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France has an estimated 11-15 million stray and feral cats, nearly equal to the 16.6 million pet cat population
Source: 30 Millions d'Amis (2024)
Notes
France has one of the highest stray cat populations in Europe relative to its size
30 Millions d'Amis. (2024). 30 Millions d'Amis Stray Cat Report. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/feral-cats/#fr-stray-cat-population-2024
30-40 million
The estimated number of community cats (strays and ferals) in the US is 30-40 million
HumanePro (Humane Society) (2025)
Since 2021
French municipalities can declare free-roaming cat populations and implement mandatory sterilization programs under the 2021 animal welfare law
French Ministry of Agriculture (2021)
30%
Only 30% of stray cats in France are sterilized, compared to 75% of pet cats, contributing to ongoing population growth
Fondation Brigitte Bardot (2024)
1 million
Britain has approximately 1 million feral cats living outside human homes
Cats Protection (2024)
