by Anai Rhoads
AnaiRhoads.org -- A promising new study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association reports that the majority of households in the United States support spaying or neutering their pets.
The study, Population Characteristics and Neuter Status of Cats Living in Households in the United States, randomly interviewed 1,205 pet owners across the continental U.S. To ensure that there was a vast range of households, the participants were asked for their region, gender, education, and income level.
The results showed that approximately 80 percent of U.S. middle-class households and over 90 percent of higher income families have had their pets altered.
"Previous research has shown there may be just as many stray and feral cats in the U.S. as pet cats, and most of these cats are intact and breeding. We need to enact smart policies and programmes that expand the availability of low-cost, high-volume spay and neuter services, not only to serve lower-income pet owners, but to provide services for feral cats as well," said Becky Robinson, president of Alley Cat Allies.
Income levels dominated the decision of whether or not to spay or neuter their family pets. According the report 93 percent of those earning $35,000 or more annually had their cats fixed. In households that made less than $35,000 annually, over half of the felines were altered.
"It is also critical to point out that household cats represent only part of the total U.S. cat population," said Wendy Anderson, director of law and policy for Alley Cat Allies and a co-author of the study.
The journal's report was based on data previously collected and reviewed by Alley Cat Allies by Harris Interactive. The study concluded that there are approximately 82.4 million cats in the U.S., and that an estimated 36.8 million households have indoor cats. At least one third of these households interviewed said they adopted at least one stray.
