Eighty percent of cats in U.S. households are neutered, according to a new, nationally representative study conducted by Alley Cat Allies and published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association, a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal. The study, “Population characteristics and neuter status of cats living in households in the United States,” found that family income was the single strongest predictor of whether pet cats living in households are neutered. Over 90% of cats in households earning $35,000 or more per year were neutered, compared to 51% of cats in households earning less than $35,000. These neuter rates are a cause for optimism: they indicate that neutering is an accepted, established practice among the large majority of Americans with pet cats. As a result, our nation’s pet cats are living healthier lives. Despite the disparity based on household income, it bears reemphasizing that the majority of pet cats living in households across all income levels are neutered. The study was based on data collected by Harris Interactive for Alley Cat Allies and then analyzed by Alley Cat Allies using a rigorous statistical approach, and is the first nationally representative study to document that household income is positively associated with a cat’s neuter status. Increasing Neuter Rates for Cats: Next Stop Stray and Feral CatsWhen looking at the neuter rates of cats in U.S. households, it is important to remember that pet cats represent only a part of the entire U.S. cat population. Scientists estimate that there may be as many stray and feral cats in the United States as there are cats living in people’s homes. In contrast to the high neuter rate of pet cats, the most comprehensive research to date indicates that less than 3% of stray and feral cats are neutered. The lives of all cats—pet, stray, and feral—are improved through neutering. This important new study underscores the need to recognize that most intact cats are stray and feral cats. And among lower income cat owners who responded to the study, cost was the most common reason cited for not neutering their pets. Expanding the accessibility and affordability of low-cost, high-volume spay and neuter programs is a critical step to increasing the neuter rate among both pet cats in lower income households as well as stray and feral cats. |
Study Finds Vast Majority of Pet Cats Sterilized
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6 comments:
"Scientists estimate that there may be as many stray and feral cats in the United States as there are cats living in people’s homes. In contrast to the high neuter rate of pet cats, the most comprehensive research to date indicates that less than 3% of stray and feral cats are neutered."
This is exactly why "better marketing" is not the answer to overpopulation and why no kill will not be realized until this movement places more emphasis on TNR and making s/n much more accessible (i.e. no or very low cost) for people caring for free-roaming cats.
Actually, as I remember from sheltertrak, the County figure on the percentage of stray cats that were sterilized was about 30%.
No-Kill has never ignored TNR. Nathan has always encouraged sterilizing housed and unhoused cats.
I think I showed before we don't have enough info to determine the full extent of the problem. We don't know how many housed cats there are, how many get abandoned, how many are lost an not recovered. We do know owners turn in about 16,000 a year, which would only be 1.6% of housed cats. Strays may be another 6-7,000, which would only be 2/3 of 1%.
With ferals, Winograd never advocated adoption as a way out for them, only that they can continue to live in colonies (or other barn cat type programs, maybe sanctuaries) and colonies controlled, I assume, by TNR.
Stray and feral cats make up a large percentage of the cats that end up killed at shelters. Nathan should spend less time grandstanding and attacking Wayne Pacelle and more time figuring out how the no kill movement can address this population of animals. They are falling through the cracks.
What Nathan advocates is different that what's being done. The no kill philosophy is wonderful in concept, but until his ideas are actually put into practice we will get nowhere. No kill will just be a concept. Even the no kill shelters are not fulfilling Nathan's no kill mandate.
Which no kill shelters are failing? How do you define fail compared to 95% of all muni shelters that are not even close?
Again, you are speaking in generalities without a fact-base for your argument.
Then you change course and say his ideas are not being put into practice, but when they are, then we'll get somewhere. I am very confused then by what you are saying.
Are you saying if his ideas are implemented we can get to no kill, or that he did not emphasize TNR enough, or what?
Please read my comments carefully. I did not change course. I did not say shelters were failing. What I said is this:
“Even the no kill shelters are not fulfilling Nathan's no kill mandate.’
Why don’t you call some of the self-proclaimed no kill shelters around the country and ask them how many healthy feral cats they kill in their NO KILL facilities and what programs they are implementing to keep these cats out of the shelter? It seems the Tompkins SPCA is the only shelter that actually IS no kill for feral cats. Why aren’t the other shelters following the lead on this?
You said, "Are you saying if his ideas are implemented we can get to no kill, or that he did not emphasize TNR enough, or what?"
Yes, I am saying both of these things. They are not inconsistent. I'd like to see Nathan put more emphasis on keeping ferals out of shelters, TNR, and strategies for reducing the homeless cat population. As another poster noted, improved marketing is not a catch-all solution. Simply saying there is no overpopulation and that there are plenty of homes--which is unknowable anyway based on your argument re: lack of statistics--is not helping shelters save the lives of cats they cannot place in homes or reduce the overall population of cats in the community, something I argue is necessary if we are to achieve no kill.
O.K., got you.
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