Get free weekly insights that help you understand your cat better.
188,000 cats were killed in US shelters in 2024, a 10.5% decrease from 2023 and the lowest on record
Source: Best Friends Animal Society (2025)
Source
Best Friends Animal Society Shelter Pet Lifesaving Data 2024Best Friends Animal Society (2025)
Notes
First time dogs killed exceeded cats since Best Friends began tracking
Best Friends Animal Society. (2025). Best Friends Animal Society Shelter Pet Lifesaving Data 2024. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/shelters/#us-cats-euthanized-bestfriends-2024
Trend: Decreasing
-59.1% since 2016
Timeline
273,000
273,000 cats were euthanized in US shelters in 2024
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
425,000
425,000 dogs and cats were killed in US shelters in 2024, down 59% from 1.03 million in 2016
Best Friends Animal Society (2025)
2.2 million
Approximately 2.2 million cats were adopted from US shelters in 2024
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
2.6 million
Cats achieved 2.6 million live outcomes in 2024, up 1% from 2023
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
