For the first time since it began tracking pet ownership, more US households own kittens than puppies, according to market research firm Packaged Facts. The ratio of kitten-owning to puppy-owning households reached 1:1 last year and now stands at 1:0.94.
Dog ownership in decline
The shift is less about a boom for cats and more about a decline in dog ownership. Packaged Facts reports that homeowners are nearly twice as likely as renters to have a dog, and the sluggish property market—driven by high real estate prices, elevated mortgage rates, and stagnant wages—is a contributing factor.
In the UK, the 2026 Pet Food survey shows the dog population at 15.5 million, slightly ahead of cats at 13 million. That gap has narrowed compared to two years ago, when the survey was last published.
Cost of ownership
Packaged Facts calculates that the average dog costs its owner $1,300 (£985) per year, while the average cat costs $750 (£570). Writing in the Washington Post, Robert Granader, chief executive of Packaged Facts, noted that the trend is not about cats replacing dogs. “It’s about America becoming more like cats: living in smaller spaces, valuing independence and preferring to be left alone,” he wrote.
While ratios differ across Europe, the UK faces the same economic global headwinds as the US, so future shifts in pet ownership patterns remain possible.
