How Many Lost Cats Are Reported in a Year? – cats Idea

Lost cats have become a major issue for most pet owners and animal welfare societies across the globe. Year in, year out, millions of cats disappear, and this may be because of over enthusiastic trapping, wandering too far from home, or even just getting lost in strange territory. so lets see how many lost cats are reported in a year?

Gaining a significant picture of the implication of this problem is not only relevant to those categories of people who faced the loss of their pets but also caring communities and policymakers striving to minimize the number of lost animals.

Thus, such statistics reflecting numbers of lost cats may change from region to region but are still, strikingly high, and this means that there is a much bigger, but quite an unappreciated issue.

The following article seeks to understand the extent of the problem, the cause of the problem and ways in which communities can assist in preventing the fading of our precious feline.

Global Statistics: How Many Cats Get Lost Annually?

• In the United States, it’s estimated that about 3.2 million cats end up in animal shelters annually.
  
• However, not all of them are lost cats some are stray or abandoned, while others are relinquished by their owners. Studies have estimated that each year about 10% of overall household missing cats are reported to be lost at one time or another.
  
• Taking into account that there are over 90 million pet cats in the United States, millions of these cats are reported lost each year.
  
• Globally, these figures are also incredibly high. In the UK alone, there are 5,000,000 cats in homes, while only about 200,000 of these disappear or are lost each year.
  
• Similar figures can be observed in nations with a high density of the urban population, such as, for example, Canada and Australia.
  
• This is the case because prior differences in reporting systems and data collection approaches can hinder attempts to determine exact numbers at a global level.
  
• This highlights a crucial issue: the statistics we get know are always understated. Most of missing cats are not even reported or recorded, it can be guessed that the actual rate of missing cats is even higher.

Causes Explaining Vanishing of Cats

This is due to various reasons that lead to this numerous absences of cats every year From the above info graphic, there are some reasons that make numerous of cats absent each year.

Environmental Risks:

• The first one is perhaps the most readily indentify the actual physical threats cats encounter in the big wide world out there.
  
• Traffic accidents, incidence of attacks by wild animals especially where one lives in a rural or suburban setting, severe weather conditions are all dangers.
  
• Cats can get run over by cars, followed by other animals, or get stuck in places that they cannot get out of.
  
• Well, I think people do not find their way back home and many outdoor cats just get lost and you will not see them again.

Behavioral Factors:

• Cats are born playful and naturally having their own minds. They are territorial and so you will find them wandering around in regions that they have not been before.
  
• Some cats are automatic wanderers and they may go as far as get lost without knowing it, they may end up straying. Once in a different surrounding a cat may get confused or get lost.

Human Related Causes:

• Some of the reasons why cats disappear are as a result of human instigation. Those causes that can be attributed to a cat becoming lost include abandonment, neglect, or when the cat owner inadvertently releases his cat in an area that the owner is not familiar with.
  
• In urban areas even when a cat is under the owner’s care, movement from one house to another, changes in accommodation or even temporary trips can lead to a cat being left behind.

Animal shelters of great importance when cases involve lost cats.

Shelter is among the most effective and efficient means for recovering lost cats according to research done by animal organizations.

Shelters usually have records of lost and found pets, most of the time, shelters work closely with veterinarians, animal control and rescue groups in tracking animals.

But because most shelters handle large numbers of animals, there is usually a massive lag in the amount that goes missing in some of the cats.

Shelters operate on the strength of owners bringing the lost cats to the facility at the earliest opportunity.

The more time that a cat takes to be entered into a shelter’s database, the higher the probability of getting the cat back to its owners.

However, not all lost cats are brought to the notice of the authorities and the pet owners in many cases bring forward their cats missing complaints only after several days or weeks and by then the chances of finding the cat have reduced significantly.

What Happens to Lost Cats?

Sometimes the contending result for a missing cat may not be that favorable. Sadly not all are recovered and reunited with their families while some of the cats meet their fate somewhere.

Lost pet cats roaming the cities will suffer the fate or being trapped, picked by well wishers, or be taken to shelters.

Children who live on the streets are in direct contact with diseases, hunger, and are likely to be killed by animals or finally become victims of car accidents.

For some cats the outcome is even sadder. Natural death, accidents, or injuries, ingestion of poisonous substances, predation etc can cause the death of a cat.

However, some of the cats might be taken by new families or they give up being pets after a time of as long as five consecutive years and become feral.

Modern Methods of Finding Missing Kitty

• In the last ten years, technology has made major contributions on the part of finding lost pets. Such a method, for example, microchipping, is used in identifying lost cats.
  
• A microchip is a small chip that is placed beneath the skin of an animal and which can be read by shelters or veterinarians in order to return a lost animal to its owner.
  
• Furthermore, GPS collars and pet tracking systems are more frequently used to monitor cat’s movements.
  
• Such devices enable the owner to follow the cat’s movements in real time, give the owner reassurance and also the increased likelihood of recovering a lost cat.
  
• Pet recovery applications and databases, which are also used to track lost pets, have also been developed.
  
• These platforms can be used by the owners to post pictures of lost animals, report when they have been seen and where to find local rescues and shelters.

How to Report a Lost Cat

In a situation where your cat disappears, it is recommended to report the case immediately. Begin by approaching Non governmental organizations, animal humane societies or societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, veterinary hospitals among others.

All the shelters have a database of lost and found animals and can help to explain the further actions.

Besides the paper reports, there are many O2O Plateforms that can let the users upload the lost cats’ information and photos.

Other online platforms such as Petfinder, last seen pet posts on Facebook groups increased the awareness too.

This is especially a useful idea because when lost or even stolen, a small description with clear photographs will help people recognize your cat and help bring it back to you.

You increase the likelihood and rate of reunion the more details you provide (as for breed, color, distinctive features, and character).

Preventing Cats from Going Missing: Tips for Cat Owners

How do you stop a cat from going missing? is a good question that has to be answered by putting into practice the knowledge of a feline’s behavior.

Keeping Cats Indoors:

The primary method of avoiding your cat’s affliction to this calamity is to keep your cat an indoor cat. Companion cats are much less likely to roam, get into an accident, or become exposed to other environmental threats.

Secure Outdoor Spaces:

For those willing to let the cats outdoors, a catio a secure outdoor space is the answer. Guiding the cats to go for a stroll in the outdoors can also be done while training the cats to be on a leash.

Identification:

More than microchipping going bare with a breakaway collar an ID tag could enhance the prospects of a lost cat being returned.

You have to ensure that collar is bearing your current phone numbers and other contact information.

Lost cats are relatively easy to find but out of sight, this is how communities can help.

• The public especially citizens of a particular area also assists in the search for lost cats.
  
• Most neighborhoods have unofficial pages that are used when looking for lost pets, like the neighbourhood Facebook group or bulletin board.
  
• Other aids, such as people’s searches in the neighborhood, or notices when somebody brings back a lost pet can also be a great help.
  
• It can also be noticed that social networks have also emerged as powerful media in the dissemination of information.
  
• By the time one posts the cat is missing, the posts can go viral within a short span and therefore have high traffic.
  
• The more number of people who are inclined to know that a certain cat is missing the higher the probability of finding that cat.

wrap up on How Many Lost Cats Are Reported in a Year?

The page identifies the number of cats that are reported lost each year as a challenge to the owners and the animal welfare agencies. Of course, technology and community initiatives have helped owners recover their pets but the fact is many cats still go missing or unplucked.

If we can learn the reasons behind cats getting lost and do as much as possible to prevent it then more cats can live healthy happy lives.

Whether it is with first line risk management, surveillance or public awareness, the goal is to reduce the tragic incidence of lost pets.

see also

• Can cat die in tree? The Dangers of Cats life
• How Long Can Cats Be Left Alone? – Expert review
• How Long Are Cats Pregnant For in Months? Vet Guide
• Why Do Cats Lick You? 10 Surprising Reasons Behind It

FAQ: How Many Lost Cats Are Reported in a Year?