The UK’s pet cat population increased by about 600,000 as more young people turned to the company of a feline friend during the pandemic.
The number of pet cats rose to 10.8 million during 2020/21, up from 10.2 million in 2019/20, according to Cats Protection’s ‘Cats And Their Stats Report 2021’, which looks at the relationship between people and their cats..
The second report published by Cats Protection – and the largest cat survey of its kind – showed around 800,000 cats were acquired for a reason linked to the pandemic such as working from home or to relieve loneliness, and this more than offset pet cats that died owing to illness or old age. It means that today just over a quarter of households (26%) own a cat.
More half of new cat owners (51%) were in the 18 – 34 age group while just one in 10 were aged 55 and over.
The CATS Report also uncovered a number of key cat welfare challenges in the years ahead:
* 340,000 cats bought in the last financial year were found on sites such as Gumtree, Preloved, Facebook and Pets4Homes. Over the same period, Action Fraud reported a six-fold increase in online cat and kitten fraud, from 190 in the 2019/20 financial year to 1,146 in the 2020/21 financial year.
* An estimated 2.8 million pet cats are not yet microchipped, even though the government has announced plans to introduce compulsory microchipping
* 1.2 million pet cats are not registered with a vet, with owners worried about the cost of appointments and their own cat’s stress at being taken to the vet.
HAPPY HOMES
“As a charity that cares passionately about cats, it’s great to see so many more cats in happy homes,” said Maggie Roberts, the charity’s Director of Veterinary Services.
“It is very encouraging to see a resurgence in the popularity of cats, especially among young people and this report helps identify key priority areas where Cats Protection can better support cat owners and make a big difference to cat welfare.
“For instance, we encourage anyone thinking of buying a kitten online to use the Kitten Checklist, which is available at www.cats.org.uk/buying-a-kitten and details everything they need to check to make sure they’re buying a happy, healthy pet.
“Cats Protection also runs programmes across the UK where we can help people on limited incomes with the cost of microchipping and neutering their pet cats.
“We also provide practical advice to help owners calm their cat before they visit their vet, such as training their cat to be comfortable with being placed in a cat carrier.
“These and the many other insights gained through the CATS Report mean we can continue to look at emerging trends, take decisive action and make the UK a much better place for pet cats and their owners.”
