Cat owner polls: what would you choose?
Big surveys rarely ask about whiskers, multi-cat homes or cats who hide their illness. These short polls do. One tap, anonymous, and you'll see how other cat owners answered.
- Anonymous, one vote per person
- Questions written for cat owners
- Live results you can revisit
Why we ask
Why we run polls for cat owners
Most research on pet aftercare lumps cats and dogs together, and most of it is about prices. That leaves out the questions cat owners actually wrestle with. Should the other cats see the one who died? Is a whisker worth keeping? Did I miss the signs? Our polls give you a quiet way to answer those questions and see that others faced the same ones.
Voting takes a second and is anonymous. You'll see the running totals as soon as you answer, and you can browse every poll below. If you'd rather just read, the live results page shows the totals without asking you to vote.
Browse every poll
How cat owners handle a sudden or slow goodbye, multi-cat homes and the small things they keep.
For your cat, would you want their own ashes returned?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
How did your cat's last illness (or your current worry) unfold?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you have more than one cat, did the others see the cat who died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which small keepsake would mean the most from your cat?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What kind of life did (or does) your cat lead?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Looking back, did your cat hide signs of illness?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What would you send with your cat to cremation?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Have you ever arranged aftercare for a stray or community cat?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Reading the results
How to read our poll results sensibly
These are reader polls, not scientific surveys. The people who answer are visitors to a cat aftercare site, many of whom are grieving or planning ahead, so the results reflect that group rather than all cat owners. We count one vote per person per poll, we don't pre-fill any numbers, and totals change as new answers arrive.
Where proper research exists, we put it next to the poll so you can compare. When a poll result and a published study disagree, trust the study for the big picture and the poll for a feel of what readers here are thinking. Our research page lists the studies we rely on.
What the questions reveal
Sudden loss, slow decline and cats who hide it
Two of our polls ask how a cat's last illness unfolded and whether they hid it. We ask because the answer shapes everything afterwards. An owner who had months of warning with kidney disease often wants to talk about planning and home goodbyes; an owner whose cat died in a road accident needs to know what to do tonight.
The research gives useful context. In England, the three leading recorded causes of cat deaths were trauma, kidney disorders and cancer, in a study of more than 4,000 cats where median longevity was 14.0 years[1]. Anticipatory grief is common too: 75.4%[2] of respondents in one UK survey grieved before their pet had died. Our page on grief after losing a cat covers both experiences.
Looking back, did your cat hide signs of illness?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What people keep
Whiskers, fur or ashes: the keepsake question
Our keepsake poll offers five answers that are specific to cats, including a shed whisker and a collar bell. There's no right answer, and many people end up keeping more than one. What matters is knowing which keepsakes must be arranged before collection, such as fur clippings and paw prints, so the choice isn't taken away by timing.
If you'd like to do something with the keepsakes afterwards, the guide to whiskers, fur and feline keepsakes has step-by-step ideas, and the ashes sharing planner shows how far a cat's ashes stretch.
Homes with more than one cat
What multi-cat households ask us about
Many cats share a home with at least one other cat, and the loss changes the whole household. Our poll asks whether the surviving cats saw the one who died, because it's a question owners often wish they had considered sooner. It's easy to do at home and harder to arrange at a clinic.
Owners also ask how long the searching and calling lasts, and when to think about a new cat. Our guide to loss in multi-cat households walks through the first month.
If you have more than one cat, did the others see the cat who died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Beyond your own cat
Strays, ferals and the cats we feed
Lots of people care for a cat who isn't strictly theirs: a neighborhood stray, a colony cat, the one who turned up every evening for years. When that cat dies, it's often unclear who should arrange anything, or whether you're allowed to. Our community cat poll asks what readers have done in that situation.
If you're facing it now, a local vet can usually arrange communal cremation for a small fee and scan for a microchip first. Private cremation is possible too. The contact page explains how to ask us for options.
Why it matters
Why sharing your answer can help someone else
Grief after a pet is often lonely. In a large RSPCA survey, 56.7%[3] of bereaved owners said they couldn't find the support they needed, and 57.1%[4] felt they had to hide their grief. Seeing that other people also kept a whisker, or let their other cats say goodbye, can make a private choice feel less strange. The weight of it is real: using figures from a 2026 PLOS ONE study of UK adults, our estimate is that about 7 in every 100 UK adults[5] have found a pet's death harder than any human loss.
It also helps with the practical side. According to the competition regulator, 89%[6] of UK cremation buyers never compared providers, so hearing what other owners chose can be a nudge to ask more questions. By our estimate, that works out to only ~6%[7] of all bereaved UK owners shopping around. When you're ready, the aftercare options comparison turns your priorities into a shortlist.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Which small keepsake would mean the most from your cat?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Looking back, did your cat hide signs of illness?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What was the hardest part of losing your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Are the cat polls anonymous?
Yes. You don't need to give a name or email to vote, and we don't connect answers to any request you send us. We count one vote per person per poll to keep the totals fair, and the results you see are simple running counts.
Can I change my answer?
Each poll counts one vote per person, so your first answer is the one that stays. If your situation has changed, for example your cat has since died and your view is different, that's a completely normal part of the process and the other polls may fit better.
Are these polls a reliable survey of cat owners?
No, and we don't claim they are. They reflect the people who visit this site, many of whom are grieving or planning ahead. For reliable figures, we link published research beside the polls, such as UK veterinary records and national pet ownership surveys.
Can I suggest a question for a future poll?
Yes, please do. Use the contact form and tell us what you wish you'd been able to ask other cat owners. We add new polls when a question comes up often and can be answered in a few short options without feeling intrusive.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] In 4,009 confirmed cat deaths in England, median longevity was 14.0 years; the leading causes of death were trauma (12.2%), kidney disorders (12.1%) and cancer (10.8%). O'Neill DG et al. Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England. J Feline Med Surg, 2015 (PMID 24925771), 2015.
- [2] 75.4% of RSPCA pet-loss survey respondents experienced anticipatory grief before their pet died. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [3] 56.7% of bereaved pet owners in the RSPCA survey could not find the support they needed. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [4] 57.1% felt they had to hide their grief after a pet died, and 57.8% perceive stigma around pet loss. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [5] About 7 in every 100 UK adults may have had a pet's death hit harder than any human loss. Our estimate: 32.6% have lost a pet x 21% chose pet as most distressing. How we calculate.
- [6] 89% of UK owners who bought a pet cremation did not compare different providers; 9% did. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [7] Only about 6% of all bereaved UK pet owners compare cremation providers before buying. Our estimate: 67% cremate x 9% compared = 6.0%. How we calculate.
Ready to look at real options?
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.