Cats are everywhere, from cozy apartments to sunny windowsills. But which countries are home to the most of them?
Counting pets is tricky, so the numbers below are the best recent estimates of household cats, not a perfect ranking. Get ready for some big numbers and a few surprises.
United States
Picture a purring cat on nearly every other couch in America. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates about 76.3 million cats lived in U.S. homes in 2025, up from 73.8 million the year before.
That is a lot of whiskers.
The American Pet Products Association says 53 million households owned a cat in 2025. Notice that the cat count is much higher than the household count.
The reason is simple: many families keep more than one cat, and multi-cat homes are growing more common.
Dogs are still a little more widespread across the country. Cats, however, are closing the gap year after year.
Busy schedules, smaller homes, and a love of independent pets all help explain the trend.
If you ever wondered why pet aisles keep getting bigger, here is your answer. With tens of millions of cats at home, stores, vets, and toy makers all have plenty of customers with tails.
The United States earns the top spot on this list, and the cats seem perfectly happy about it.
So the next time a cat video makes you smile online, remember the huge audience behind it.
China
Small apartments, big love for cats. China’s urban pet scene has exploded, and cats are a major reason why.
The 2026 China Pet Industry White Paper, using 2025 data, counted 72.89 million pet cats in the cities.
Pet dogs numbered 53.43 million in the same study, so cats clearly lead the pack. Cat numbers grew by about 1.36 million in just one year.
That is like adding a whole new city of felines.
The money side is just as striking. Urban cat spending hit 152 billion yuan in 2025, up 5.2% from the year before.
Treats, toys, litter, and vet care all add up quickly.
Why do cats fit so well? Younger owners often live in compact homes where a dog may be hard to manage.
A cat needs no daily walks and can nap happily while its owner is at work.
One quick note: the figure covers urban pet cats only. The true total across the whole country could be even higher.
Russia
Forty-three percent of Russian families share their home with a cat. That number comes from Levada Center polling in early 2024, and it says a lot.
Cats are simply part of everyday Russian life.
A big 2023 study by Ipsos for Russia’s Center for Animal Nutrition and Welfare counted 49.2 million household cats. Dogs came in at 25.5 million, so cats nearly double them.
The survey also showed the combined cat and dog population had grown by about 11% since 2020.
Cold winters may help the cat cause. A warm, furry lap pet is hard to beat when snow piles up outside.
Cats also handle indoor life well.
Here is a twist for number lovers. Older international datasets list much lower figures for Russia.
The gap shows how much survey methods can change a final count.
Whichever source you trust, the message stays the same. Russia is a true cat country, and the felines rule the household with calm confidence.
Brazil
Brazil loves pets in a big way, and cats are racing up the charts. Instituto Pet Brasil estimated about 30.8 million pet cats in 2023.
The year before, the number was 29.2 million, a jump of roughly 5.4%.
Add dogs, birds, fish, and small pets, and the country’s pet total reaches about 160.9 million animals. That is a lively crowd.
Cats make up a growing slice of it.
City life plays a role. Apartments are common, and cats need far less room than large dogs.
A sunny balcony and a scratching post can be enough to keep one content.
Here is a handy lesson about statistics. Some online rankings still show far lower numbers for Brazil.
Those lists are often outdated, which is why checking the source and the year matters.
With fresh data on its side, Brazil proudly claims a place among the world’s top cat nations. Expect that number to keep climbing.
France
Bonjour, chat! France has more cats than dogs by a wide margin.
The FACCO-ODOXA 2024 survey estimated 16.6 million cats compared with 9.9 million dogs.
About 39% of French respondents said they had a cat, while 30% had a dog. Cats clearly win the popularity contest here.
Many homes seem to prefer a quiet roommate over a walking partner.
Numbers come with fine print, though. FACCO explained that its 2024 method changed from paper forms to digital research with individuals instead of households.
That means comparing with older editions needs care.
FEDIAF, which collects European data separately, lists a lower figure of 14.9 million cats. Both sources agree on the big picture.
France supports a very large cat population.
Think of the cafes, bookshops, and narrow apartments in French towns. A cat fits right into that cozy scene.
It is no wonder so many people choose one.
Germany
Germany counts 15.7 million cats, and no other traditional pet there comes close. That figure comes from a 2025 survey by the pet associations IVH and ZZF.
It was based on a representative sample of 5,000 households.
About 24% of German households have a cat. In total, the survey counted roughly 33.4 million dogs, cats, small mammals, and pet birds.
Cats lead the way in numbers.
Many owners keep more than one. Earlier ZZF research found that over a third of German cat owners had at least two.
A second cat often means company for both.
Here is a fun comparison. Germany has more cats than the human population of several European countries.
Imagine a whole nation of purring neighbors.
The takeaway is clear. Cats are Germany’s number one companion animal, and the numbers keep that title firmly in place.
United Kingdom
Britain may be famous for tea, but cats are close behind. UK Pet Food estimated 13 million pet cats in 2026.
About 31% of British households have at least one.
Only dogs are more common as a major pet. Still, cats hold a solid second place.
Many people enjoy their calm company on rainy afternoons.
What makes this estimate special is how carefully it was built. UK Pet Food uses independent research from Kantar, with about 9,000 adults surveyed each year.
That is a clear method compared with many global lists.
There is also a story of caution. The group skipped publishing its 2025 results after spotting unusually high dog estimates.
It kept validated figures and ran a fresh survey for 2026.
That care makes the British cat number especially useful when comparing countries. Good data, like a good cat, is worth waiting for.
Italy
Roman ruins, pasta, and cats: Italy has all three. FEDIAF’s 2024 data shows more than 10.2 million pet cats living in Italian homes.
That ranks among the largest feline populations in Europe.
The number looks even bigger next to Italy’s population of fewer than 60 million people. Roughly speaking, there is a cat for every handful of residents.
Cats clearly have a place at many Italian tables.
FEDIAF builds its numbers through national pet-industry groups and outside data checks. There is no single European government census.
So these remain careful estimates.
Italy is also known for community cats that wander historic streets and ancient sites. Those free-roaming animals are a separate matter.
They are not automatically counted in household pet totals.
Still, the love of cats runs deep here. Whether indoors or out, felines are part of the Italian scene.
Japan
In Japan, cats have officially outnumbered pet dogs. The Japan Pet Food Association, cited by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, estimated about 9.16 million household cats in 2024.
That is a big crowd for a country with limited space.
The numbers took a small journey. Cat counts reached about 8.95 million in 2021, dipped, and then rose again.
By 2024 they passed that earlier high.
Here is a detail that surprises many people. Japan has no mandatory registration system for cats like the one used for dogs.
Because of that, national surveys matter a lot for getting a clear picture.
Cats suit Japanese city life nicely. They are quiet, clean, and happy in small apartments.
Many families find that a cat fits tight spaces better than a dog.
It all adds up to a remarkably large feline population for such a crowded country.
Poland
One cat for every five people: that is roughly the math in Poland. FEDIAF’s latest dataset, using 2024 information, counts about 7.55 million pet cats.
The country has around 37 million residents.
The previous dataset listed about 7.25 million. Before you celebrate growth, though, FEDIAF warns against simple year-to-year comparisons.
Its collection methods and country coverage keep changing.
Even so, the standing is impressive. Poland now has a larger estimated pet-cat population than Spain, Romania, Belgium, or the Netherlands.
Not bad for a country many people do not link with cat fame.
Cats are among the most widespread household animals in Polish homes. They are easy to care for and happy in both city flats and village houses.
A warm radiator and a soft blanket often do the trick.
Poland rounds out our list with a strong showing. It proves that cat love stretches across every corner of the map.
Share this story
