States with the highest cat ownership rates in the U.S. 2024

Vermont was the leading state in terms of cat ownership, with some 45 percent of households owning a pet cat in 2024. In comparison, around 32 percent of households in Wisconsin were cat owners that year.

Cat ownership in the U.S.

There are almost 47 million households in the U.S. that own a cat. Cats are the second most popular type of pets, only surpassed by dogs, which are owned by about 65 million households. The average accident and illness insurance premium for a cat in the U.S. amounts to approximately 387 U.S. dollars annually. The costs of insurance largely depend on the type of cat. The largest cat insurance claims paid in Canada and in the U.S. are made for a sphynx. A total claim amount of approximately 40,000 U.S. dollars is paid annually to treat various conditions for this breed. In comparison, a total claim amount of slightly under 15,000 U.S. dollars is paid for domestic short hairs at the age of four.

American pet food companies

The global pet food market has shown a growing trajectory for over a decade. The market reached sales of approximately 124 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The U.S. company Freshpet is the fourth fastest-growing pet food company worldwide, with an annual growth rate of about 40 percent. The U.S. companies General Mills and Tuffy’s Pet Foods are also among the top ten fastest-growing pet food companies worldwide, with annual growth rates of approximately 33 and 25 percent, respectively. The German company Bewital petfood GmbH & Co. KG ranks in first place, with an annual growth rate of almost 100 percent. The leading pet food company in the U.S. is Mars Petcare Inc., with 19.5 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. Nestlé Purina PetCare follows closely in second place with just under 19.4 billion U.S. dollars in revenue.