The UK’s largest and most comprehensive report into cats and their owners was launched last week by charity Cats Protection.
The CATS (Cats And Their Stats) report is based on more than 10,000 interviews with cat lovers and offers an unrivalled insight into our relationship with one of the UK’s favourite pets.
Among the statistics are:
– There are 10.2 million owned cats in the UK – one for every six people
– Cat ownership is highest among 28-54-year-olds, dispelling myths of the elderly cat owner
– Sixty-two per cent of cat owners aged between 18 and 34 said their cats helped to relieve stress and loneliness.
– Despite microchipping being a safe and permanent means of identification, about 2.6 million cats are not ‘chipped.
“The report celebrates the special relationship we have with felines, highlighting how cats bring joy to our lives and how we can better understand and adjust to their complex needs and behaviours,” says James Yeates, Cats Protection’s chief executive.
“We now have detailed data on cat welfare issues of concern such as the number of un-mcrochipped cats or the number of cats affected by air gun attacks – which will greatly help Cats Protection’s campaigning efforts and calls for positive action.
“We also spoke to non-cat owners who would like a cat but can’t have one so we can learn more about the barriers to cat ownership and how to overcome them.
“We now plan to publish a CATS report every year and use it across our rehoming, neutering, education and advocacy work so we can ultimately help many thousands of unwanted cats to find happy homes and live happy lives.”.
There is one CATS Report covering the UK as well as regional versions for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales (in English and Welsh). To view all of the reports visit www.cats.org.uk/stats
