Data reveals that young Britons are more likely than ever to own a cat
Cats Protection has revealed in a recent report that social media has caused a boom in cat ownership among young people in the UK.
Your 20s are often seen as the time for independence, travelling the world, moving cities and ultimately living a spontaneous lifestyle – milestones that don’t usually align with the responsibilities of first-time pet ownership. But, Cats Protection has revealed in their 2025 CATS (Cats and Their Stats UK) Report that young people are more likely than ever to own a cat.
For a long time now, cats have been the second-most popular pet in the UK, following behind dogs which roughly 30% of the UK own pdsa.
Cats Protection have stated that there were 10.2 million UK households owned cats UK in 2025, making up 24% of the population.
The distribution of cat ownership across the English regions is largely consistent, however, there are notably more owners in London, with 28% of households owning a cat. Whilst on the other end of the spectrum, only 17% in North East England.
However, one of the most significant changes in cat ownership noted by Cats Protection is the increase in 18-34 year olds obtaining a cat in the last five years. 31% now own a cat, a figure that has risen 6% since 2020. Interestingly, there has also been a decrease in the percentage of 35 – 54 year olds owning a cat, whilst 55+ year olds have remained consistently low in their ownership.
So, why are young people choosing to take on the commitment of purchasing a cat, whilst data shows that other age groups are choosing to not.
In the CATS report, digital engagement manager Vicki Greenfield, suggested that social media has been pivotal:
“the digital world is increasingly playing a central role in educating, advising and influencing people of all ages.”
This doesn’t come as a shock with social media filled with cat content. In fact, the #cat hashtag on Instagram has gathered a whopping 313M posts, whilst TikTok has also gained over 75.6M #cat posts. Many of these posts advertise cats as being the perfect pet and provide a wealth of ownership tips, alongside the classic funny cat fail video which have been popular since social media established.
We already know that young people are highly influenced by social media and clearly the posts fed to them are encouraging the ownership of cats.
The CATS report also stated that young owners are using social media as their main source of knowledge. Data showed that 47% of 18-34 year olds are turning to YouTube 40% are turning to TikTok for advice on how to take care of their cat.
In light of this, the report has raised concerns that social media has resulted in young owners contacting their vet for advice less often. This can have a detrimental effect on the welfare of cats in the UK, as owners may be influenced by online recommendations that aren’t actually beneficial.
Cats Protection, however, is using their social media channels for good. They have recognised the influence of online posts on young cat owners and hopes to create educational content that reaches a large audience and “improve cat welfare at a huge scale” Cats Protection.