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Kittens just overtook puppies in American homes. Here’s who’s driving the cat boom

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Kittens just overtook puppies in American homes. Here’s who’s driving the cat boom

Cats are having a moment. In American homes, cats have long played second fiddle to dogs. More U.S. households own dogs, but the balance is starting to tip.

Last year, the number of U.S. homes with a dog under a year old was basically equal to the number of homes with a cat under the same age, according to recent data from market research group Packaged Facts. In 2026, the ratio tipped to .94 puppies for every one kitten. Compare that to 2014, when 1.8 households owned a puppy for every one home with a young cat and it certainly looks like feline friends are on the upswing. 

Last year, 95 million American households owned a pet. Out of homes with a pet, 71 million households owned a dog, while 53 million households owned a cat. Pet ownership grew across the board for both cats and dogs between 2024 and 2025, but cat ownership increased 5% during that interval while dog ownership only grew by 2%. That follows a record year for Americans adding cats to their homes in 2024, when cat ownership exploded by 23%. Many homes added a litter box over the last few years, but existing cat owners also added more cats into the mix.

Two major demographics are driving the increase in cat ownership, according to recent data from the American Pet Products Association: Gen Z and cat dads. S. in 2025, up from 12% the year prior. Meanwhile, cat ownership is surging among men, who now make up 43% of cat owners.


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