CATS IN CANADA A FIVE YEAR REVIEW OF OVERPOPULATION - TOOLIKA RASTOGI, PHD POLICY AND RESEARCH MANAGER - AASAO
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Cats in
Canada
A five year review
of overpopulation
Toolika Rastogi, PhD
Policy and Research Manager
AASAO Conference - October 18, 2018
Cats Count in Canada!
• National CFHS Cat Task
Force and 2012 report
• Provincial stakeholder
meetings
2
Cats Count in Canada!
• Promoting accessible
spay/neuter, as a root
solution to overpopulation
• Elevating the status of cats,
celebrating the human-
feline bond,
and raising awareness of
welfare issues
• Capacity for Care (C4C)
pilot program with UC
Davis and 6 shelters
3
2017 Five-year review Thank you to the sponsors!
4
2017 CFHS Cat Task Force
• Dr. Disa Boyd • Karen McGeean
Edmonton Humane Society Fredericton SPCA
• Holly Crone • Amy Morris & Marieke van
Oakville & Milton Humane der Velden - BC SPCA
Society • Denys Pelletier
• Marion Emo L’Association québécoise des
Hamilton-Burlington SPCA SPA et SPCA
• Sandra Flemming & Heather • Val Poulton
Woodin - Nova Scotia SPCA Winnipeg Humane Society
• Lisa Koch & Lindsay West • Marla Somersall
Regina Humane Society Prince Edward Island
• Dr. Toolika Rastogi - CFHS Humane Society
5
Key themes
• Do cats receive the same care and
consideration in Canadian society as dogs,
given their own particular needs?
• Despite improvements in the last five years,
cat overpopulation persists.
6
General population survey of
Canadians
• Conducted by Ipsos using their online
omnibus poll
• Surveyed 1,222 Canadians, 18 years of age or
older in ten provinces
• Representative of the Canadian population
based on age, gender and region
7
Pet ownership in Canada
62% of Canadians own at least one pet
Percent Average
1 2 or more households number per
with at least 1 household
36.9% 1.6
35.2% 1.4
8.3% 7.3
3.5% 3.3
4.1% 2.0
8
Cats are the most popular
companion animal in Canada
• Those under 55 more likely to be cat owners
• Those with children more likely to be cat owners
• 9.3 million owned cats in households in 2017
• Very similar level of cats in households compared
to 2012
• Slight increase for dogs
9
Sources of owned cats
Vet clinic 1%
Pet’s offspring 3%
Other 2%
Ad 4%
Breeder 5% Giveaway/Free
Pet store 19%
7%
Rescue Friend/relative
12% 17%
HS/SPCA/
shelter Stray
15% 16%
10Percent of owned cats
spayed/neutered
• Average 94% in 2017
6% compared to 80% in
2012
• Social pressure?
• Correlation between
income level and
likelihood of yes
94%
response
Any cats s/n None s/n 11How do owned cats spend their
time?
• 72% of owned cats
28% spend their time
either indoors (56%)
or always supervised
56% while outdoors (16%)
16%
• Social pressure?
12National stakeholder survey
• Targeted the same stakeholder groups:
Ø Humane Societies and SPCAs
Ø Municipalities
Ø Rescues
Ø TNR groups
Ø Spay/neuter groups
Ø Veterinarians
13National stakeholder survey
• Same questions posed as in the 2012 survey
• Increase in municipal respondents compared
to 2012
• Decrease in vet respondents compared to
2012
• Breakdown of ON stakeholders similar to
Canada
14In your opinion, is there a
cat overpopulation problem
in your municipality?
Ø Canada: 64%
Ø Ontario: 73%
15Perceptions of overpopulation
by stakeholder group
2017 2012
Total 64% 78%
TNR groups 95% 93%
Rescues 89% 100%
Humane Societies 88% 100%
Veterinarians 74% 75%
SPCAs 71% 87%
Municipalities 38% 49%
16Recommendation
• Municipalities communicate with other
stakeholders to improve understanding of
perspectives across stakeholder groups, as
well as collaborate and strategically align
efforts
• For example, support educational messages
with laws, enforcement and compliance
promotion, such as adopting bylaws and
supportive programs with mechanisms to
incentivize sterilization
17Practices for addressing
overpopulation
2017 2012
Cat adoption 78% 75%
Humane education 54% 42%
Cat animal control 49% 47%
TNR program 49% 34%
Subsidized cat s/n 46% 38%
Cat license program 33% 27%
Euthanasia 27% 48%
High-volume cat s/n 18% 11%
Other 5% 16%Intake to animal care
organizations
Species Total received in Percent
2016 juvenile
Cats (N=158) 114,131 43%
Dogs (N=129) 47,223 16%
19Intake to animal care
organizations
Species Total received in Percent
2016 juvenile
Cats (N=158) 114,131 43%
ON Cats (N=32) 29,726 41%
Dogs (N=129) 47,223 16%
ON Dogs (N=25) 10,697 11%
20Intake to animal care
organizations
• For both cats and dogs:
- One half are stray
- One quarter are owner-surrendered
- One tenth are transferred in
• Top reason for owner-surrender continues to
be housing issues
21Sterilization status at intake
Already Spayed/Neutered
Type CATS DOGS
of
2016 2011 2016 2011
intake
Stray 8% 4% 11% 6%
Owner 25% 10% 29% 13%
surrender
Total 13% 6% 17% 8%
22Sterilization status at intake
Ontario Stakeholders
Type Already Spayed/Neutered - 2016
of CATS DOGS
intake
Canada Ontario Canada Ontario
Stray 8% 3% 11% 2%
Owner 25% 8% 29% 11%
surrender
23Sterilization of animals
prior to adoption
Stakeholder Percent yes in Percent yes in
Group 2017 2012
Humane societies 100% 97%
SPCAs 100% 93%
TNR groups 95% 100%
Municipalities 19% 27%
Rescues 100% 97%
Aggregate 64% 79%
average
24Sterilization while in care
Species 2016 2011
S/N of Of which S/N of Of which
those juvenile those juvenile
received received
Cats 51% 48% 26% 28%
Dogs 29% 19% 29% 14%
25Sterilization while in care
Species Spayed/Neutered of those received
2016 2011
Canada Ontario Canada Ontario
Cats 51% 68% 26% 28%
Dogs 29% 43% 29% 22%
26Summary of spay/neuter results
• Higher fraction of general public report their cats
are sterilized (94% in 2017 compared to 80% in
2012)
• Higher proportion of cats admitted to shelter have
already been sterilized
• More adopted animals are taken home already
sterilized
• Fewer municipalities sterilize adoptable animals
prior to adoption compared to 95-100% for other
types of organizations
27Summary of spay/neuter
results (contd.)
• Higher proportion of juveniles being sterilized
• Shortage of funds is no longer reason for not
sterilizing
• More accessible sterilization options available
28Good news! But…
• More need for accessible spay/neuter in
communities
• Almost half cats taken in are juveniles
• Few animals admitted to shelters are already
spayed/neutered
29Recommendations
• Education about importance of responsible pet
ownership, spay/neuter, cruelty of abandonment
• Widespread early sterilization prior to sexual
maturity among owned cats to prevent unwanted
litters that may be relinquished or abandoned
• Accessible spay/neuter
• Governments provide financial resources to
accessible spay/neuter initiatives, rather than relying
on charitable organizations, their donors and
veterinary partners to fund this important work
30Recommendations
• Organizations adopting out animals make every
effort to spay/neuter 100% of animals prior to
adoption. Spay/neuter programs for adoptable
animals follow the recommendations in the ASV
Guidelines, including that surgery be considered as
early as six weeks (Griffin et al., 2016)
31Earliest age of sterilization prior
to adoption (in months)
Stakeholder Cats Dogs
Group
Humane societies 3.1 3.4
SPCAs 2.4 2.4
TNR groups 4.0 not applicable
Municipalities 3.3 3.2
Rescues 3.6 4.1
Aggregate avg. 3.1 3.0
32Earliest age of sterilization prior
to adoption (in months)
Stakeholder Cats Dogs
Group
Humane societies 3.1 3.4
SPCAs 2.4 2.4
TNR groups 4.0 not applicable
Municipalities 3.3 3.2
Rescues 3.6 4.1
Aggregate avg. 3.1 3.0
Avg. Ontario 3.0 3.3
33Capacity
• What percentage of
your organization’s
total capacity to
hold cats /dogs is in
use?
34Capacity
Stakeholder Percent capacity Percent capacity
Group used in 2016 used in 2011
Overall 73% 89%
Humane ON: 77% ON: 89%
Societies 83% 90%
SPCAs 66% 95%
Municipalities 47% 72%
Rescues 95% 91%
TNR Groups 86% 93%
35Recommendation
• All cat sheltering facilities incorporate
Capacity for Care shelter management
practices to reduce the likelihood of illness in
shelter, leading to euthanasia
36Animals who already had ID on
intake
Species Received Received
without ID without ID
in 2016 in 2011
Cats 29% 63%
Dogs 21% 46%
37Reclaim by owners
Species Stray animals reclaimed
2016 2011
Canada Canada
Cats 10% 8%
Dogs 68% 57%
38Reclaim by owners
Species Stray animals reclaimed
2016 2011
Canada Ontario Canada Ontario
Cats 10% 8% 8% 8%
Dogs 68% 67% 57% 40%
39Adoption
Species Adopted in 2016 Adopted in 2011
Canada Canada
Cats 60% 43%
Dogs 45% 38%
40Adoption
Species Adopted in 2016 Adopted in 2011
Canada Ontario Canada Ontario
Cats 60% 58% 43% 36%
Dogs 45% 41% 38% 42%
41Euthanasia
Species Euthanized in 2016 Euthanized in 2011
Canada Canada
Cats 18% 40%
Dogs 8% 14%
42Euthanasia
Species Euthanized in 2016 Euthanized in 2011
Canada Ontario Canada Ontario
Cats 18% 19% 40% 51%
Dogs 8% 10% 14% 15%
• Cats – most common reason: illness/change of
health (compared to behaviour in 2011)
• Dogs – most common reason: behaviour (still)
43Summary – Cats vs. Dogs
• There are still twice as many cats taken in as
dogs
• The proportion of these cats who are juvenile
is twice what it is for dogs
• The rate of reclaim for stray cats is about one
seventh of that for stray dogs
• 18% cats taken in are euthanized, compared
to 8% of dogs
44Next Steps
• Cat overpopulation persists
• Cats deserve same care and consideration as
dogs
• Engagement of a broader segment of
stakeholders to work together to develop an
integrated response to cats
• Common and coordinated messages from
stakeholders across community
• Working to engage municipalities, vets
45Thank you! toolika@humanecanada.ca www.humanecanada.ca
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