Recognized on April 4th, World Stray Animals Day’s origins date to 2010, when over 100 Dutch organizations convened at the Dutch National Stray Animals Conference.
The aim is to raise awareness about the issues regarding stray animals and to show love and compassion for those less fortunate animals who don’t have a home or a caring family.
Why This Should Concern You?
Street animals can carry dangerous diseases such as Rabies. This disease is transferred from animals to humans through saliva in bites. To put this into perspective, according to Vital Pet Life, Between 40,000 and 70,000 people die from rabies each year.
Many stray animals have tough lives, and they may end up dying from diseases and infections that are preventable.
The Staggering Numbers
According to Zoonoses Public Health, there are 60–100 million stray and feral cats in the United States alone.
If we go even more macro, Manuela Rowlings, Head of FOUR PAWS Stray Animal Care Programme in Europe, stated that “There are over 600 million stray animals all over the world“.
What is the origin of this problem? The truth is there are multiple causes, which we will explain below.
1 – Not all pets are spayed or neutered
(Humane Society)
2020’s 85% of spayed/neutered pets may sound high enough. However, This number was 93% in 2016. Truth be told, the pandemic put other priorities on the table, and Lockdowns hindered welfare groups & veterinarians’ work.
This is a problem since uncontrolled populations will grow in numbers, putting the objective of lowering the stray pet population even further away.
2- Irresponsible pet owners
Around 15% of cat owners lose their pets at some point during a 5-year period. This leads to even more stray animals populating the streets. Not only that, but they may relinquish their pets to shelters or even worse, abandon them.
How to help with cat overpopulation?
Spay or neuter your cat
The best thing you can do to prevent overpopulation is to spay or neuter your cat. These are common procedures performed by veterinarians where pets are under anesthesia so they do not suffer. Not only will you be contributing to prevent further pet overpopulation, but this procedure will come with benefits for your fellow friend in the form of behavioral and physical changes that will endure for the rest of their lives.
Microchip your cat
This may sound harsh but if you ever lose your cat, you can only imagine how grateful will you be. This is a device that allows your pet to be tracked back to you if they ever get lost. The chip has the size of a grain of rice and it is an easy and quick procedure.
ADOPT! Do not shop.
This is a decision that can change a life, by giving hope and happiness to a stray animal, which is an act of compassion they will be eternally grateful for. You can do this by going to your nearest shelter or contacting any pet rescue. By doing this, you directly reduce the number of strays living in the street, as you free up space in the shelter for another stray to come.
If you adopt, bear in mind that unexpected vet bills can easily reach hundreds or thousands of dollars. Many cat owners compare pet insurance options before an emergency happens
Donate!
Whether it is to your local shelter or any organization, by donating you are supporting people who advocate their lives to save cats. A great, caring organization that does an amazing job in the US is Alley Cat Allies.
Have an Outdoor Cat Shelter
A great way you can start helping kitties from home is by offering stray cats that hang around your neighborhood a safe place to rest in your yard. having an outdoor cat shelter can make a difference in their lives, as harsh weather conditions can be very tough for them when they have nowhere to go or take refuge.
Conclusions
Strays did not ask for the life they have. All of us can help them find a home and ultimately reduce the overall number of strays. If you can’t have a pet at home for any reason, you can always consider donating to your local shelter. They are always in need of food and supplies and mostly rely on donations to keep doing their work.
Also, stay tuned for International Cat’s Day on August, 8th. An amazing day to celebrate our feline friends. We will be covering it very soon as well.
We hope that this April 4th you spread awareness too. However, one day is not enough. Effort must be continuous, And you happen to be helping by taking care of your feline friends 🙂 Let’s keep going!
