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62% of cats entering shelters come in as strays, 29% as owner surrenders
Source: Shelter Animals Count (2025)
Shelter Animals Count. (2025). Shelter Animals Count 2024 Annual Report. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/shelters/#us-cat-stray-intake-pct-2024
57%
Kittens (under 5 months) make up 57% of feline shelter intakes
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
64%
The cat adoption rate in US shelters reached 64% in 2024
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
8%
Cat euthanasia rate dropped to 8% in 2024, down from 13% in 2019
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
82%
The national shelter save rate reached 82% in 2024, up 11 percentage points from 2016
Best Friends Animal Society (2025)
