June 24, 2025 Back Home

The Cats of Philadelphia: Facts, Stats, Shelters, & More

When you think of the city of Philadelphia you might think of things like Rocky, the Super Bowl Champions

Philadelphia Eagles, or perhaps even the Liberty Bell?

But want to know something even more prevalent in Philly lore? CATS!

That’s right — at one point Philadelphia had the highest percentage of cat households among major U.S. cities — even more than dogs.

So yeah, it’s a full-on feline city. And, it’s also the No. 3 city on our list of Top Cat Kingdoms, aka the cities that uses the most cat litter in the United States.

So, just how many felines are floating around the city of brotherly love?

How Many Cats are in Philadelphia?

Similar to our top two litter cities — New York and Los Angeles — Philadelphia has a significant population of feral and community cats.

According to the U.S. Census American Housing Survey, approximately 23% of households in the Philadelphia metropolitan area have at least one cat, placing the city at the top among major U.S. metro areas for cat ownership. That’s the equivalent of almost 568,000 domesticated cats.

And while it’s hard to get a truly accurate account, estimates suggest there are around 400,000 feral/community cats in the city. Thankfully, there are numerous organizations and groups focused on supporting, housing and altering our feral friends to prevent population growth. In addition to these groups, there are plenty of fine folks in Philly helping to care for shelter cats, supporting cat adoption at cat cafes and more!

So, if you do the math, that means there may be nearly 1 million cats in Philadelphia. That’s a lot of litter!

Where Would I Go To See a Cat in Philadelphia?

First things first, there’s a GIANT CAT MURAL.

Thanks to the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, there’s a towering cat mural called “The Cat Mural” at 45^th & Baltimore — a massive feline face that watches over the neighborhood like a guardian cat.

But in addition to the cat art, Philadelphia is home to several dedicated organizations working tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome cats. So, if you’re looking to adopt a cat in Philly, you won’t have to look far.

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A big shout out to some of our GiveLitter® shelter partners assisting in the effort — including the following organizations situated in and around Philly metro:

Brandywine Valley SPCA — Three of their 14 adoption sites are located in the greater Philadelphia area including Plymouth Meeting (PA), Lindenwold (NJ) and West Chester (PA).
Cat Nook Café — Features a Cat Lounge and Cat Café.

And lastly, if you’re looking to simply see cats, how about this helpful round-up of where to find the many shop cats throughout Philly.

What to do in Philadelphia if you love cats?

Philadelphia’s cat-loving community is vibrant and active, and you’ll never not have something to do when it comes to feline good.

In addition to the aforementioned sites and shelters, Philadelphia also plays host to a wide variety of events and communities that love cats.

For instance, there’s no shortage of cats in windows throughout Fishtown, and then of course there’s the Philadelphia CATStravaganza, an annual International cat competition at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds.

Random Facts About Cats & Philadelphia

Here are a few weird and wonderful facts about cats and the city of Philadelphia that might surprise you — from ghost stories to cat murals and feline mayors:

Eastern State Penitentiary Had Its Own Cat Colony – The famous haunted prison once had a colony of feral cats living within its crumbling walls. Staff and visitors would leave out food, and some cats were said to appear and vanish mysteriously — giving rise to spooky legends.

There is no current pro, or semi pro sports team with a cat as the mascot — although we aren’t really sure what Gritty is supposed to be.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776, and one would think there had to have been a cat around to witness it.
Philly is the home of the cheesesteak — something your cat would eat if it could.