Cat in Cat

Cat Statistics

According to Sands (2005), the U.S. is a world leader in cats, followed by China and Russia. Estimated domestic cat totals at the time of his writing were as follows:

U.S.: 75 million (up from an estimated 70 million in 1998)

China: 46.8 million

Russia: 12.5 million

France: 8.7 million

Britain: 7.5 million

Italy: 7 million

Germany: 6.5 million

Poland: 5.4 million

Canada: 4.5 million

India: 3.9 million

Spain: 2.8 million

Netherlands: 2.3 million

A more recent estimate by the Humane Society of the United States (2009) puts the American total at 83.3 million, and other countries may have increased their numbers in recent years as well.

How do cat populations compare to human populations in size?

Austria: 1:1

Europe and U.S.: 1:4

Canada and the Netherlands: 1:7

Britain – 1:10

China – 1:28

India and Taiwan – 1:500

How many cats does the average cat owner have?

The average American cat owner has 2.3 cats, compared to 1.7 dogs for dog owners, according to the Humane Society of the United States. This is up from 2.1 cats and 1.5 dogs in 1996 (Animal Assistance League, 2001).

Where do people obtain their cats?

40% of cats were obtained from friends or relatives

22% were adopted as strays

19% were obtained from shelters

7% were purchased from pet stores

2% were born in the homes of their owners