Russia leads world in cat ownership — yet has 2.8 million strays
4 Articles
4 Articles
Russia has the highest rate of cat ownership in the world, with nearly 59 percent of households owning a cat.
Russia leads world in cat ownership — yet has 2.8 million strays
Nearly 59% of Russian households own at least one cat, the highest rate globally, but the 2022 mobilisation order left hundreds of thousands of animals abandoned when owners fled the country or were sent to the front in Ukraine. Up to 98% of Russia's stray cats and dogs were once domestic pets.
In Russia, the world leader in cat ownership, the war in Ukraine and mobilization have created a massive abandonment crisis. Millions of pets, thrown from their warm homes onto freezing streets, face death due to inadequate shelters.
The total population of stray animals in Russia in 2025 reached almost 3.6 million, of which 2.8 million are cats and 800,000 are dogs.
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