For decades, stray and feral cats have presented animal welfare groups with several ecological, economic, and ethical problems. Yet, the issue of unowned cats has always been a community concern. Currently, it is estimated that there are between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats in the United States.

Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.4 million are cats. Each year, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.4 million cats). Approximately 2.7 million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.3 million cats).

How many dogs are owned in the United States compared to the number of strays? According to the Humane Society of the United States there are about seventy million strays nationwide. Of those, an estimated five million to seven million and animals wind up in one of the nation's 3,500 shelters.

In the U.S., 20 percent of cats and dogs are homeless; there are 5.9 million dogs living in the streets, 2.3 million dogs in shelters, 35 million cats living on the street, and 2.1 million cats in shelters.