Lexington, Kentucky, may call itself the Horse Capital of the World, but apparently nobody told the cats. For the second year running, the city has been named America's most cat-loving place in PetSmart's annual ranking, and New York City and Los Angeles didn't even crack the top 25.
The 2026 list, released July 7, ranks the 25 U.S. cities most devoted to feline companionship based on PetSmart Charities cat adoptions and sales of cat products purchased from the retailer. Behind Lexington sit Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and Spokane, Washington.
None of the country's largest cities made the cut. The rest of the list skews small, with the leading spots going to places like Falls Church, Virginia, and Fort Collins, Colorado, plus a handful of suburbs most people would need a map to find. Six cities landed on the ranking for the first time, including Melbourne, Florida, and Livonia, Michigan.
"Cats continue to capture the hearts of pet parents across the country and these rankings confirm their popularity isn't slowing down anytime soon," Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities, said in a statement. They can thrive in smaller spaces, she noted, and their independent streak makes them an easy fit for plenty of lifestyles.
The numbers back her up. In 2023, U.S. shelters and rescues adopted out 2.6 million cats, compared with 2.2 million dogs, according to Shelter Animals Count. By 2024, an estimated 49 million U.S. households owned at least one cat. Best Friends Animal Society reported that in 2025, 83 percent of cats entering shelters were saved and that feline shelter deaths fell to their lowest level since the group began tracking them.
Pop culture has been on the cat train for a while. Taylor Swift named one of her cats Olivia Benson after the Law & Order: SVU detective and worked her feline obsession into songs like "Gorgeous" and "Karma." Ed Sheeran runs an Instagram account for his cats Dorito and Calippo. Justin and Hailey Bieber, meanwhile, shelled out a reported $35,000 on theirs.
The timing isn't random, either. July is the height of "kitten season," when most kittens are born and shelters fill past capacity. To meet the surge, PetSmart Charities National Adoption Week runs July 20 through 26, bringing adoptable cats and other pets from local welfare groups to stores nationwide.
So Lexington holds its crown, the suburbs keep out-catting the big cities, and shelters could use more people willing to clear a spot on the couch. In other words, the cats are winning, but there are still plenty waiting for a home.
