PDSA PAW Survey 2019: Insights on UK Cat Ownership

The PDSA is the UK’s dedicated veterinary charity, caring for thousands of pets annually, with cats among the most common. Beyond treating illness, the PDSA focuses on pet education and preventative health to keep cats safe and well.

Since 2011, the PDSA has run the large-scale PAW (Animal Wellbeing) Survey, gathering data from 10,000 UK adults about pet ownership, care knowledge, and animal welfare. This report offers valuable insights into cat ownership patterns and responsible care in the UK.

This article summarises key findings from the 2019 PAW Survey about cats, highlighting important trends and owner behaviours.

Quick Cat Facts for 2019

Approximately 10.9 million pet cats live in the UK, reflecting their enduring popularity.
24% of UK adults own a cat, making feline companionship common across the country.

Indoor or Outdoor Living?

73% of UK cats have some access to the outdoors or live outdoors.
27% (around 2.9 million cats) live indoors only, a substantial increase from previous years, reflecting changing attitudes to indoor-only cat care for safety and wellbeing.

What Do Cats Eat?

Excluding natural hunting, half of UK cats are fed a mixed diet of wet and dry food.

48% of cats receive mainly dry food; 39% mainly wet food diets.
2% consume raw diets, equally split between commercial raw foods and owner-prepared raw meals, amounting to about 220,000 cats.
Some cats are mainly fed human food (9%), fish such as tuna (13%), or cooked meats (10%). However, the PDSA cautions against such feeding due to risks of nutritional deficiencies and advocates balanced commercial diets.
Regular treats are common (78% of cats), with most owners choosing shop-bought treats (54%), while others give meat, fish or scraps (34%). Dental treats are given to 20%.
Cat-specific milks are fed to 13% of cats, whereas 9% are given regular cow’s milk, which is less suitable nutritionally.

Pet Sitting and Boarding

When owners travel, care arrangements for cats differ significantly from dogs.

56% of cat owners prefer to leave cats at home with someone visiting to care for them.
16% use licensed catteries, but 10% of these do not check for valid licensing and insurance.
9% board cats with friends or family instead of commercial facilities.
12% of owners have not yet faced pet-sitting arrangements, either by chance or choice.

Feline Social Life and Owner Bonds

43% of UK cats live with at least one other cat.
18% of multi-cat owners report that their cats do not get on well, reflecting cats’ naturally solitary nature unless raised together from kittens.
Between 70%-91% of owners say having a cat alleviates feelings of loneliness, with younger adults (18-34 years) most appreciative (91%), demonstrating cats’ valued companionship role.

Additional Insights from PDSA PAW Surveys

More recent data and analyses reaffirm that while approximately half of pet owners have cats, challenges remain in aspects of responsible care, including vaccination rates where a troubling decline has been noted in the past.

Legislative changes such as mandatory microchipping for cats, increased veterinary market spending, and ongoing engagement in education highlight evolving UK standards for feline welfare.

For those interested in exploring the detailed 2019 report, you can download the full PDSA PAW Survey 2019 Report.

Responsible cat ownership remains an ongoing community effort to ensure every cat’s health, welfare, and happiness for years to come.