According to the survey, this drop could be explained by the number of families who have more than one cat in their household. The survey results show that one in three families has a cat at home, but that “the proportion of those who own two or more has reached its lowest level in four years”.
There are currently nearly 1.8 million cats in Quebec homes.
This drop could be the result of the increase in the cost of living, explains the Association of Veterinary Doctors of Quebec, which had expressed its concerns in recent years. It is underlined that the current economic context would be at the origin of “difficult choices” of owners concerning their animals – “decisions which could directly affect their quality of life and their health, but also intensify the number of abandonments, and even euthanasia,” it is emphasized.
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The decrease in cats in Quebec homes would explain the increase in cats in shelters in recent months. Experts in the field feared that the increase in the cost of living was causing this phenomenon.
However, we are pleased that dogs seem to escape this trend of abandonment in Quebec while the canine population is estimated at 1,388,000 individuals, compared to 1,193,000 in 2023.
Be careful, say veterinarians, because dogs could also be victims of mass abandonment in the coming years. “It is essential to think carefully before choosing a new companion,” we write.
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