Pet superstore Jollyes has significantly expanded its cat ranges, updating its stores to offer 48% more items after internal data showed feline food sales have been rising ahead of canine equivalents.

According to UK Pet Food in 2024, 29% of all households owned a cat compared to 36% with dogs, According to the same data, there are currently 12.5m pet cats in the UK compared to 13.5m pet dogs, but Jollyes believes if trends for smaller pets continue, the number of cats could overtake dogs in the next couple of years.

Between 2021 and 2024, household dog ownership has risen from 33% to 36% and cat ownership from 27%to 29% but the rise in multi-cat households means the gap between the number of cats and dogs is closing – a visible trend from Jollyes own sales data.

And to emphasise the significant switch, Jollyes today also erected new in-store signage showing that the cat takeover is just around the corner.

Statistics show that around one in four homes in the UK owns a cat and the number of Millennial and Gen Z cat owners has risen dramatically in recent years – with 41% of those aged between 18 and 34 now sharing their home with at least one cat.

Increased ownership among younger cat lovers, and a rise in the proportion (25%) of men who for the first time now have the same proportion of cats as women, is set to tip the scales and make cats the most common household pet in the next couple of years.

The rise in cat ownership is also being driven by a preference for smaller pets, both cats and dogs, as well as the ease of looking after a cat compared to the higher maintenance of a dog.

High profile cat lovers such as Taylor Swift, Ricky Gervais, Dermot O’Leary, Kate Beckinsale and Bob Mortimer, are also driving the trend towards owning a cat.

With the rise in cat ownership, Jollyes is dramatically expanding its feline-focused offer.

For the last 12 months, new buyer Louise Fawcett, has led a revolutionary change and expansion of Jollyes cat range which included Jollyes creating a cat committee of store colleagues who were cat parents.

And the cat committee were clear – they wanted to see more big brands more Friday night indulgent products helping cat owners treat their cats for less.

So, from today, Jollyes’ customers can take advantage of a whole litter of new brands, including gut-friendly cat food brand and Gen Z favourite Scrumbles, as well as other popular premium brands such as Applaws, Gourmet, Cookhouse and Lily’s Kitchen.

In a UK retail first, Jollyes will also be introducing an open market veterinary diet range, which has been developed in partnership with vet-founded pet food brand Calibra.

This range will provide vet-approved meals which help support the four most common health issues for cats – diabetes, gastrointestinal support, renal and urinary crystals.

What’s more Jollyes has also strengthened its private label cat ranges with its newly launched Riley’s Divine Snap pots as well as giving cat customers more choice with smaller 12 packs of Rileys for £2.67 for both cats and kittens.

Jollyes’ stores layouts have been updated so its range of cat products are visible upon entry to its stores – making it easier for first-time and returning cat-owning customers to find the items they need alongside the low-cost veterinary services such as microchipping and vaccinations provided at its community pet clinics.

Over the coming weeks, Jollyes is also planning to introduce an extended offer in treats, toys and accessories for cats and new ranges in frozen food.

This upcoming range expansion follows on from the successful launch of Jollyes’ canine frozen food range and Raw Store shop-in-shops, which won a prestigious 2025 Retail Week Award earlier this year.

Jollyes’ cat buyer Louise Fawcett said: “We want to make Jollyes the ultimate destination for cat-owners across the UK – and our expanded and extensive range is the first step in achieving this.

“What’s more alongside the extended ranges, we’re adding more training for colleagues as they offer advice for the nation’s cats.

“Whether you’re a seasoned cat carer or having kittens at the responsibility of looking after your fur baby, Jollyes is the place to go - both for our colleagues’ unrivalled expertise and our fantastic, affordable and rapidly expanding product range.”

Jollyes was named as one of The Sunday Times’ best big companies to work for last year, and earlier this year won the Retail Week Award for Head Office Heroes following its highly successful raw frozen food roll out.