New Yorkers aren’t kitten around.
New York City has been ranked No. 1 in World’s Best Cat Litter’s first-ever “Top 20 Cat Kingdoms” list, spotlighting the cities across the country that spend the most money on cat litter.
According to the data, New York spent over $96 million on cat litter over the course of a year — $96,613,408 to be exact.
The equalized quantity of cat litter sales in the Big Apple came out to 147,848,537 units, according to the company.
The list is based on sales data from February 2024 to February 2025 collected by NielsenIQ.
To celebrate New York’s new claim to fame at the Top Cat Kingdom, World’s Best Cat Litter is releasing a limited-edition t-shirt for NYC cat lovers — for free while supplies last. The shirt features a “design made specifically for New York City, commemorating the dedication and allegiance to its cats.”
New York isn’t the only place to find purr joy in cats.
Coming in just behind New York is Los Angeles, which spends about $89 million on cat litter in a year, followed by Philadelphia which spends $79 million, outpacing bigger cities like Chicago and Houston.
Chicago, the country’s third largest city, comes in at No. 7 on the list of cat kingdoms. Meanwhile, Florida has three cities in the top 20, two of which are in the top 10: Tampa (No. 4), Orlando (No. 9) and Miami (No. 16).
And while New York City might be the top consumer of cat litter nationwide, even Manhattan cat parents know that checking and scooping is a full-time responsibility.
According to a recent survey from World’s Best Cat Litter, 70% of cat owners check their pets’ litter box daily — and 65% have admitted that they don’t often scoop as much as they planned since life can get in the way.
“We know that 54% of cat owners are concerned about their cat’s litter box habits, but there are many ways that cat parents can make smart decisions to help ease anxiety around litter box behaviors,” Dr. Elizabeth Flickinger, senior manager of insights and innovation at World’s Best Cat Litter, said in a statement.
“With the right litter choice, proper box placement, and a gradual transition process, cat parents can create an inviting environment to encourage healthy litter box habits for their cats.”
The company recommends sticking with natural litter such as a corn-based option, which is eco-friendly and absorbs liquid and odors with less weight.
