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Reasons For Relinquishment Of Cats To Rescue Shelters

Summary By: | Published: November 5, 2009
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ABSTRACT ONLY Only an abstract of this article is available
EXTERNAL STUDY This is a summary of an external study
In the U.K., 60% of cats entering shelters come from owner relinquishment, with these returned cats likely being older than the general population.

This study of cat relinquishment in the United Kingdom found that 60% of cats entering shelters were given up by their owners, 19% due to owner circumstances, 7% for behavioral reasons, and 5% because of the occurrence of allergy or asthma among owners.

This study reviewed 6,089 cats relinquished to 11 rescue shelters in the United Kingdom, and separately examined cats who were adopted and then returned. The findings suggest that returned cats were significantly more likely to be older and neutered than the general population. The most common reason for behavioral relinquishment was aggression between cats in the household.

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Citations:

Rachel Casey, Sylvia Vandenbussche, John Bradshaw, Margaret Roberts, Berg Publishers, 2009 International

Tags:

Companion Animals Animal Behavior Attitudes English Rescue Sheltering Cats Dogs

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