Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/cat-statistics/

Did you know an estimated 400 million cats live across the globe and that at least 373 million of them are kept as pets? These numbers are by no means exact, but it gives you a good idea of the number of putty tats in the world. There are said to be 58,385,725 of them in the United States alone. That’s a lot of felines!

But domestic cats didn’t arrive here until European settlers arrived in the late 1500s and early 1600s, bringing cats with them on their ocean voyages. The animals were initially brought along to keep mice and other rodent infestations down on ships.

European Cat Fanciers

Speaking of Europe, not only has the number of felines gone up there in the past decade, but cats are fast becoming Europe’s favorite pet. Germany, as it turns out, is said to have the most cats in the entire EU, with at least 23 percent of German homes having one. Statistically, they’re closely followed by French feline lovers, leaving Austria and Belgium tied for last place.

Free-Range Kitties

In Istanbul, there are an estimated 125,000 free-roaming cats. Visitors to the famed Roman Coliseum can attest to the number of free-roaming kitties there as well, with a nearly equal population of 120,000 cats stemming from 4,000 different cat colonies. In fact, a local law stipulates that a group of five or more street cats living together is considered a colony deserving protection.

U.S. Cat Adoptions vs. Homelessness

While the figures for yearly cat adoptions has fluctuated in recent years (can you say pandemic?), an estimated 1.6 million lucky felines find homes in the U.S. every year. Before you get too excited, though, another 73 million are considered feral or unowned, but the numbers could be much higher. While just a drop in the bucket, approximately 10 percent of Americans admit to feeding community cats.

Cat-Tastrophe

As much as we love felines, the bad or negative news surrounding them isn’t limited to their homeless numbers. Outdoor cats are said to be responsible for the decline of 27 mammal species, according to Research Gate, making them the biggest human-caused threat to wildlife.

Birds account for 25 percent of feral and outdoor cats’ prey. On islands, they have facilitated the reduction or extinction of 123 bird species, ranging from small songbirds to penguins. Stray and feral cat statistics also point to their contribution to the decimation of 25 reptile species.

Food for Thought

While there are some positive impacts to cats accessing the great outdoors, we can lower those declining species numbers through a host of forward-thinking initiatives, such as responsible spay and neuter trends, trap and release programs for feral colonies, and by limiting some of our pets’ outdoor interactions to setups like catios, rather than free run of the neighborhoods we live in.

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog