Feline veterinary visits continued to increase during the second quarter of 2025, according to the most recent quarterly volume of the 2025 Feline Market Insights Report, published by the CATalyst Council.
The growth is noteworthy because overall veterinary visits have steadily declined during the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2024. Veterinary care for cats has historically been overlooked, with dogs more likely to receive regular care.
According to the 2024 AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, only 57% of cat owners had brought their pet to a veterinarian during the past year, compared to 77% of dog owners.
“Even as overall visits remain tepid, cat visits continued to climb,” said Dr. Jane Brunt, the CATalyst Council’s executive director.
Additional insights from the report include:
- The high cost of veterinary care remains a top concern of pet owners. Veterinary industry inflation continued to outpace the Consumer Price Index by nearly 4 percentage points.
- Increasingly, more pet owners are opting to adopt cats. Lifestyle shifts and home ownership challenges, particularly among younger generations, may influence the preference.
- At-home assessments and artificial intelligence tools that allow pet owners to communicate with veterinary teams can help reduce barriers to feline veterinary care.
The use of AI has significant potential to assist pet owners and veterinary teams in providing more consistent care for cats.
“Veterinary teams elevate feline care when they design around the cat, support the caregiver relationship and put feline AI tools to work,” Dr. Brunt said.
“Behavior is data,” said Kristin Wuhrman, vice chair of the CATalyst Council. “When we pair subtle daily changes at home with clinical insight and AI support, we close the gap between what cats show us and what they need.”
The report suggests that veterinary teams implement steps to help continue the momentum. These include lowering visit-related stress for cats and their caregivers through feline-friendly handling, the FelineVMA’s Cat Friendly Practice tools and clear communication with pet owners.
“Education and practices attuned to the cat matter,” said Dr. Anne Ward, who chairs the CATalyst Council. “Reducing stress in the visit, improving communication and building feline medical expertise are how we translate market momentum into better outcomes.”
With veterinary practices concerned about the overall decrease in clinical visits, the report also outlines the economic metrics that leaders can monitor to help determine whether the tide will turn during the second half of 2025.