The not so “bright” sides of Cats
Statistics in the United States have shown that animals “putting to sleep” in shelters and animal control pounds were fairly high and is the main cause of death for domesticated cats. The number which was taken in year 2006 has shown that about 66% entering those facilities were killed. There were numbers indicating about 32% were adopted and 2% of it were reunited with their owners which were not encouraging.
Although the statistics were from the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy Statistics Survey, it can be considered comprehensive as the survey was done annually on about 5,000 shelters. And there were recent studies done which were not so on a large scale as most of the shelters and pounds were “not so cooperative” since this is a sensitive issue. Indicators received and estimation from those involved demonstrated that the numbers were more or less the same.
Against domesticated cats, feral cats’ faith were much more pitiful as it was an almost 100% “death” rate for this category of cats in pounds and shelters. This has cause wild life advocates to pursue and demand for more transparency in dealing with this category of cats. With more and more pressure from this group of advocates, those people caught in this “cross-fire” are in a state of ambiguity.
As can be expected of this category of feral cats which do not mingle or socialized with humans, there is no possibility, no chance to be adopted as they will not fit into normal household dwellings. Even owners of these so-called “exotic pets” usually do not come forward to claim it bearing the consequences of the law. Therefore the only conclusion anyone can draw for these animals is death which has been a debate for quite some time.
Even though there were no actual numbers known for these feral cats, the numbers from related source has shown that the population of feral cats and domesticated cats were more or less the same which stood at 81 million.
Non-profit organizations and animal welfare group are of the same opinion and have always believed that the leading cause of death for cats has been in these animal pounds and shelters whether it is public or private funded ones. As there were not much publication on this matter, since not all the states impose the need to report the fate of the animals in the pounds and shelters. Those states that require reports from pounds and shelters usually do not make the reports accessible to the public. The collection of these crucial data and the process of studying this issue has been thinly scattered.
As this is a controversial issue, there is no sure-win solution or a “one-solution-for-all” since both sides has its “story” to tell. Therefore the alternative help to avoid “putting to sleep” especially domesticated cats, is to advocate adoption which in another way reduces the “unwanted” domesticated cats which were put to sleep. Educating the general public and it awareness has a huge positive effect as per the recent publication.