According to the research company Packaged Facts, in 2026, for the first time since statistics began being tracked, more households in the US got kittens than puppies. The ratio shifted from 1,8 to 1 in 2014 in favor of dogs to 0,94 to 1 in favor of cats this year, and in 2025 it reached parity.
The total number of households with dogs declined by 5 percent since 2019, while cat ownership remained stable. Today, dogs live in roughly 71 million American homes, and cats in 53 million. This is not an explosive rise in the popularity of cats, but a gradual decline in interest in dogs.
The reasons are practical in nature. Cats are quieter, are easier to leave alone, and adapt better to small apartments. A dog requires walks, training, and constant attention, which complicates life amid high levels of busyness and frequent travel. Economics also play a role: home buying, the traditional incentive for getting a dog, has slowed because of high real estate prices and mortgage rates. Renters get dogs almost half as often as homeowners.
Demographic shifts also play a role. According to projections by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, household growth over the next decade will come mainly from older people and members of minority groups—groups with historically lower rates of pet ownership. The post-pandemic lifestyle, with smaller families, rented housing, and higher expenses, makes keeping a dog more expensive: an average of 1300 dollars a year versus 750 dollars for a cat.
The market for pet goods and services has not yet adapted. According to a 2026 Packaged Facts survey, nearly half of cat owners believe that marketers and retailers pay less attention to cats than to dogs. Stores are dominated by dog products, and services such as grooming, training, and hotels remain oriented primarily toward them.
The decline in the popularity of dogs could affect the revenue of an industry in which dogs account for two-thirds of sales. Consumers are increasingly choosing cheaper options or forgoing pets altogether. The trend reflects not a replacement of dogs by cats, but a change in Americans' way of life: they increasingly prefer independence, compact housing, and less attachment to a routine.
If the trend continues, the streets and parks will become quieter, and millions of cats will watch the world from windows.
