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The 10 Best Cities for Cat Lovers Around the World

Warsaw, Poland, is leading the pack.

ByCaLea Johnson|
These are the cities for those who can‘t live without cats.
These are the cities for those who can‘t live without cats. | Tuul & Bruno Morandi/GettyImages

Despite their tendencies to knock things over and chew on hair, cats have many fans (also known as ailurophiles, for those looking to boost their vocabulary). Some cities even cater to this group. According to Compare the Market, these are the top cities for cat enthusiasts around the world.

The Australian price comparison website compiled the list below by analyzing six data points—average dwelling size plus cat ownership rates, cat cafés, pet stores, cat boarding services, and vets per capita—for 59 major cities. Each metric was scored on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best compared to the other cities. Researchers then averaged the six numbers to calculate an index score for every location. 

Canadian cities adore felines the most, as they occupy four spots on the list. Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa-Gatineau, and Vancouver each have a cat ownership rate of 40 percent and a robust number of pet stores per capita.

Warsaw, Poland, ranks No.1 as the best city for cat lovers with a score of 8.9 out of 10. Despite a relatively small average dwelling size, it has one of the highest rates in cat ownership (41 percent of households) on Earth. Warsaw also has the most vets per capita (13.9 per 100,000 people) out of the top 10 entries.

The second place spot goes to Auckland, New Zealand. The city has slightly fewer pet stores and vets than Warsaw, but has the same rate of cat ownership and cat cafés per capita. Rounding out the top three is Brisbane, Australia. The city’s veterinary and cat boarding services are above average in number, with 8.9 vets and 2.2 boarding options per 100,000 residents.   

You can find the rest of the top 10 cities for cat lovers below. Visit Compare the Market for more details and the full data set.

  1. Warsaw, Poland
  2. Auckland, New Zealand
  3. Brisbane, Australia
  4. Calgary, Canada
  5. Edmonton, Canada
  6. Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada
  7. Perth, Australia
  8. Vancouver, Canada
  9. Sydney, Australia

While the U.S. doesn’t make this list of the world‘s most cat-friendly cities, it performs much better when it comes to dog-friendliness. American cities—including Houston, Texas, and San Diego, California—claim six spots on the list of the best cities for dog lovers.

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