2023–2025: Cats gain ground in US vet clinics as visit volumes decline
by Diana Dominguez
Growing feline ownership and stronger engagement with veterinary care are reshaping the market, boosting share of visits and revenue.
Feline veterinary visits continued to outperform the broader US market between 2023 and 2025, despite an overall decline in veterinary visit volumes.
Feline veterinary visits in the US outpaced declines in all-species visits by an average of approximately 3.2 percentage points (p.p.) per quarter.
The Feline Market Insights Report, published by the non-profit organization CATalyst Council, shows that cat clinical visits grew in every quarter from Q1 2023 through Q4 2025 (12 consecutive quarters), while all-species clinical visits declined in nearly every quarter over the same period.
The analysis is based on year-over-year (YoY) growth rates per veterinary practice, using transaction data from 19,000 US units in a nationally representative sample weighted by practice size and region.
Cat market share at a record high
During the 2020-2022 period, the feline clinical market share remained stable at 20-21%. From 2023 onward, this figure increased, reaching an annual average of nearly 23% in full-year 2025.
In Q4 2025, the market reached a record quarterly high of 24.7%, meaning cats accounted for nearly 1 in 4 clinical interactions at US veterinary practices.
The feline veterinary market is currently valued at $12.7 billion (€11 billion), still significantly smaller than the US canine market, which stands at $48 billion (€44 billion). However, the report claims that the feline segment is growing faster, with an average annual growth rate of 9%, compared to 7.5% for the canine market.
The CATalyst Council notes that this increase reflects both continued growth in feline visits and a contraction in overall veterinary visit volumes.
Revenue per visit
As of 2025, revenue per kitten visit stands at $162 (€137), virtually identical to the $161 (€136) generated per puppy visit. This marks a shift from 2018-2019, when puppy visits typically generated around $3 (€2.58) to $5 (€4.30) more per visit than kitten visits.
CATalyst Council explains that, from 2020 onward, this gap narrowed steadily, reaching near parity by 2022, and is now effectively closed.
In terms of value per visit, the CATalyst Council explains that the gap between cat and dog appointments has narrowed mainly because veterinary service prices have risen sharply.
Veterinary inflation in the US is currently running at around 7% YoY – roughly 3 times higher than overall consumer inflation (CPI). This price increase, rather than any major change in the types or mixes of treatments provided to cats and dogs, has primarily driven the convergence in visit values between the 2 species.
Each additional cat clinical visit, including both kittens and adults, represents approximately $246 (€208) in clinical revenue, driving strong practice investment in feline care.
An inflection point
According to the CATalyst Council, the feline market is currently at an inflection point, with future growth increasingly dependent on how effectively the industry serves cats and their owners.
Cats now account for nearly 1 in 4 clinical visits at US vet practices, and the share continues to grow even as overall visit volumes decline.
“What we’re seeing is not a short-term fluctuation but instead, it appears to be a structural shift in veterinary medicine,” concludes Gina Fortunato, Executive Director of CATalyst Council.
Fonte: globalpetindustry.com
