The Feline Factor

Cats have historically been underserved in veterinary care yet now represent one of the fastest-growing segments in pet ownership. Will veterinary clinics be able to capitalize on the rising need?

When looking at where feline health fits into veterinary medicine today, there’s good news, bad news, then really good news.

The good news is that cat veterinary visits are increasing while overall veterinary visits decline, signaling a shift in demand for cat health care compared to dogs.

The bad news, though, is despite this growth, only about half of cats receive regular veterinary care due to stress-related barriers, accessibility challenges, and lack of feline-focused services.

But looking at the bright side – and the big picture – feline care presents a massive yet underdeveloped opportunity, with one 2024 study by Hill’s Pet Nutrition estimating nearly 70 million cats in the U.S. and a 14% increase in cat adoptions.

“Practices that recognize this and adapt will be well-positioned to meet the needs of younger, tech-savvy cat caregivers who expect advanced, stress-free, and tailored feline care,” said Dr. Jane Brunt, executive director of the CATalyst Council.

The 2024 CATalyst report, “State of the Cat: Wellness and Nutrition 2024” noted several key trends driving the rise in cat ownership:

• First-time cat owners: Approximately 35% of those surveyed had little to no experience owning a cat, indicating a significant need for education, engagement and accessible veterinary care.
• Dual pet households: More pet parents are adding cats to their families, while dog-only households are declining.
• Investment in feline well-being: The human-feline bond is stronger than ever, driving demand for better diagnostics, tailored therapies and proactive wellness care for cats.
• Technology and innovation: AI-powered health insights, telemedicine including teleconsultations, teleradiology, telesonography, wearable devices, and feline-specific treatments, are transforming how we monitor and manage feline health.
• Proactive and preventive care: Younger pet owners prioritize preventive health measures, presenting an opportunity to expand feline wellness programs.

Filling the gaps

Along with those insights into feline wellness and nutrition trends, the report also revealed several critical areas that require greater attention. The first is related to routine care, and how recommendations often vary among practitioners. For example, while 50% of veterinarians recommend annual exams, 28% of cat owners reported not receiving a specific recommendation or were unsure of one. “This gap suggests an opportunity for more consistent messaging from veterinary teams about preventive care,” Kristin Wuhrman, vice chair of the CATalyst Council noted.

The CATalyst report also found nutritional guidance to be an underutilized component of the veterinary visit. Although nutrition plays a vital role in feline health, only 28% of veterinarians routinely provide nutritional recommendations to at least 75% of their cat clients. In contrast, recommendations for parasite prevention are far more frequent (45%).

This may be because pet owners’ trust in nutritional advice is inconsistent: While 50% of cat owners trust their veterinarian’s nutritional recommendations, only 9% report consistently following them. “This highlights a disconnect between veterinary guidance and owner compliance, suggesting a need for improved communication and education.”

Another trend was that enrichment and behavioral guidance is lagging. Veterinarians provide guidance on exercise (15%) and behavioral health (13%) at significantly lower rates than parasite prevention. “Given the well-established link between stress, boredom, and health issues (such as obesity and urinary tract disease), more emphasis on feline-specific environmental enrichment strategies is warranted,” Dr. Brunt said.

The CATalyst report also uncovered gaps in how veterinarians communicate and support cat owners, affecting their satisfaction and engagement. For example, while 71% of cat owners use a general veterinary practice that treats both species, only 6% use a cats-only clinic. The mixed-species environment may contribute to stress for feline patients, emphasizing the need for more cat-friendly approaches in general practices.

The report found that a majority of cat owners find just thinking about a veterinary clinic visit to be stressful, yet only 30% recall receiving guidance from their veterinarian on how to make the experience easier. This suggests a gap in client education that could be addressed through pre-visit preparation tips and stress-reduction strategies.

Cat owners want more personalized and accessible guidance. The survey results showed strong interest in additional support services from veterinary teams:

• 75% of cat owners want access to a veterinary team member who can answer health or behavior questions by phone.

• 65% are interested in receiving written reports on their cat’s health with guidance on next steps.

• 62% would like an annual membership plan that covers exams, vaccines and preventive care in a more structured way.

“These findings suggest that veterinarians have an opportunity to increase engagement and compliance by offering more proactive, feline-specific education and flexible communication options that align with cat owners’ needs,” Dr. Brunt said.

Starting point

Cats do not like unpredictable situations. Understanding their predatory and prey behaviors, why they have stress and what triggers anxiety ultimately benefits the caregiver and allows them to better prepare for the veterinary clinic visit.

“The visit has a lot of pieces, from preparing the cat for a different routine, to transport – which is unfamiliar and unpredictable – to entrance to the hospital, entrance to exam room, etc. There are a lot of people and new experiences, but the thing that is stable is the caregiver,” Wuhrman said. “So, understanding how the cat perceives all these changes and movements, and how it heightens their stress with their inability to control the environment, helps the caregiver be in tune with their cat, and can help to minimize some of those unpredictable events.”

Dr. Brunt agreed that the cat’s veterinary visit starts at home, well before heading to the clinic. “Proper preparation is crucial in reducing stress, improving exam accuracy, and enhancing patient compliance and owner adherence to optimize better health outcomes. However, to truly support cats, we must also support their caregivers with the proper education and resources to navigate veterinary care effectively.”

Today’s cat caregivers are more engaged and informed than ever. Yet, many still struggle with accessing veterinary care due to stress, misconceptions, financial constraints, transportation challenges, or a lack of awareness about preventive care, Dr. Brunt said.

According to the Mars 2024 Global Pet Parent Study, 52% of men own cats, compared to 48% of women, making cats more popular than dogs among men globally. Many younger professionals and city dwellers appreciate cats’ adaptability to smaller spaces.

However, caregivers often miss early illness signs and may delay care. According to a recent Feline VMA survey, caregivers seek science-based, proactive veterinary information and prefer digital communication, such as text, email, and online resources, over phone calls.

By recognizing these trends, Dr. Brunt and Wuhrman said veterinary teams can bridge the gap with education and improve the caregiver experience by offering:

• Pre-visit questionnaires and digital checklists. Allow caregivers to share health updates in advance, reducing stress and improving visit efficiency.

• Educational content and reminders. Help them feel prepared, engaged and confident in their cat’s care.

• Technology-driven engagement. Tools like behavior tracking, telehealth services, and mobile apps enhance accessibility and keep caregivers involved.

• Simple strategies for a smoother veterinary clinic visit start with carrier training. Caregivers should keep carriers accessible at home and a positive space for the cat with treats and bedding. They can even use pheromone sprays inside the carrier for calming.

Caregivers should also be monitoring pre-visit behavior as well as their cat’s health for any changes in appetite, activity, litter box usage and stress levels before the visit. They can also save themselves time and focus on the cat’s well-being during the clinic visit by collecting health updates and concerns beforehand. This will allow the veterinary team to prepare and streamline the visit.

“By adapting to caregivers’ wants and needs, veterinary teams can strengthen relationships, improve feline health, and ensure consistent lifelong care through education, technology, and proactive engagement.”

Emotions tied to health

When it comes to caring for feline patients, the importance of understanding feline emotions and the associated behaviors is critical, Dr. Brunt said. “Cats dislike change. It causes stress, leading to fear and anxiety, which can manifest as various forms of protective behaviors. Many veterinary practices now identify each patient as exhibiting engaging or protective behaviors.

Veterinary teams can pivot their understanding and care of cats by considering what’s associated with fight, flight, fidget and freeze. They should eliminate negative terminology such as “mean,” “aggressive,” and “even spicy,” and express thoughts, words and actions that empathize with cats’ fear; “It’s important to avoid labeling cats in those ways and understand they are just scared.”

“Emotional stress isn’t just a behavioral concern,” Dr. Brunt said. “It directly impacts a cat’s medical outcomes and overall health.”

Stress at veterinary practices can lead to misdiagnosed vitals, affecting everything from heart rate to blood pressure. Cat-Friendly handling techniques and encouraging caregiver presence during exams help mitigate these issues, ensuring more accurate assessments. Chronic stress and boredom contribute to urinary tract disease, obesity, and destructive behaviors. Enrichment strategies like pheromone therapy, interactive feeders, and optimizing home environments, can significantly improve a cat’s emotional and physical well-being.

“By prioritizing a deeper understanding of feline emotions and adapting care accordingly, veterinary teams and caregivers can enhance the medical and behavioral health of cats, fostering a more positive experience for all involved,” they said.

Feline health at a tipping point

Dr. Brunt started Maryland’s first feline-only practice in 1984. Looking back, she said there was still so much to learn in delivering care to cats. “[For example], we thought it was OK to scruff cats, because that’s what the mother does,” she said.

Advances in knowledge and medicine for diabetes, pain management and other chronic conditions have led to better health outcomes, but can evolve even more. So too can the number of practices focused on feline care. Today, Dr. Brunt estimates that there could be 500-600 feline-exclusive practices, and with these data points, more surely to come.

Wuhrman started her career about 20 years ago as a sales rep calling on veterinary clinics. Sales reps in those days deprioritized selling cat products, she said, because the budgets were bigger for dogs. “From a sales portfolio, it was, something like 80/20 dog to cat. The marketing materials were primarily for dogs with maybe a little cat-added section… It was all very dog-centric.”

With more tools, knowledge and understanding of a cat’s behavior, pet owners are becoming more proactive rather than reactive to slow the progression of disease, Wuhrman said. Cats have also slowly gained “family member” status in the home, similar to dogs. There’s a shift in more spend for care and consumer products on the cat side, including an inclination by younger cat owners toward premium foods, products and services. More cats are becoming “out and about” companions joining their caregivers on walks, hikes, and travel. “They’re a lifestyle pet now,” she said.

The demand for cat-centric veterinary services is growing as cat owners seek providers who understand feline-specific needs. Gen Z and millennials are driving demand in today’s market for advanced feline health care, premium nutrition, and technology-driven solutions. With increasing cat ownership and deeper caregiver investment, the veterinary industry has a massive opportunity to increase feline medicalization through education, innovation and tailored health care solutions.

CATalyst Council recognizes that the future of feline health is data-driven, proactive, and highly specialized, but it requires continued investment, research, and collaboration to bridge long-standing gaps in care. The veterinary profession is at a tipping point, and innovation is no longer optional. Cats represent a major revenue opportunity largely overlooked due to outdated perceptions of the market. Yet, with rising veterinary costs, limited access to feline-specialized care, and growing consumer demand for tailored solutions, this space is poised for significant disruption and investment.

“The $150B animal health industry by 2032 will be dominated by companies that recognize and address the unique needs of cats and their caregivers, and those who fail to adapt risk being left behind,” said Wuhrman. “The time to build, innovate and invest in feline health is now.”

Common conditions

The 2024 CATalyst report, Nationwide Pet Insurance, and whiskerDocs collectively highlight the most frequent feline medical concerns across veterinary clinics, telehealth interactions, and insurance claims, providing a comprehensive view of feline health trends.

In 2023, Nationwide reported the following top conditions among insured cats:

• Diarrhea/Intestinal Upset
• Urinary Tract Disease
• Kidney Failure
• Dental Disease
• Arthritis
• Hyperthyroidism
• Respiratory Infection
• Diabetes
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Skin Allergies

Unmet needs and knowledge gaps

Veterinarians surveyed in the CATalyst Report identified key unmet needs in feline healthcare:

• Renal disease
• Cardiac disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Nutrition
• Diagnostics
• Infectious Diseases

Veterinarians also desired advanced technical knowledge in these areas to improve diagnostics and treatment strategies.

Three things

Veterinary teams can do these three things today to better identify and serve cats in their clinics.

1. Ask every dog owner if they also own a cat. Chances are, many of the families who bring their dog in for care also have a cat.
2. Emphasize parasite prevention. Parasite preventives are underused in cats. The veterinary team must educate the cat caregiver that even if the cat stays mostly indoors, they still are at risk for heartworm and parasites such as fleas and ticks.
3. Develop cat-specific messaging. Understand how to develop message-appropriate marketing for cats (and not simply adapted from dog marketing materials). Cat caregivers want to feel like they’re understood and their cats are getting the attention they deserve.

Photo credits: istockphoto.com/AnnaStills, istockphoto.com/simonkr

Revolutionizing Cat Care

Innovations in feline health, diagnostics and therapies are poised to reshape care.

Historically, feline health has been overlooked due to the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and medication administration. However, this “difficult patient” dynamic is exactly what drives innovation, noted Dr. Jane Brunt and Kristin Wuhrman of the CATalyst Council. Companies investing in feline-focused biotech, AI-powered diagnostics, and targeted therapies are unlocking massive value in an underserved market.

According to the 2024 CATalyst Report: State of the Cat, cross-sector collaboration between veterinary medicine, pet care, biotech, and technology companies will be the key to:

• Developing breakthrough therapies for diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and arthritis.

• Improving preventative health care strategies to reduce late-stage disease presentation.

• Expanding AI and machine learning applications in feline diagnostics and care planning.

Several emerging product categories are reshaping feline care and addressing critical gaps.

“These innovations are pushing the boundaries of feline medicine, removing barriers to care, and empowering caregivers and veterinarians alike,” said Dr. Brunt and Wuhrman. “The combination of tech-enabled health assessment and monitoring, advanced diagnostics, targeted therapeutics, and stress-free care models is reshaping the future of feline wellness. In this future, cats receive the same level of personalized, proactive, and high-quality medical attention as their canine counterparts.”

They offered the following areas that are poised for innovation:

Minimally processed and fresh diets. Caregivers are demanding higher-quality, biologically appropriate nutrition. Innovations in fresh, gently cooked diets focus on longevity and disease prevention, with advancements in palatability and supplementation addressing feline-specific needs.

AI-powered behavior and health monitoring. Wearables and AI-driven tools track subtle behavioral changes like movement, sleep, litter box habits, and pain, enabling early disease detection and data-driven veterinary care. As these tools evolve, they’re also beginning to decode emotional patterns, like stress, withdrawal, or anxiety – offering a new frontier in understanding a cat’s emotional well-being.

miRNA-based diagnostics and precision health. MicroRNA (miRNA) biomarkers are unlocking non-invasive, early detection for diseases like HCM, driving a shift toward personalized, feline-specific medicine.

Novel therapeutics for chronic diseases

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): A first-of-its-kind sirolimus treatment is set to revolutionize feline cardiology, offering the first therapeutic targeting the disease itself rather than just symptom management (development by TriviumVet).

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD): New approaches – including targeted pharmacologic treatments, regenerative medicine, and gut microbiome therapies – are providing more effective, long-term solutions for CKD, one of the leading causes of feline mortality (including therapies in development).

• Feline osteoarthritis and pain management: The recent approval of a monoclonal antibody therapy (Solensia, frunevetmab) for feline arthritis pain marks a shift toward safer, long-lasting pain management solutions.

• Feline infectious disease therapies: Breakthrough antiviral and immunotherapy treatments are emerging for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), addressing historically untreatable diseases (including developments from Anivive).

At-home diagnostics and proactive health monitoring. Innovations in home-based screening tools are empowering caregivers to track key health indicators without the stress of frequent clinic visits. These advancements are reshaping early disease detection, wellness monitoring, and closer relationships with their like-minded veterinarian.

Smart feeders and litter boxes. Smart feeders and litter boxes are bridging the gap between health monitoring and daily feline care. Smart feeders ensure precision feeding, portion control and weight management. Smart litter boxes can also provide real-time tracking of urination patterns, stool quality, and weight trends, offering early insights into potential health concerns.

Stress reduction and emotional well-being. Advances in pheromone therapy, environmental enrichment, and feline-specific behavioral tools are helping reduce stress and improve feline mental health.

Emotion as a clinical indicator. The next evolution of feline care includes emotions as a vital assessment. Stress in cats affects physiology, skews clinical assessments and can delay care. As technology enables detection of subtle behavioral shifts, emotionally intelligent care models are being essential. Recognizing emotional cues early helps veterinary teams build trust, improve outcomes and individualize care throughout a cat’s life.

Photo credit: istockphoto.com/Vadim Gunko

Smart Tech Meets Feline Care

Innovations in feline health, diagnostics and therapies are poised to reshape care.

In an era where smart technology is becoming increasingly integral to our daily lives, it’s no surprise that it’s also transforming the way we care for our pets.

Petivity, a Purina brand, has created a suite of intelligent tools designed to help pet owners and veterinarians monitor and manage feline health with precision and ease.

To dive deeper into how this technology works and the real-world impact it can have on cats’ well-being, Vet-Advantage interviewed two leading experts behind Petivity:

• Ragen T.S. McGowan PhD., is pet behavior expert and director of the Global Pet IoT, AI and Digital Solutions Team at Purina. She has over 25 years of experience in animal behavior research. Dr. Ragen earned a Ph.D. in applied ethology from Washington State.

• Kristin Slater, senior product manager for Petivity. With over 12 years of experience in the pet care space, Slater holds multiple patents in the connected device space both through Purina and individually and is a regular guest lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis.

How does Petivity help monitor and improve feline health over time?

Developed by a team of Purina pet behaviorists, veterinarians and data scientists, the Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor uses advanced AI technology to track a cat’s weight, urination and defecation events each time they use their litter box. The system provides a window into cat health and behavior. It identifies subtle but meaningful behavioral changes and turns them into actionable insights that help owners proactively care for their cat. Petivity also offers the Microbiome Analysis Kit (for cats and dogs), allowing pet owners to unlock valuable information about their pet’s gut health through advanced sequencing technology. These kits analyze the trillions of microorganisms that make up a pet’s unique gut profile, leveraging decades of research to empower pet owners with informed nutritional insights.

What specific health issues does Petivity help detect or monitor in cats?

Neither the Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor nor the Microbiome Analysis Kit is intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate or cure any conditions. However, the Smart Litter Box Monitor can help detect changes in weight and litter box behavior that can be early signs of health conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract infections, digestive upset, and obesity. When changes are detected, the system sends alerts via the Petivity app, allowing owners to seek timely veterinary diagnosis and attention. Such changes flagged by the Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor (e.g., changes in elimination patterns) might warrant an assessment of the gut microflora, which the Petivity Microbiome Analysis Kit can provide.

How does the technology improve long-term health management for cats, and is it designed to evolve with a cat’s age or changing health needs?

When paired with the Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor, the Petivity app analyzes your cat’s data and then alerts you to changes that can be hard to catch, so you can make informed decisions about your pet throughout the course of their life. It’s more accurate to say that the technology can highlight data and insights about your cat’s changing health as they age (vs. the technology itself changing). The Petivty Microbiome Analysis Kit unlocks valuable information about pets’ gut health through advanced sequencing technology. As your pet ages, beneficial bacteria tend to decrease, so there is value in monitoring their levels over the life of your pet to help you stay proactive in their care.

How does Petivity help cat owners stay more engaged with their pet’s health on a daily basis?

The Petivity app brings your pet’s data right to your phone; you’ll get easy-to-read charts and daily updates on your cat’s weight and litter box habits. In addition to daily app data, Petivity delivers convenient Insight Reports straight to your email. You’ll get a comprehensive look at your cat’s most important data for the previous two weeks: weight, number of visits, time of day, elimination type, and litter box preference. Plus, see your “scooping score” to help you keep your cat happy with a clean litter box. Also, the Petivity Assistant is an AI chat powered by Purina that’s available from the Petivity mobile app. It can give you answers about your pet 24/7, backed by decades of pet health research.

How can veterinarians use the data provided by Petivity to improve the treatment or care of their feline patients?

Veterinarians may wish to recommend the Petivity Smart Litterbox System to clients whose cats have a chronic condition or are at risk of developing one. The early signs of chronic conditions such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, urinary tract infections and obesity, can lead to subtle changes in a cat’s elimination patterns and/or weight. The system is designed to alert cat owners to changes that may require a veterinarian’s attention. Seeking veterinary care early in the disease process can help ensure the best outcomes for a cat. The advanced version of the Microbiome Analysis Kit includes a report of uncommon bacteria and potential pathogens, which may be beneficial to veterinarians as another data point when assessing overall wellness of a patient.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare Company