cats under 4 months old were acquired more than 12 months ago (43%) than in the last 12 months (34%), suggesting that older cats may be bought or adopted more often.
18. 24% of cats acquired in the last year were aged between 1 and 2 years and 11 months.
(Cats Protection CATS report 3)
This is an increase from 2021, as only 18% of acquired cats were in this age group.
19. The smallest percentage of cats homed in the last year were seniors (over 9 years old), at just 3%.
(Cats Protection CATS report 3)
The data from the CATS report unfortunately shows that senior cats are still the least likely to be homed into UK households, as only 3% of new cat acquisitions into families were senior cats over 9 years old. However, this is an improvement on 2021’s stats since 2% were acquired in this age bracket last year.
20. In 2022, 8% of owners had a cat that they no longer own.
(Cats Protection CATS report 3)
The last statistic from the CATS report shows data on cat relinquishment, which is the first time such data has been published. Only 8% of all cat owners in the UK had a cat in 2022 that they no longer own, suggesting that 92% of cats are still living with their owners.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cats in the UK
Do many cats live together peacefully?
Generally, the companionship needs of cats in the UK are well known. Slightly more cats live on their own than with another cat (58%). Of the remaining 48% of cats who live with at least one other cat, the data shows that more cats live with cats they enjoy spending time with and are bonded to (24%) than those who don’t get along with or tolerate the other cats they live with (18%).
(PDSA PAW report 3)
Why do people in the UK buy cats rather than adopt them?
The UK has bought cats more than adopted them long-term, with a 1% increase in cats bought since 2021 and a 12% increase in the last 5 years. Cats Protection asked owners why they bought their cats rather than adopting, and the reasons they gave were the following:
- 25% of people wanted a particular cat
- 16% of people wanted a certain breed
- 17% wanted a kitten
There were also mentions of barriers to getting an adopted cat, such as being refused for adoption.
(Cats Protection)
Are many cats being adopted into the UK from abroad in 2022?
There has been an upswing in the number of cats adopted from overseas into the UK over the last few years. In 2020, 2% of cats were imported into the UK. 2021 saw a 1% drop down to 1%, and in 2022 this increased five-fold to 5%. The reasons for this increase are hard to pinpoint, but the PAW report asked cat owners why they adopted their cats from abroad, and their answers included the following:
- They had no preference, and their pet just came from abroad (35%)
- 28% didn’t know where their pet came from
- 12% thought it was cheaper than buying in the UK
- 6% wanted a pet with a mutilation
(PDSA PAW report2)
Conclusion
Cats in the UK come from all backgrounds and are part of many types of families. The stats we’ve explored today show that cats are the second most popular pet in the UK and that most of the cats in the United Kingdom reside in central urban parts of England, such as London.
Despite the rising trend of purchasing kittens from a breeder, more cats are being imported into the UK from other countries to adopt than ever before. If you’re thinking of adding a new cat to your family, research as much as possible first and be prepared before bringing them home.
Featured Image Credit: Georgy Dzyura, Shutterstock
