Most Cat-Friendly U.S. Cities & Ones To Avoid

Cats are members of the family (or in their eyes the head of it) and we want them to be happy and healthy.

Felines have been called high maintenance but there is nothing we wouldn’t do for our cats – including moving to a more cat-friendly city.

If you are looking for a city that welcomes cats with open arms and provides all the luxuries Fluffy desires, then read on.

But how do you know which cities are cat-friendly?

OneVet, a virtual vet clinic, ranked 50 major U.S. cities to find the ones that were most cat-friendly as well as ones to avoid. They examined each city based on five factors that impact a cat’s quality of life: cat-friendly rentals, cat adoptions, pet stores, cat cafes, and veterinarians in the area.

Each factor was ranked based on the number available per 100k people.

See if you live in a cat-friendly city or if it is time to pack your bags.

10 Most Cat-Friendly U.S. Cities

1. Miami, FL
2. Orlando, FL
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Pittsburgh, PA
5. Cincinnati, OH
6. Atlanta, GA
7. Denver, CO
8. Minneapolis, MN
9. Tampa, FL
10. Riverside, CA

The highest possible score was 50 and while no city was perfect, Miami took first place with a score of 43.47. The city has multiple cat cafes, a plethora of pet stores, cat-friendly rentals, and numerous veterinarians. But one of the greatest factors is the amount of cat adoptions. In 2020, Miami had 642 cat adoptions per capita.

10 Worst Cities For Cats

1. New York, NY
2. Memphis, TN
3. New Orleans, LA
4. Jacksonville, FL
5. Phoenix, AZ
6. Los Angeles, CA
7. Detroit, MI
8. San Francisco, CA
9. Houston, TX
10. Virginia Beach, VA

It may come as no surprise that New York, the US’s most populated city, is the worst city to be a cat. Based on OneVet’s ranking method, the city scored 5.93.

Cities With Most Cat Adoptions

Denver, Colorado, is the purrfect place for homeless cats to find a forever home as the city ranks number one for most cat adoptions.

Cities With Most Cat-Friendly Rentals

Southern hospitality apparently extends to felines as well. Cat lovers looking to move should consider calling Atlanta, Georgia, home. The city not only ranks as one of the most cat-friendly but has the most cat-friendly rentals.

In the end, all cats really want is a loving home and to be pampered by their humans. This can be done in any city but some of the ones listed above may make life a little easier.

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