An extract from ‘12 lives of 21st century cat’ report 2005

THE latest research from the cat experts at Whiskas® shows that, with the improvements and advances in feline care and nutrition, cats are living longer and rather than just having nine lives - they are more likely to have up to 12.

This report looks at the growth and development of cat care and the effect it has had on the three lifestages of cats, resulting in an ‘extra three’ fun-and-fulfilled lives.

Cats are still a popular pet choice in the UK, and the image of old ladies with their cats has become outdated as more young people are choosing to own a cat and take on the nurturing role of caring for a pet before starting a family. Cats are also a popular choice of pet for a family with young children and it seems that kittens have all the attributes to make a woman purr even more so than a man can.

The Whiskas experts at the Waltham Centre are continuing their efforts to research and develop a range of balanced, nutritious and convenient food and care products for every lifestage to ensure that cats are able to live long and happy healthy lives.

• There are approximately 9.2m pet cats in the UK1

• 41% of UK cat-owning households have two or more cats1

• 92% of the UK’s cats are moggies1

• The most popular cat breeds in the UK are British Shorthair and Burmese1

• The South East is officially the top region for cat lovers, housing half the UK’s cat
population2

• The South East is the new kitten hotspot with around 92,500 kittens, having overtaken London with its 40,454 kittens in 20042

• Essex is home to more senior cats than any other region, with 815,030 curling up in front of the fire2

Cats are still the most popular, rewarding and low maintenance choice of pet in the UK, with around six million cat-owning households across the country1. Cat owners agree that their pet is good company and 93% of owners find that their cat is good for their mental wellbeing and can reduce the stress of modern life4.

The South East is still top when it comes to cat-owning households with the feline population rising to around to 1.6 million cats in Essex and Sussex2.

There are currently around 515,200 kittens (cats aged 0-12 months) in the UK with the South East being the top kitten region with a whopping 92,546 kittens making it their home. That figure accounts for nearly one-fifth of the total number of kittens born in the UK in 20032!

Today, 49% of the UK’s cat population are classed as ‘senior’1, that is eight years of age or more, although a large number of cats are now living up to astounding ages of 24 and above.
Britain’s oldest cat, Whisky - a record-breaking age of 34, is an incredible 149 in cat years! Whisky’s owner, Jan from Jaywick in Essex, has publicly claimed she thinks Whisky’s superior senior age is down to his daily meal of Whiskas Senior Rabbit!

The first year of a cat’s life is equal to 16 human years, which slows down as the cat gets older - the second ‘cat year’ is equal to five human years and each of the following years are equivalent to four human years. A five-year-old cat’s lifestage is equal to that of a 33 year old human.
For further information, please contact:

Lauren Cleak on 020 7611 3643 - lauren.cleak@ketchum. com or Kate Hopper on 020 7611 3567 - kate.hopper@ketchum.com

(1) Pet Ownership Study 2003
(2) Target Group Index Figures / Office Of National Statistics Figures
(4) Pets at Christmas Survey 2004