Cats have always accompanied humans since the beginning of time. And even now, cats remain one of the most favored pet animals by many families. As one of the most beloved household pets, you must be wondering how many cats there are worldwide. If you're curious to know how many of these adorable fluff balls are in the world, read on to know more!
Cat Populations Around the World
Whether you're a cat owner or not, you must have wondered about the number of cats present in the world. After all, you might know at least one or two people who care for these felines. And if you're a certified cat lover, there's a good chance that you might even own more than one cat in your home!
And besides the pet cats, there are also the free-roaming cats you may or may not greet while you're out and about. With just those numbers alone, it's easy to guess that there might be millions of cats present in the world. So, this begs the question: how many cats are present in the world?
To date, statistics indicate that there are over 220 million pet cats around the globe. On the other hand, there are at least 480 million street cats worldwide. So, there should be over 600 million cats in the world in total.
Most Cat-Populated Countries
Do you think your country is among the list of countries with high cat populations? If you want to find out if your country made it to the list, here are the top 5 most cat-populated places in the world from data recorded by World Atlas' pet cat ownership findings:
Top One United States
Sitting at rank number one is the United States, which is recorded to have at least 76.5 million pet cats in total. Of course, this doesn't account for their number of strays, which is said to be over 41 million. This brings their cat population to over 117 million cats, making the US the most cat-populated place globally.
Top Two China
China gets second place in this list, with over 53 million owned cats in total. Meanwhile, they are said to have more than 52 million strays, bringing their total estimated cat population to around 105 million.
Top Three Russia
Russia ranks third in this list, with a whopping pet cat population of 22.75 million. However, it's unsure how many stray cats they have in total.
Top Four Brazil
Brazil comes in fourth, which is said to have around 12.5 million pet cats in total. Like Russia, there is no known data regarding the country's number of street cats.
Top Five France
France is fifth on the list of most cat-populated countries. The country is said to have 9.5 million pet cats in total.
Reasons for Cats' Popularity as Pets
Many families favor cats as family pets for a wide variety of reasons. If you're not a cat owner yourself and are curious to know why people absolutely adore cats, here are some reasons why these creatures are favored below:
Excellent low-maintenance pets
Unlike dogs, which are also popular household pets, cats don't require much maintenance. After all, cats are known for their independence and do not need to be formally trained. They can also care for themselves and do not need to be groomed as much as dogs.
Are good at keeping homes pest-free
Cats are known for their natural predatory instincts. Therefore, if rats or mice ever enter your home, you can expect your feline friend to get rid of these pests for you.
Are generally quieter
If you live in an apartment complex or condominium and own a dog, you might be worried that your dog's barks might disturb other tenants in the building. Luckily, a cat's meows aren't as audible, making them generally quieter pets to own.
Conclusion
With over half a million cats in total worldwide, it's no surprise that the global population is seriously enamored with these loveable creatures. Besides being excellent companions, they're low-maintenance, keep pests at bay, and are generally quieter than dogs. So, if you haven't adopted a pet and think that a pet cat is perfect for you, this is a sign that you should definitely adopt one!