Numbers and Characteristics of Cats Admitted to Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Shelters in Australia and Reasons for Surrender

Abstract

Simple SummaryNational Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) shelter admission data were utilized to examine cats presented to Australian animal shelters and reasons for surrender. This study reports the most commonly cited reasons for an owner to surrender and found lower than expected sterilized cats.AbstractDespite high numbers of cats admitted to animal shelters annually, there is surprisingly little information available about the characteristics of these cats. In this study, we examined 195,387 admissions to 33 Australian RSPCA shelters and six friends of the RSPCA groups from July 2006 to June 2010. The aims of this study were to describe the numbers and characteristics of cats entering Australian RSPCA shelters, and to describe reasons for cat surrender. Data collected included shelter, state, admission source, age, gender, date of arrival, color, breed, reproductive status (sterilized or not prior to admission), feral status and surrender reason (if applicable). Most admissions were presented by members of the general public, as either stray animals or owner-surrenders, and more kittens were admitted than adults. Owner-related reasons were most commonly given for surrendering a cat to a shelter. The most frequently cited owner-related reason was accommodation (i.e., cats were not allowed). Importantly, although the percentage of admissions where the cat was previously sterilized (36%) was the highest of any shelter study reported to date, this was still lower than expected, particularly among owner-surrendered cats (47%). The percentage of admissions where the cat was previously sterilized was low even in jurisdictions that require mandatory sterilization.

Response to Wolf et al.: Furthering Debate over the Suitability of Trap-Neuter-Return for Stray Cat Management

“…Concern for the welfare of strays features in local news bulletins (e.g., [23]), raising substantial community concern. Many animals are processed through animal shelters where the outcome may be euthanasia, distressing the carers involved [24]. We also agree that neutering is important in population regulation.…”

“…First, although there can be substantial variation across shelters, approximately half of admitted cats are strays, while the others are surrendered owned cats [24]. More specifically: 'Based on RSPCA statistics nationally and in Queensland, of cats entering shelters, approximately half are kittens and half cats (53% kittens, and 47% adult cats over 2006-2010).…”

Rates of death and euthanasia for cats in no-kill shelters in the Czech Republic

“…Even when the common overrepresentation of female cats in shelters (Lepper et al 2002;Wallace and Levy 2006;Alberthsen et al 2016) is considered, the female to male sex ratio among dead cats was greater in comparison with the sex ratio of cats admitted to the monitored shelters. Considering the mortality rate and median LOS, our results suggest that females are admitted to shelters in a worse condition than males and that males have a higher survival rate.…”

“…The increase in the intake of kittens following the feline breeding season (Rinzin et al 2008;Alberthsen et al 2016) is likely to be responsible for the increase in death and mortality rates in shelter cats in summer and autumn. It is in agreement with our findings that most deaths and euthanasias occurred shortly after admission.…”

Opinions of UK Rescue Shelter and Rehoming Center Workers on the Problems Facing Their Industry

“…This varies in different regions, and according to the focus of the organization itself; some may be open access and receive a high proportion of strays; whilst others, including many "no-kill" organizations and breed-specific rescues, have highly selective input, with very limited admission of strays (Diesel, Brodbelt, & Pfeiffer, 2009;Eriksson, Loberg, & Andersson, 2009;Marston & Bennett, 2009). However, direct relinquishment from the owner remains a primary source of shelter animals in many instances (Alberthsen et al, 2016;Eriksson et al, 2009;Moulton, Wright, & Rindy, 1991;Stavisky et al, 2012). A number of researchers have attempted to identify factors associated with an increased risk of relinquishment, with the aim of targeting interventions to relieve pressure on shelters.…”