Species profile · FDA CVM July 2026 extract

Cat adverse-event record

According to FDA CVM openFDA filings as of July 2026 extract, 121,036 adverse-event reports span 55 cat breeds.

#2 of 55
by report volume (all species)
121,036
adverse-event reports
55
breeds in this species
8.1%
death-coded share

The record at a glance

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Cat ranks #2 of 55 by total reports (121,036) and #36 of 41 by death-coded share (8.1%). National dual: Dog is #1 of 55 species by total adverse-event reports (806,331) at death-coded share 4.3% (rank 38 of 41); separately, Quail is #1 highest death-coded share at 84.6% (report rank #32).

806,331
Dog reports (#1)
84.6%
Quail death share (#1)
#2
This species, reports of 55
#36
This species, death share of 41

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Cat has 121,036 reports now versus 118,409 in that prior snapshot: 2,627 more (2.2%).

Report change
+2,627
Death-coded reports
+164
Death-coded share
−0.0 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Cat changes

Cat breeds by report volume

Exclusive partition of the 55 cat breed rows with adverse-event aggregates. Parts sum to this species' breed total.

Where Cat sits among species by death-coded share

COUNT-derived placement among 20 species with at least 50 FDA CVM reports. Death-coded share is exposure in the file, not a proven species risk rate.

Cat death-coded share vs every floor-qualified species

Death-coded share of FDA CVM reports · species with ≥50 reports (July 2026 extract)

8% 10th percentile Higher share than 10% of 20 indexed species

0%–5%: 2 indexed species (10%). Below this entry. 5%–10%: 1 indexed species (5%). This entry sits in this band. 10%–15%: 3 indexed species (15%). Above this entry. 15%–20%: 2 indexed species (10%). Above this entry. 35%–40%: 1 indexed species (5%). Above this entry. 40%–45%: 2 indexed species (10%). Above this entry. 45%–50%: 2 indexed species (10%). Above this entry. 50%–55%: 1 indexed species (5%). Above this entry. 55%–60%: 1 indexed species (5%). Above this entry. 60%–65%: 2 indexed species (10%). Above this entry. 65%–70%: 1 indexed species (5%). Above this entry. 70%–75%: 1 indexed species (5%). Above this entry. 80%–85%: 1 indexed species (5%). Above this entry. Cat 0% 85% every species with ≥50 FDA reports, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more indexed species. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine · openFDA animal-and-veterinary adverse-event reports · July 2026 extract

121,036
Total Reports
55
Breeds
9,777
Deaths
8.1%
Death Rate

Top Reactions

Vomiting 14,615
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 10,572
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 9,864
Application site hair loss 7,811
Anorexia 7,109
Lack of efficacy - NOS 6,810
Application site alopecia 6,503
Behavioural disorder NOS 6,255
Weight loss 5,831
Diarrhoea 5,769
Emesis 5,676
Death 4,943

Most Referenced Drugs

Selamectin 14,068
Spinosad 11,659
Fluralaner Spot-On Solution 10,165
Selamectin;Sarolaner 7,795
Nitenpyram 7,646
Frunevetmab 7,616
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin 6,438
Buprenorphine 5,684
Cefovecin 5,643
Emodepside + Praziquantel 4,671
Velagliflozin Proline Monohydrate 4,051
Bexagliflozin 3,770

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
38,484 (33.8%)
Ongoing
34,696 (30.5%)
Recovered/Normal
30,123 (26.5%)
Died
5,988 (5.3%)
Euthanized
3,805 (3.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
706 (0.6%)

Reports by Year

2010
4,410
2011
4,145
2012
5,720
2013
6,732
2014
6,058
2015
6,134
2016
6,382
2017
7,559
2018
7,207
2019
7,339
2020
6,708
2021
6,230
2022
6,759
2023
11,464
2024
14,292
2025
12,026
2026
1,871

Cat Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database holds 121,036 adverse event reports for Cat, distributed across 55 distinct breeds currently tracked in the system. Of those reports, 9,777 involved a death outcome, producing a 8.1% case-fatality rate among reported events, which reflects reporting severity bias rather than true population mortality. These figures are aggregated directly from openFDA's Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events endpoint and update as new voluntary submissions flow through pet owners, veterinarians, and drug manufacturers.

The most frequently reported clinical signs for Cat are Vomiting (14,615 reports), Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (10,572 reports), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (9,864 reports), Application site hair loss (7,811 reports), with Vomiting leading the reaction traffic at 14,615 submissions. On the product side, Selamectin is the single most-referenced drug with 14,068 reports, followed by Spinosad (11,659), Fluralaner Spot-On Solution (10,165), Selamectin;Sarolaner (7,795). This combination surfaces which therapeutic classes generate the most adverse event chatter for this species, a useful starting point when comparing Cat reporting patterns against other companion animals in the dataset.

Of the 113,802 Cat reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown accounts for the largest share at 33.8%. Annual submission volume spans 1,871 to 14,292 reports across the 17 years on file, a range that reflects evolving owner awareness, veterinary reporting habits, and new product approvals rather than stable underlying incidence. The breed-level table below breaks these patterns down further, showing how the 55 tracked cat breeds compare on volume, deaths, and average age at report. As with all FDA adverse event data, correlation is the ceiling, causation requires clinical investigation beyond what these aggregates can provide.

Cat Breeds (55)

# Breed Reports Deaths Death Rate Avg Age
1 Domestic Shorthair 65,226 4,716 7.2% 7.1 yr
2 Cat (unknown) 13,248 1,235 9.3% 6.8 yr
3 Domestic Longhair 9,615 670 7.0% 7.6 yr
4 Domestic (unspecified) 7,576 1,014 13.4% 6.5 yr
5 Domestic Mediumhair 6,441 499 7.7% 6.8 yr
6 Cat (other) 4,798 464 9.7% 7.6 yr
7 Siamese 3,073 250 8.1% 7.5 yr
8 Maine Coon 2,383 181 7.6% 7.2 yr
9 Persian 1,215 118 9.7% 7.3 yr
10 Ragdoll 1,029 90 8.7% 6.7 yr
11 Bengal 673 31 4.6% 6.0 yr
12 Himalayan 640 68 10.6% 8.6 yr
13 Russian 611 44 7.2% 7.7 yr
14 Crossbred Feline/cat 571 36 6.3% 6.7 yr
15 American Shorthair 442 33 7.5% 7.1 yr
16 Mixed (Cat) 298 32 10.7% 4.7 yr
17 Manx 284 32 11.3% 7.3 yr
18 American Curl Shorthair 228 8 3.5% 7.3 yr
19 Abyssinian cat 201 19 9.5% 7.6 yr
20 Norwegian Forest 193 11 5.7% 8.9 yr
21 Sphynx 184 25 13.6% 5.0 yr
22 Burmese 158 18 11.4% 8.8 yr
23 Siberian 118 5 4.2% 5.8 yr
24 Tonkinese 118 14 11.9% 9.7 yr
25 Bombay 116 9 7.8% 7.4 yr
26 Snowshoe 114 8 7.0% 7.6 yr
27 Rex - Devon 88 12 13.6% 7.6 yr
28 Scottish Fold Longhair 83 4 4.8% 7.4 yr
29 British cat 79 3 3.8% 5.5 yr
30 Turkish Angora 76 1 1.3% 7.5 yr
31 Birman (Sacred Birman) 65 2 3.1% 8.6 yr
32 Oriental 64 2 3.1% 5.9 yr
33 Scottish Fold Shorthair 60 5 8.3% 5.5 yr
34 Egyptian Mau 57 3 5.3% 7.3 yr
35 European 54 7 13.0% 5.3 yr
36 American Bobtail 44 2 4.5% 7.5 yr
37 Balinese 42 4 9.5% 6.7 yr
38 Turkish Van 40 1 2.5% 7.9 yr
39 Rex - Cornish 37 2 5.4% 9.5 yr
40 Ocicat 37 2 5.4% 9.0 yr
41 Rex (unspecified) 24 3 12.5% 9.1 yr
42 Japanese Bobtail 22 3 13.6% 8.6 yr
43 Exotic 16 1 6.3% 7.0 yr
44 Korat 16 1 6.3% 9.5 yr
45 American Curl Longhair 15 1 6.7% 8.0 yr
46 Somali cat 15 0 0.0% 9.0 yr
47 Havana Brown 14 4 28.6% 7.2 yr
48 RagaMuffin 13 0 0.0% 6.4 yr
49 Singapura 13 0 0.0% 7.1 yr
50 Chartreuse 13 2 15.4% 7.1 yr
51 Selkirk Rex 9 2 22.2% 5.2 yr
52 British Blue 8 2 25.0% 10.3 yr
53 Wild cat 8 0 0.0% 10.6 yr
54 European Lynx 8 0 0.0% 6.5 yr
55 American Wirehair 6 0 0.0% 5.6 yr

What to do with cat data

  • Look up any cat breed's report volume and death-coded share in the full breed directory. Browse breeds
  • Read how death-coded share differs from a mortality rate before drawing conclusions. Breed-specific risks guide
  • See how species compare nationwide by report volume and death-coded share. Rankings

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction, and popular breeds simply generate more reports.

Data sourced from the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed.

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Event extract, every figure on this page is rendered from that public file; no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FDA openFDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.