CATalyst Council Releases “Key Feline Market Insights from 2025,” Highlighting a Pivotal Year for Feline Health, Veterinary Growth, and Industry Innovation

New downloadable report captures the defining data trends, industry signals, and strategic shifts shaping the future of feline care.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CATalyst Council, the veterinary industry’s leading authority on the feline market, announces the release of Key Insights from CATalyst Council in 2025, a downloadable report that synthesizes the most significant findings, trends, and industry signals from the past year.

Drawing on CATalyst Council’s 2025 research, market analyses, and public releases, the report documents a pivotal period in which feline veterinary care demonstrated sustained growth and rising strategic importance, even as overall U.S. veterinary visits declined.

The 2025 report highlights key themes, including feline visit momentum and market share gains, the size of the feline care gap and its implications for practices, demographic and economic forces shaping demand, and the role of emerging tools and feline-focused approaches in accelerating engagement with care, offering a forward look into 2026 research priorities.

“2025 marked a clear turning point in how the industry must think about cats,” said Kristin Wuhrman, Chair of CATalyst Council. “The data tells a consistent story: feline care is no longer a secondary segment. It is a critical driver of stability, growth, and future opportunity for the veterinary profession.”

Key Themes Shaping Feline Care in 2025

The report highlights several themes that shaped the feline veterinary landscape and signal where the market is headed next:

Sustained Feline Visit Growth Amid Industry Headwinds

Feline veterinary visits continued to grow for a third consecutive year, reaching record levels of clinical visit share and outpacing overall companion animal trends amid industry-wide pressure.

A Large and Persistent Feline Care Gap

Despite positive momentum, a substantial portion of the U.S. cat population still does not receive regular veterinary care. This gap represents one of the largest untapped opportunities in companion animal healthcare, with significant implications for both practice revenue and feline population health.

Demographic and Lifestyle Tailwinds Favoring Cats

Ongoing shifts in household composition, adoption patterns, and living arrangements continue to support growth in the feline population and reinforce the long-term relevance of feline-focused strategies.

Technology and Data as Accelerators of Feline Medicalization

Advances in AI-enabled assessment, behavioral data capture, diagnostics, and predictive analytics are increasingly positioned as tools to support earlier detection, improved utilization, and better alignment between caregiver observations and clinical decision-making.

The Impact of Feline-Specific Practice Approaches

Evidence continues to show that feline-focused protocols, stress-reduction strategies, and clearer communication can reduce barriers to care and support increased utilization over time.

“The 2025 data confirms that cats are playing a larger role in practice performance than ever before,” said Jon Ayers, Chair of the CATalyst Council Market Insights Committee. “As overall veterinary visit growth slows, the industry’s ability to understand and serve the feline segment will increasingly shape long-term outcomes.”

Why 2025 Matters

Taken together, the insights from 2025 point to a market at an inflection point where demographics, economics, and innovation are converging around feline care. The report does not attempt to predict a single outcome but instead outlines the conditions and signals that industry leaders should watch closely.

“What stands out in the 2025 findings is consistency,” said Dr. Jane Brunt, CATalyst Council Executive Director. “Across multiple data sources and time points, we see the same themes emerging. That consistency gives the profession confidence in where attention and resources should be focused.”

Looking Ahead to 2026

The release of Key Insights from 2025 also serves as a bridge to CATalyst Council’s next phase of research. In 2026, the organization will publish results from a landmark 40,000-household U.S. pet ownership study, one of the most comprehensive efforts to examine veterinary utilization, caregiver behavior, and population dynamics in more than a decade.

“2025 helped frame the questions the industry needs to answer next,” said Adrian Hochstadt, Vice Chair of CATalyst Council. “The work underway for 2026 is designed to provide the depth and clarity needed to guide strategy, investment, and innovation across the veterinary ecosystem.”

Download the Report

Key Insights from CATalyst Council in 2025 is now available as a free download. The report is designed for veterinary professionals, industry leaders, investors, innovators, and organizations committed to advancing feline health and veterinary care.

[Download the full report here]

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About CATalyst Council

CATalyst Council is a national 501(c)(3) dedicated to advancing feline health and elevating the human-feline bond. The organization convenes veterinary leaders, industry partners, and researchers to deliver evidence-based resources, encourage community collaboration, and ensure all companion cats receive lifelong care.