Reviewing the state of companion cat welfare science in 2026 and priorities for future research and translation to practice.
Cat welfare science in 2026 is robust, evidence-based, and increasingly applicable to real clinical practice. The challenge is bridging from research evidence to routine practice - even when high-quality evidence exists, adoption in general practice often lags. Implementation science research that identifies and addresses barriers to adoption is as important as generating new evidence. Closing the evidence-practice gap is the most welfare-impactful frontier in feline welfare science.