Cat health statistics show that many important feline conditions are linked to age, body weight, dental health, and regular monitoring. The figures below cover U.S. ownership and care patterns, clinical estimates, and findings from specific studies, with the measurement period or study population kept explicit.
In this article
- Cat ownership and everyday care
- Age-related disease
- Weight, diabetes, and mobility
- Respiratory, digestive, and thyroid conditions
- Dental health
- Urinary disease and infectious-disease testing
Cat ownership and everyday care
The APPA 2025 Dog & Cat Report measured a substantial change in U.S. cat ownership in 2024. Cat ownership rose 23% in 2024. The report counted 49 million U.S. households with a cat in 2024, compared with 40 million in 2023. These are household figures, so they describe the number of owning households rather than the number of individual cats.
Household composition also changed. Single-cat households represented 58% in 2024, down from 64% in 2018. Households with two cats increased 8% from 2018, while households with three or more cats increased 36% over the same period. Those trends point to a larger share of multi-cat homes, although the report does not provide a total cat count for each household category here.
| 2024 owner behavior or purchase | Share of cat owners | Change noted by APPA |
|---|---|---|
| Used some type of training method | 48% | Up 41% from 2018 |
| Had a leash for a cat | 32% | Up 52% from 2018 |
| Owned a harness | 22% | Not reported in the supplied comparison |
| Owned a non-flea collar | 27% | Up 69% from 2018 |
| Hosted a holiday or birthday party | 21% | Up 250% from 2018 |
| Purchased pet-themed merchandise | 34% | Up 89% from 2018 |
Food and supplement choices were also quantified in the APPA 2025 Dog & Cat Report. In 2024, 38% of cat owners purchased basic food, 19% purchased mixers or toppers, and 12% purchased pre- or probiotic diets. Mixer or topping purchases were up 138% from 2018. Pre- or probiotic diet purchases were down 9% from 2023, so that comparison is a year-over-year change rather than a comparison with 2018.
The report found that 34% of cat owners gave their cats vitamins or supplements in 2024. Vitamin or supplement use was up 6% from 2023 and up 70% from 2018. These figures describe reported owner behavior and purchases; they do not establish that a particular diet or supplement prevents disease.
Age-related disease
Chronic kidney disease becomes especially important as cats grow older. The Cornell Feline Health Center estimates that chronic kidney disease affects up to 40% of cats over age 10 and up to 80% of cats over age 15. The phrase “up to” matters: these figures are upper estimates for the stated age groups, not a prediction that every older cat will develop the condition.
Kidney disease and high blood pressure often appear together. Cornell reports that about 60% of cats with chronic kidney disease also develop hypertension. Conversely, at least 60% of cats diagnosed with hypertension show signs of chronic kidney disease. About 20% of cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism are also diagnosed with hypertension. Neurologic changes occur in between 15% and 40% of cats with hypertension.
| Condition or relationship | Reported figure | Population or context |
|---|---|---|
| Chronic kidney disease | Up to 40% | Cats over age 10 |
| Chronic kidney disease | Up to 80% | Cats over age 15 |
| Hypertension among cats with chronic kidney disease | About 60% | Cornell clinical estimate |
| Chronic kidney disease signs among cats with hypertension | At least 60% | Cornell clinical estimate |
| Hypertension among cats with hyperthyroidism | About 20% | Cornell clinical estimate |
| Neurologic changes among cats with hypertension | 15%–40% | Cornell clinical estimate |
Cornell specifically recommends regular blood-pressure monitoring for cats with hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease because these diseases commonly co-occur with hypertension. The statistics describe overlapping risks, not separate groups that can be added together.
Weight, diabetes, and mobility
Body weight is associated with several serious feline health outcomes. Cornell reports that feline obesity is generally defined as body weight at least 20% above normal weight. In its Feline Diabetes information, Cornell states that obese cats are up to four times more likely to develop diabetes than ideal-weight cats. Another Cornell source, “How Often Should You Feed Your Cat?”, reports that overweight cats are 4.5 times more likely to develop diabetes mellitus than optimal-weight cats.
The two diabetes comparisons use different labels and sources—“obese” versus “overweight,” and “ideal-weight” versus “optimal-weight”—so they should not be treated as one combined estimate. They both indicate a strong association between excess weight and diabetes risk.
The same Cornell feeding source reports several associations with mobility and skin problems. Obese cats are seven times more likely to require veterinary care for lameness than optimal-weight cats. Heavy cats are three times more likely to suffer lameness than optimal-weight cats. Obese cats are three times more likely to be presented for non-allergic skin conditions than optimal-weight cats. Cornell also reports that obese cats are twice as likely to die in middle age as optimal-weight cats.
These figures are comparative risk estimates, not guarantees for an individual cat. A cat’s body condition, activity, diet, age, and medical history all affect how a veterinarian interprets weight-related risk.
Respiratory, digestive, and thyroid conditions
More than 80 million cats live in American homes, according to the Cornell Feline Health Center’s Feline Asthma information. Cornell estimates that about 800,000 or more U.S. cats—roughly 1% of the domestic feline population—suffer from acute or chronic asthma. The population figure and the asthma estimate are U.S.-specific; they should not be generalized to cats worldwide.
Parasites are also common in some feline populations. Cornell’s Gastrointestinal Parasites of Cats Brochure reports prevalence rates for feline gastrointestinal parasitism as high as 45%. Roundworms have an estimated prevalence of 25% to 75%, often higher in kittens. Because these are prevalence ranges and upper estimates, the actual rate depends on the cats studied, their age, environment, and testing methods.
Feline hyperthyroidism is usually associated with benign thyroid enlargement. Cornell reports that benign thyroid enlargement causes 98% of feline hyperthyroidism cases, while thyroid carcinoma causes 2%. About 70% of hyperthyroid cats have both thyroid lobes affected. After radioactive iodine therapy, up to 50% of hyperthyroid cats can develop some degree of hypothyroidism. That last figure describes a possible treatment outcome, not the prevalence of hypothyroidism in all cats.
Dental health
Dental disease is among the most frequently reported health problems in cats. A study discussed in the article “The Choice of Diet Affects the Oral Health of the Domestic Cat,” indexed in PMC, reported periodontal disease in about 70% of domestic cats over 2 years of age and about 85% of domestic cats over 5 years of age. These figures come from the cited research context and age groups; they are not a universal screening result for every domestic cat.
Tooth resorption varies widely by study population. A PubMed study titled “Prevalence of Tooth Resorptive Lesions in 120 Feline Dental Patients in Israel” found tooth resorption in 66% of the 120 feline dental patients. In that Israeli dental sample, cats age 10 and older had an 83.3% prevalence of tooth resorption.
The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery review table cited several additional study results. Radiographic evidence of tooth resorption appeared in 60.8% of 265 feline dental cases, 66% of cats in one Israeli dental study, and 29% of cats in another cited study. A large case-control study found tooth resorption in 3.9% of all cats studied, but in 21% of cats diagnosed with oral or dental disease. The different denominators explain why these percentages should not be averaged.
The same review table reported wide variation in chronic gingivostomatitis and periodontal findings. Feline chronic gingivostomatitis was found in 0.7% of cats in a first-opinion practice study and reached 26.6% in feral cats studied in Korea. In a colony study, 96% of cats had gingival inflammation, 98.2% had periodontal bone loss, and 12.8% had aggressive periodontal disease.
Urinary disease and infectious-disease testing
Cornell’s Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease information states that surveys suggest feline lower urinary tract disease is the number one reason cats visit veterinary practices. The condition is most frequently seen in middle-aged, overweight cats. Male cats are at increased risk for urethral obstruction compared with females.
These statements describe patterns associated with veterinary visits and risk, rather than a single national prevalence percentage. They also show why sex, age, and body condition are relevant when a cat develops urinary signs.
Testing coverage for feline immunodeficiency virus remains limited in the Cornell estimate. Less than 10% of cats in the United States are tested for feline immunodeficiency virus, according to Cornell’s “On the Lookout for FIV.” This is a testing-rate statistic, not an estimate of the percentage of cats infected with FIV.
Together, the available figures support a practical focus on age-appropriate screening, weight management, dental assessment, and attention to urinary or neurologic changes. The reported percentages come from different years, geographies, clinical populations, and study designs, so each number is most useful when read with its original context.