FACT SHEET ON CATSNovember 2011

Cat Ownership• Ownersreportfewerpetcatsin20111

• Veterinaryvisitsforcatshavedeclinedoverpastdecade2

• SixtypercentofU.S.householdsdonotownacat(opportunitytoincreasecapacity)

• Annualmoneyspentbyownersforveterinarycareislessforcatsthandogs1

Future Cat Ownership• 1,102respondentsusinganonlinesurveytool(Zoomerang)indicatedthat18to24year-oldmenarethemost

likelydemographicgrouptobefutureU.S.catowners3

• AgrowingHispanicpopulation,withownershavinghighhuman-animalbondaffinity4

• FoundAnimalFoundation–2012Calendarfeaturesyoungmenandtheircats5

Public Interest• “Homeless”animalsisoneofthetopthreesocialissues

recognizedbythepublic6

1 AmericanPetProductsAssociation2011-2012NationalPetOwnersSurvey2 CATalystQ/A,www.catalystcouncil.org3 MorrisAnimalFoundationSurvey-20094 Schoenfeld-TacherR.etal.,Comparisonofstrengthsofthehuman-animal

bondbetweenHispanicandnon-Hispanicownersofpetdogsandcats,JAVMA,236(5),529-534,2010

5 FoundAnimalFoundation,Dr.GaryMichelson–founder,LosAngeles6 PetsmartCharities,IPSOSSurvey,January2010

The Issues• Only2%ofstraycatsarereunitedwiththeirowners,comparedto10%ofstraydogs

• AlleyCatAlliesestimatethat50to90millionferalorcommunitycatsliveonU.S.streetswith7to22%ofhouseholdsreportingfeedingstraycats

• Somecommunitiesarenowneuteringandvaccinatingstraycatsandreturningthemtositeofpickup

The Trends• Budgetcutsinmanystatesarereducinganimalcontrolservices7

• Oklahomastatelawprohibitscountieswithlessthan200,000peoplefromissuinganimalcontrolordinance–whichalsoprohibitstheoperatingofananimalshelter8

• Highernumbersofcatsaresurrenderedtosheltersnationwidethanaredogs9

• SevenofeverytencatsenteringashelterintheU.S.areat-riskforeuthanasia10

• Since1985,therelativenumberofdogintakesattheMSPCAhasdeclinedmuchmorerapidlythanforcats11

• Coloradodata(2000-2007)illustratesthatstatewide,thenumberofintakesperthousandresidentsdecreased10.8%fordogsandincreased19.9%forcats;euthanasiaratesalsoincreasedforcats12

• CatintakesanddeathinBostonwereassociatedwithprematuredeathsinhumansviageocodedaddresses13

• Mostpeoplereportthattheysoughttoadoptorpurchaseadog;morecatsownersreportthattheircat“found”them(strays)

• ShelterPopulationIndex(SPI)information14

o SPIreportanalyzedcatanddogdataforyears2007and2008

o Catdataarebasedoncontributingsheltersthatservedabout54%oftheU.S.population

o Dogdataarebasedoncontributingsheltersthanservedabout53%oftheU.S.population

o Informationonatotalof2,013,819catsand1,922,729dogswasincluded

o SPInumberof0.000wasdefinedasneutraltrend(SPInumberof-1.000wouldbeworst-casescenariowhereallanimalsthatenteredashelterwereeuthanizedorotherwisedied.SPInumberof+1.000wouldbebest-casescenariowhereallanimalsthatenteredashelterwereadopted,reclaimed,etc.)

• EstimatednationalSPIforcatsis-0.204for2007and-0.197for2008

• EstimatednationvalSPIfordogsis+0.269for2007and+0.309for2008

7 BloombergBusinessWeek,July4-10,2011

8 CoppolaT.CommunitiesasShelters:ExaminingAmerica’sPetOverpopulationCrisis.ControversyandSolutions,September2010(draft).P44

9 SocietyforAnimalWelfareAdministrators,2011

10 NationalCouncilonPetPopulationStudyandPolicy–ShelterStatisticsSurvey,1994-1997

11 MSPCAdata,provided2011,complimentsofCarterLuke,President

12 Morrisetal.,TrendsinintakeandoutcomedataforanimalsheltersinColorado,2000-2007,JAVMA,238(3),2011

13 PatronekG.,MappingandmeasuringdisparitiesinwelfareforcatsacrossneighborhoodsinalargeU.S.city,AJVR71(2)161-168,2010

14 JohnNew,UniversityofTennessee,datareleased8/5/2011