Growing numbers of men keep cats as pets

Growing number of men in the UK are opting for cat ownership, reveal new statistics from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA). The UK’s cat population has risen 500,000 to stand at eight million.

The new Pet Data Report discovered that the number of cat-owning households has risen from 17.1 percent (4.8m) in 2016 to 18.3 percent (5.1m) in 2017. The number of cat-owning men has risen from from 13 percent in 2016 to 17 percent in 2017. 

Cats Protection’s Social Media Manager, Gemma Croker, said: “Cats have always been on social media but we have definitely noticed more men openly expressing their love for their feline friends.

“We now see more male celebrities talking about their cats such as our supporter The Vamps’ James McVey (cat Mickey), Ed Sheeran (Graham) and Russell Brand (Morrissey).

“It is possible that this trend may have triggered an increase in popularity for cats among the general male population, which is great news for rehoming cats.”

The research was conducted with the TNS. More more information go to www.pfma.org.uk.