Hill’s releases inaugural global cat report amid push to focus on felines
By Christine Won
As industry trends increasingly point to growing cat ownership , Hill’s Pet Nutrition has published the inaugural “2025 World of the Cat Report.”
The company’s first feline-focused comprehensive effort comes as a culmination of its Cat Advisory Team (CAT) established in 2024. The group was created in response to a need for resources dedicated to feline medicine and research, according to David Quinter, a regional sales director at Hill’s.
“With the rise in feline ownership comes a rise in the need for feline-focused veterinary care,” Quinter told AVMA News. “The biggest takeaway from the report is the need for veterinary health care teams to feel equipped with feline-focused resources and tools to help with the increased demand in feline care.”
Dr. Lisa Restine, a CAT member and professional veterinary affairs manager for felines at Hill’s, noted feline-focused research and education for veterinary professionals lag behind their canine counterpart.
“That lag impacts the overall quality of care available for our feline friends,” she said. “The goal (of CAT) is to improve the accessibility of feline education for veterinarians while offering effective feline-specific practice management strategies that can improve business performance.”
Published in early March, the 28-page report addresses, among other things, cat demographics worldwide, pet food advances, and the impact of costs on veterinary care, along with new diagnostics and treatments.
The Hill’s report also points out only 40% of cats visit the veterinarian annually, compared with 82% of dogs, suggesting the stress of visits on cats and their owners may be a factor.
A growing interest in making veterinary care less stressful for cats and their owners is reflected in the Feline Veterinary Medical Association’s (FelineVMA) Cat Friendly Practice program, which had accredited 880 practices by 2023, with another 355 in progress. The association also offers the Cat Friendly Certificate program for veterinarians and veterinary professionals to build their confidence in working with cats and demonstrate their commitment to feline health care.
“Feline-first approaches not only get felines in the door but keep them coming back, allowing for effective preventive care and the early detection of common conditions,” Quinter noted.
The report also highlights new FelineVMA-International Society of Feline Medicine guidelines published in recent years, including on inter-cat tension, cat-friendly environment, and hospice and palliative care.
The team, made up of feline specialists, behaviorists, and nutritionists, and global report come as the company adopts a “feline-first” attitude.
Hill’s plans to update its inaugural report annually. Ultimately, CAT’s long-term goal is to create a reference guide to help organize all materials related to feline nutrition and behavior.