Where do cats go?

Generally, missing cats tend to stay local.

18% of owners found their lost cat near their home, while 16% received a call from someone in the area.

Another 16% found their cat trapped in a shed or outbuilding, and 13% said they found their cat at an old home.

However, we wanted to figure out exactly where cats go wandering. We partnered with Tractive GPS pet tracker to explore what cats get up to and where they go when their owners aren’t watching.

We found interesting differences between three key groups: male and females, rural and urban and young and old.

Male and females

The GPS data revealed that males were 60% more active on average than females, which is likely why they make up 61% of lost cats in the UK.

On average, male cats spend five hours active per day, while females spend three hours. Males travelled further than females, who spent more time in the same areas.

Cat expert, Lucy Hoile, explained the difference in behaviour:

“Male cats are naturally more active and maintain wider territory than females due to their innate drive to find mating opportunities. The more ground they cover, the more females they are likely to encounter. This is less of a concern for females as they are not always in season.

“Neutering removes much of the motivation to mate. However, some differences in activity and territory size between males and females remain.”

Due to their increased activity levels, male cats burn, on average, 19% more calories than female cats.

This trend appeared across male cats, with the youngest logging the highest average minutes per day out of the 12 cats in the experiment.

One of the cats is known as a local celebrity thanks to his busy social calendar visiting nearby residents.

His GPS data tracked him burning exactly 315 - 330 calories for his daily routine.

On average, a female cat sleeps 28% more than males.

Female cats also spent 10% more time in a calm state than males.

If you’re looking for a cat that will spend most of the day snuggled up on the sofa with you, then a female might be the better choice.

Rural and urban

When comparing rural and urban cats, daily active time was the same on average, which suggests they travel similar distances.

However, roads are more dangerous for cats living in urban areas.

As seen in the map below, urban cats use the same routes to explore nearby green spaces and cross more roads:

Lucy Hoile explains:

“All residents in an urban area should be mindful of the cats living in the area, even if they don’t have cats themselves. Checking for cats before closing sheds or garages, securing water butts and ensuring fences are in good repair will all help keep cats safe.

Rural areas are generally safe, but you should consider predators and environmental hazards in the local area. Keeping cats inside at night and using quick-release collars is recommended for rural and urban cats.”

Young and old

Older cats (aged 10 years or above) spent 10% less time being active than their younger counterparts.

Cats over 10 years old also burned 4% fewer calories than younger cats in the experiment, as expected.

Furthermore, senior cats slept for 8% more time on average.

As cats age, they spend more time in a calm state; on average, the data showed 214 minutes per day for cats over 10 years old.

Younger cats spend just 157 minutes in this state.

Lucy Hoile comments:

“As the cat is a prey species as well as a predator, to openly display signs of pain or discomfort makes them vulnerable. As such, any aches and pains they may be experiencing as they age are hidden and often go unnoticed by owners.

“Most cats over 10 will be experiencing some degree of osteoarthritis and will prefer to spend more time sleeping and less time exploring their territory. Older cats should have regular veterinary checkups to ensure they are in good health and warm, comfortable beds can help them rest happily.”