- The current domestic cat population in the U.S. was 81.7 million at the end of 2006, almost 10 million more than dogs.
- The number of owned cats has increased 38% since 1996.
- Cat-owning households represent 32.4% of all U.S. households.
- Cat-owning households had an average number of 2.2 cats in 2006, compared to 1.7 dogs per dog-owning households.
- Nearly half (49.2%) of all cat owners consider their cat to be a family member; 49.4% consider cats as pets or companions.
- In 2006, 36% of cats did not visit the veterinarian, compared to 17% of dogs.
- Overall veterinary visits for cats have decreased almost 11% since 2001. (Cats visited the veterinarian 63.3 million times in 2006).
From The American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership &Demographics Sourcebook