Cats now Britain's favourite pet as Taylor Swift drives surge in popularity among Gen Z
9 May 2025, 15:26
Cats have become the nations favourite pet, according to a data revealing dogs are no longer Britain's most loved animal.
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Jollyes, One of Britain’s biggest pet care retailer with more than 100 UK stores, says it is seeing a huge spike in cat-related purchases.
It predicts that at the current rate of growth, there will be more cats than dogs in the UK within two years.
Transactions on the firm's cat ranges are now almost a third higher than that of dog ranges, with demand first surging around a year and a half ago.
Around 3.5 million dogs are owned across 36% of households, with 12.5 million cats are owned across 29%, The Times reports.
Jollyes argues part of the reason for the huge shift is due to Gen Z.
That's no thanks to celeb cat lovers from Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry help drive the trend, it has been argued.
Read more: Britain loves dogs – so why are we still testing on them?
Swift owns a whopping three cats Meredith Grey, a Scottish Fold, Olivia Benson, another Scottish Fold, and Benjamin Button, a Ragdoll.
The animals regularly feature in her social media posts and interviews, with one even appearing in Swift’s music videos and ads.
According to Jollyes, young people prefer the personality and convenience of cats.
It says ownership among 18 to 34-year-olds has soared “dramatically” in recent years, with a staggering 41% Generation Z sharing home with at least one cat.
According to UK Pet Food's 2024 report, 27% of men chose to take on an adult cat as a pet, compared to 18% of women over the last four years.
Daniel Warren-Cummings, behaviour officer at Cats Protection, said: “Cats have always been a popular choice of pet, but we’re particularly delighted to see that more men are seeing the benefits of older cats, as well as kittens."
He added: "Just like humans, cats are all different and this is what makes them great pets for people from all walks of life -- whether its indoor cats suited to living in a quiet home or more adventurous ones, which thrive in a busy household and love exploring the outdoors.
"We often hear from men who tell us their cats are not only great companions, they’re also incredibly entertaining which can be a great stress-buster.”
