ALLEY CAT RESCUE
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Cat Overpopulation in the United States

Cat overpopulation is a major issue in the United States that affects the wellbeing of both cats and humans. Although the number of cats euthanized in this country has decreased recently, there is still a lot of work we need to do to prevent healthy, adoptable cats from being killed simply because there are not enough homes.
 
Why is there cat overpopulation?
Cat overpopulation is caused by a few factors such as pet guardians not spaying/neutering their pets, pet guardians relinquishing their pets to shelters and outdoor cats reproducing unchecked. Unfortunately, there are simply not enough homes currently available for all the cats in this country. This is why sterilization is vital to decreasing the number of cats being born.
 
Campaigns to address cat overpopulation have focused on pet guardians getting their cats spayed and neutered. You may remember gameshow host Bob Barker telling you to get your pets spayed and neutered at the end of every The Price is Right episode! Sterilization campaigns have been largely effective and now sterilization is viewed as a common practice for companion animals. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association found that 80% of owned cats in US households are sterilized. Despite increased support for sterilization, myths about it still exist. Alley Cat Rescue works to end these myths through education and by promoting early-age spay/neuter through educational materials.
 
There is still a lot of work to go with regards to sterilizing community cats. The Humane Society of the United States predicts that only 2% of outdoor community cats are sterilized. Left unsterilized, these community cats mate and reproduce. Their kittens are often brought to overburdened shelters where they take up immense space, time, and resources.
 
Statistics
In the landmark study, "Human and Animal Factors Related to the Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in Twelve Selected Animal Shelters in the United States," the authors found that "Human Lifestyle" reasons were cited for just of a third of cat relinquishments.  Housing issues - mostly rental properties that did not allow pets - accounted for 26% of relinquishments, followed by behavioral issues, where were reported by just over one in five people who relinquished a cat to a shelter (Salman et al, 1998).

A follow up study in 2000 looked the specific behavioral reasons given by people relinquishing cats and the author found that inappropriate elimination was by far the most commonly given reason (Salman et al, 2000).
       
  Top 10 Behavioral Reasons for Relinquishment of Cats to Shelters
  1. Soils House (43.2%)
  2. Problems between new and existing pets (18.9%)
  3. Aggressive toward people (14.6%)
  4. Destructive inside home (12.4%)
  5. Aggressive toward animals (12.4%)
  6. Bites (9.2%)
  7. Disobedient (5.9%)
  8. Euthanasia request for behavioral reasons (5.4%)
  9. Unfriendly (5.4%)
  10. Afraid (3.8%)
​
The National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP) was created in 1993 to assess the issue of pet overpopulation. Through their survey they found:
  • The majority of surrendered cats (40.3%) were between 5 months and 3 years of age.
  • The majority of cats (30.2%) had been owned from 7 month to 1 year.
  • Approximately half of the cats (50.8%) surrendered were not neutered.
  • Many of the cats relinquished (46.9%) had not been to a veterinarian
 
Since then, the statistics on cat overpopulation have improved. According to the ASPCA, recent data suggests that approximately 3.2 million cats enter U.S. animal shelters each year—a decline compared to 7.2 million in 2011, but still a shockingly large number. Furthermore, a recent review of 84 separate studies about reasons for pet relinquishment confirmed that the current most common reasons for relinquishment of cats are aggression (58.3% cited this as the reason), housing issues (53.6%), and caretaker personal issues (50.0%).
 
Solutions
Alley Cat Rescue has been working to reduce cat overpopulation since our founding in 1997. We advocate for cat sterilization and trap-neuter-return to humanely reduce the number of cats being born. This helps not only companion animals, but feral and stray cats who can reproduce and give birth to kittens outside. Alley Cat Rescue implements trap-neuter-return programs to prevent breeding while allowing the community cats to humanely live their lives outside. Alley Cat Rescue also promotes responsible pet ownership through education and training before and after obtaining a pet.
 
Everyone can help reduce cat overpopulation. If you own a cat, make sure your loved one is spayed/neutered. You can make the biggest impact by trap-neuter-returning community cats in your area. Whether you volunteer with a local trapping group or TNR independently, by sterilizing the cats who live outside, you significantly reduce the number of kittens born to an unknown fate. 

References
Salman, Mo, J New, Jr., J. Scarlett P. Kass, R. Rch-Gallie & S. Hetts (1998). "Human and Animal Factors Related to Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in 12 Selected Animal Shelters in the United States." Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science: JAAWS. 1. 207-26. 10.1207/s15327604jaws0103_2.

Salman, Mo., J. Hutchinson & R Ruch-Gallie (2000). "Behavioral Reasons for Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats to Twelve Shelters." Journal of Applied Animal Science: JAAWS. 3(2) 91 - 106.
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  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission
      • Our Team
      • Board of Directors
      • Financial Information
      • Email Sign-up
    • ACR in the Press
    • ACR Publications >
      • Newsletters
      • Blog
      • Press Releases
      • National Surveys
    • Adoptions >
      • Adoption Application
      • Cats available for adoption
      • New Cat Checklist
      • Introducing A New Cat
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact Us
    • Partners
  • Action Alerts
    • Spay Neuter Pledge
    • No Declaw Pledge
    • Campaigns >
      • TNR Support Letter
      • The Feral Fix
      • Working Cats Program >
        • Shelters with Working Cat Programs
      • End Deadly Eradication Methods
      • "Fix the Family"
  • Spay/Neuter
    • Early Age Spay/Neuter
    • Misconceptions About Spay/Neuter
    • State Low Cost Spay/Neuter
  • How to Help Community Cats
    • Find a Stray Cat?
    • What is a Feral Cat? >
      • Feral vs. Stray Cats
      • Benefits of Feral Cats
    • TNR-- What does this mean? >
      • TNR Statistics
      • TNR Step-by-Step
      • Targeted Trapping
      • TNR Tips
      • Hard to Catch Cats
      • TNR Equipment Loan Resources
      • Where to Buy TNR Equipment
      • TNR/Community Cat Care Financial Resources
      • Helping Shelters Implement TNR Programs
      • Common Complaints
    • Providing Shelter
    • CAT Action Teams: TNR Groups by State
    • Health Care
    • Cat Overpopulation
    • Relocation
    • Feral Kittens >
      • What to do if you find kittens
      • Stages of Kitten Development
      • Orphaned Kittens
      • Socializing Feral Kittens
      • Fostering Kittens
    • How Rescuers Can Effectively Adopt Out Cats >
      • Adopting Adult Feral Cats
    • Winter Tips for Protecting Cats
    • Summer Tips for Cats
    • Feral Cats and the Law
    • Cats and Wildlife >
      • Cats and Predation
      • Where have all the birds gone?
      • Debunking the Myths and Misinformation: Cat Predation
      • Why Eradication Methods Fail
    • Handbook Download
  • Cat Health & Supplies
    • Health Care for Your Cat >
      • Vaccines
      • Wellness Vet Checkups
      • Microchiping
      • Nail Trimmings
      • Effects of aging
      • Hospice Care and Euthanasia Decisions
      • Vet Care Financial Assistance
      • How to Prepare for an Emergency
    • FIP, FeLV, FIV >
      • Testing for FeLV/FIV
    • Common Cat Health Issues >
      • Feline Panleukopenia
      • Fleas
      • Zoonotic Diseases
      • Rabies
      • Toxoplasmosis
      • Ringworm - Symptoms and Treatment
      • Ringworm Myths Debunked
      • Obesity in Cats
      • Diabetes
      • Indoor/Outdoor Cats
    • Cats & Claws
    • Animal Cruelty Against Cats
    • Hazardous Poisons
    • Poisonous Plants
    • Cats and COVID-19
    • Cat Supplies
    • Pet Food Banks
    • Pet Disaster Preparedness
  • Cat Behavior
    • Solutions to Prevent Surrendering your cat >
      • Rehoming
    • Common Cat Behavior Issues >
      • Litter Box Problems
      • Scratching and Destructive Behavior
      • Aggressive Cats >
        • Cat on Cat Aggression
      • Meowing and Yowling
      • Urine Marking
      • Behavior Issues in Elderly Cats
    • Introducing Cats
    • Cat Enrichment
    • Tips for Entertaining an Indoor Cat
    • Cat Supply Resources
    • Lost Cat
  • African Wildcats
    • AWC Conservation Projects
    • Press Release on African Wildcat Campaign
    • Differences between AWCs and domestic cats
  • Donate
  • Store