According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters across the United States each year. A sizable number of cats also enter shelters each year in Canada, where Humane Canada® reports just under 61,000 cats were taken in by shelters in 2021.
Each of these figures underscores the need for cat adoption, but each also represents progress or at least a leveling off over previous years. The ASPCA reports that 7.2 million animals entered shelters across the U.S. in 2011, 3.2 million of which were cats. Though it would be better if that figure had decreased instead of leveled off over the 10-year period between 2011 and 2021, it does indicate campaigns to promote spaying and neutering cats to avoid overpopulation have been successful.
Cat shelter populations have decreased in Canada in recent years, as Humane Canada® reports that figures exceeded 78,000 in 2019 before dropping below 61,000 in 2021.
