CATalyst Council Releases First 2025 Market Insights Report: Feline Veterinary Care Emerges as Industry Growth Driver
At a time when the broader market headwinds are challenging veterinary medicine, the feline segment is bucking the trend with remarkable, sustained growth. According to proprietary practice data from multiple leading industry sources, feline veterinary visits and practice revenues in the U.S. have been steadily growing since early 2023, in stark contrast to the continuing and well-publicized annual decline in overall companion animal veterinary clinical visits over those same two years.
'We're seeing strong evidence that feline veterinary care is resilient in the face of inflation and other pressures on pet-owning households,' said Kristin Wuhrman, CATalyst Council Vice Chair. 'Driven in part by growing cat ownership, cats present a clear opportunity to prioritize investment in a more modern, data-informed feline care ecosystem.'
Key findings include:
Feline clinical visits grew year-over-year in 2023 and 2024, while overall visits to veterinary practices in the U.S. (dominated by canine visits) declined, a departure from historical norms;
Cats represent a growing percentage of the pet population in U.S. households;
Growth in the household-owned feline population has continued at an elevated level since the onset of the pandemic, suggesting cat companionship is highly valued in the current environment;
The return-to-office movement and denser urban living of today's world favor cat ownership;
The report's novel, feline-specific analysis reveals new opportunities to address unmet needs in feline care, particularly around caregiver engagement, preventive care, and practice-level service models; and
Leading pet industry companies are prioritizing investment in M&A, product pipelines, and retail strategies to reflect these trends.
Supported by aggregated data from U.S. veterinary practices and pet owners, and across multiple sources, CATalyst Council's Market Insights initiative aims to equip the profession with a deep understanding of the feline veterinary market's trajectory. The data-driven analysis uncovered in this first quarterly volume is essential for industry executives, investors, veterinary teams, and innovators seeking to identify whitespace, prioritize strategic investments, and drive better outcomes for cats and their caregivers alike.
'Cats are quite different than dogs. Their psychological and medical care needs are distinct, and their market trajectories are increasingly divergent,' said Anne Ward, DVM, CATalyst Council Chair. 'This report gives the industry the market data needed to act decisively and strategically drive growth, supporting a healthier future for millions of cats and the caregivers who love them.'
The 2025 CATalyst Feline Market Insights Reports, expected to be released quarterly, are available exclusively to CATalyst Council sponsors. The Council will release high-level conclusions from the reports throughout the year through press releases and LinkedIn, designed to engage veterinary professionals, industry stakeholders, and decision-makers with digestible, evidence-based content.
To receive updates or inquire about the benefits of sponsorship, please visit catalystcouncil.org.
About CATalyst Council
CATalyst Council is a national organization dedicated to accelerating innovation in feline care and enhancing quality of life for cats and their people. CATalyst Council's vision is to ensure all companion cats receive lifelong care by using evidence-based resources, embracing community-wide relationships for optimal health outcomes, and celebrating the human-feline bond.
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