How many cats are there in France? The country with the most cats in Europe

If there's one European country that adores cats, it's France. Not only because of their place in its culture, from paintings to films, but because the numbers confirm it: France is the country with the most cats in Europe. We go through the latest data and what it tells us about how cats live in France.

16.7 million cats: Europe's number one

According to the FEDIAF "Facts & Figures 2026" report, with data from 2024, 16.7 million cats live in France, the highest figure of all the European countries analysed. Next come Germany (15.9 million) and the United Kingdom (12.3 million).

In the same report, France has 9.7 million dogs. That means there are roughly seven cats for every four dogs. In total, FEDIAF estimates around 38.5 million pets in the country, including fish, birds and small mammals.

One important detail: FEDIAF warns that in this edition France changed its methodology and revised its 2023 data, so it's best not to compare this figure directly with those of previous years.

39% of French people have a cat

The French federation of pet food manufacturers, FACCO, publishes an annual pet barometer together with the Odoxa institute. According to the 2024 edition:

• 61% of French people have at least one pet.
• 55% have a dog, a cat or both.
• 39% have a cat, compared with 30% who have a dog.
• The average age of dogs and cats is 6.5 years.
• 97% of cats eat commercially prepared food.
• The supermarket is still the main place where food is bought for 70% of cats.

The barometer also estimates that France has more than 75 million pets when all species are counted.

Who has a cat in France?

The 2024 FACCO-Odoxa barometer found some clear patterns:

• Housing matters a lot: people who live in a house or have a garden or terrace are twice as likely to have a dog or cat as those living in a flat with no outdoor space.
• Age, location and household size: the younger, more rural and larger the household, the more likely it is to have a dog or a cat.

Growth that goes back a long way

Before the change in methodology, FACCO carried out a large survey every two years with the Kantar institute, covering more than 14,000 households. The 2020 edition already counted around 15.1 million cats in 9.1 million households, an increase of 6.6% in two years, while the dog population held steady at around 7.5 million. The trend is clear: in France, the cat has been gaining ground on the dog for years.

The Kantar-FACCO and FEDIAF figures aren't directly comparable, because they use different methods, but both point in the same direction.

Why cats are so popular in France

• Urban living: Paris, Lyon and Marseille have lots of small flats, where a cat adapts better than a dog.
• Less tied to a schedule: cats don't need walks, which suits long working days.
• Cultural tradition: the cat is very present in French literature, art and popular imagination.

And compared with Spain?

According to FEDIAF, Spain has around 4.9 million cats and almost 7 million dogs. In France the ratio is exactly the opposite. With populations that aren't so different in size, France has more than three times as many cats as Spain.

What we can learn from the French

The fact that almost all French cats eat prepared food, and the high average age of the animals, are a reminder of two useful things for any home with a cat: a complete diet suited to their age, and regular vet check-ups, especially from the age of seven.

In short: France is the European country with the most cats (16.7 million according to FEDIAF), and cats clearly outnumber dogs: 39% of French people share their home with one.

On the Katlune blog we keep going through cat data country by country. If you'd like a weekly round-up, join Club Katlune.

Sources: FEDIAF, "Facts & Figures 2026" (2024 data); FACCO-Odoxa, 2024 Barometer (press release, May 2024); FACCO-Kantar, 2020 survey of the pet population in France.