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Trends & Reports

The Feline Care Gap: Why Cats Get a Fraction of the Care Dogs Do

Updated July 30, 2026

An orange and white cat looking alert while resting inside a pet carrier
Batuhan Küçükdemir / Pexels

By Morgan Reyes

The Short Answer

This site's own 2026 report already established the size of the gap: 28.0% of cat owners spent nothing at all on veterinary care last year, against 16.1% of dog owners. A separate data source puts the medicalization gap even more starkly: an estimated 33% of U.S. household cats received veterinary care in 2025, against roughly 71% of dogs.

CatsDogs
Spent nothing on vet care28.0%16.1%
Received veterinary care in 2025 (est.)~33%~71%
Owners reporting a "very strong" bond90%--

What that report didn't have room for is why, and the reasons aren't what most owner-blaming coverage assumes.

It's not an affection gap

90% of cat owners report a "very strong" emotional bond with their cat, per the same data underlying this site's own report. Whatever is driving the care gap, it isn't a lack of caring. That framing matters, because it rules out the laziest explanation and points toward the real, structural reasons below.

Why cats specifically get less care

Carrier stress is real, common, and named directly by owners themselves. Getting a cat into a carrier, and the car ride and waiting-room experience that follows, is one of the most frequently cited reasons owners give for delaying or skipping a vet visit, across survey after survey of cat owners. That's a genuine behavioral barrier, not an excuse.

Cats evolved to hide illness, which works against early detection specifically. As a survival trait against predation in the wild, cats conceal signs of pain and sickness, which makes owners genuinely less likely to notice a problem exists until it's more advanced. This isn't an owner failing; it's a species-level behavioral trait working against the exact thing early veterinary care depends on.

Here's the supply-side factor most coverage of this gap leaves out entirely. A 2025 survey of 287 veterinary professionals at an American veterinary college found dogs rated significantly higher than cats across preference, confidence, and professional experience, on a 1-to-10 scale: preference for dogs averaged 7.22 against 4.80 for cats, and confidence 8.76 against 8.17. Dogs generally show less stress during a vet visit, which translates into a less stressful visit for the veterinarian too. That's a real factor on the provider side of this equation, not just the owner side, and it complicates any framing that puts the entire gap on cat owners' behavior. It's one survey at one institution, not a national workforce census, so treat the exact numbers as directional rather than a precise industry-wide split.

What actually helps

Cat Friendly Practice is a real, checkable credential, not a marketing label. Established by the American Association of Feline Practitioners in 2012, it requires specific feline-friendly handling techniques (heavy reliance on towel wraps and carrier exams, avoiding scruffing), appropriate facility standards for hospitalized cats, and a minimum continuing-education requirement in feline medicine for staff who work with cats. There are two tiers, Silver and Gold, and the certification exists specifically in response to the exact gap this guide describes.

Practical carrier desensitization, done well before a scheduled visit rather than the day of, is the direct owner-side counterpart to the same problem, though it's a fuller topic on its own.

Worth saying plainly

Cat owners love their cats as much as dog owners love their dogs; 90% report a very strong bond. The gap in care isn't about caring less. It's carrier stress, a species that evolved to hide illness, and, less discussed, a veterinary workforce that one 2025 survey found rates its preference and confidence for dogs significantly higher than for cats. A Cat Friendly Practice exists specifically to address the parts of that equation a clinic actually controls.

Bottom line: the feline care gap is real and large. Per the AVMA's 2025 Sourcebook, 28.0% of cat owners spend nothing on vet care against 16.1% of dog owners; per CATalyst Council's 2026 data, an estimated 33% of cats received veterinary care in 2025 against roughly 71% of dogs. It isn't an affection gap; 90% of cat owners report a strong bond. It's driven by carrier stress, cats' own illness-hiding behavior, and a real supply-side factor: one 2025 survey of veterinary professionals found they rate their preference and confidence for treating dogs significantly higher than cats. Cat Friendly Practice certification is a genuine, checkable response to the parts of this gap a clinic can actually change.

FAQ

Why do cats get less veterinary care than dogs?

Carrier stress, cats' evolved illness-hiding behavior, and a real supply-side veterinary preference gap. See the full three-part explanation above.

Do vets prefer treating dogs over cats?

In one 2025 survey of veterinary professionals, yes: preference for dogs averaged 7.22 out of 10, against 4.80 for cats.

How can I make vet visits less stressful for my cat?

Look for a Cat Friendly Practice, a real AAFP certification requiring specific feline-friendly handling and facility standards.

Keep reading

A Note on Scope

This guide summarizes published survey data and veterinary-workforce research. It is not veterinary advice.

Sources

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