Cats vs Dogs: Data Reveals UK Pet Ownership

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Brits and their Beloved Pets: A Wagging Tale of Trends

2024 has seen pet ownership in the UK reach an all-time high, with 63% of households welcoming furry (or feathery, or scaly) companions into their homes. This shows the UK’s love affair with animals shows no signs of slowing down. And while the debate between cat people and dog people (and sometimes fish or reptile people) continues, Andrew Leal, CEO of Waggel, joins us to shed light on pet preferences.

Over the Years

			% of household owning a pet
Year	Pets	Cats	Dogs
2024	60%	29%	36%
2023	57%	26%	31%
2022	62%	28%	34%
2021	59%	27%	33%

The statistics reveal a consistent trend, with both dog and cat ownership hovering around the 30% mark across the past four years. However, when we delve deeper, an interesting gender divide and age dynamic emerge. “This paints a fascinating picture of pet ownership in the UK,” explains Andrew. “Not only do we see a preference split based on gender, but also a trend linked to age.”

Gender	% Cat owner among UK	% Dog owner among UK
Male	28%	37%
Female	28%	32%

While both men and women share a love for animals, there seems to be a slight difference in pet choices. Women in the UK are more likely to be cat owners, with 28% falling into this category, compared to 37% who own dogs. Conversely, men lean slightly more towards dogs (32%) with cat ownership at 28%.

Millennials Lead the Pack

Age group	% Cat owners among UK	% Dog owners among UK
18-24	28%	40%
25-34	34%	45%
35-44	32%	39%
45-54	31%	35%
55-64	26%	27%
65-74	19%	23%
75+	14%	15%

On an interesting trend regarding age groups, Andrew tells us that “Younger demographics, particularly millennials (aged 25-34), make up 45% of dog owners.” This could be attributed to their active lifestyles and potentially more flexible living arrangements that can accommodate them. Ownership dips slightly for both cats and dogs in the 35-44 age range, before settling into a relatively consistent pattern across older age groups. Notably, cat ownership seems to decline steadily as we move towards the 75+ age bracket, whereas dog ownership remains fairly steady.

London Pawing

				Year: 2023. Estimated numbers.
Place	Rank dog pop.	Dog population	Rank cat pop.	Cat population
Greater London	1	588,527	1	513,181
Kent	2	312,550	2	272,536
Devon	3	305,483	3	266,374
Hampshire	4	300,614	4	262,128
Essex	5	256,529	5	223,687
Surrey	6	255,083	6	222,426
Hertfordshire	7	228,850	7	199,551
Lancashire	8	227,792	8	198,629
Somerset	9	212,939	9	185,678
Norfolk	10	211,948	10	184,813

Interestingly, insights into the distribution of dog and cat populations across various regions shows that Greater London takes the crown for the most dog-loving area, with a whopping 588,527 canine companions. Kent and Devon follow closely behind with 312,550 and 305,483 dogs respectively. Whereby London’s cat population follows closely behind, which again holds the top spot, with a purr-fectly respectable 513,181 feline residents. Kent and Devon hold onto their positions in the top three, boasting 272,536 and 266,374 cats respectively.

Dogs Are Top, But Cats Continue to Climb

Despite the consistent rise in cat ownership, there are still more pet dogs than cats in the UK. This might surprise some, but it highlights the enduring popularity of our pups and pooches.

Whereas cats continue to hold a special place in our hearts, Andrew concludes, “It seems dogs maintain their reign as the top pet choice for British households. This consistent rise in pet ownership signifies the growing importance we place on animal companionship, with a fascinating dynamic between pet preference, gender, and age coming to light.”

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