Unfortunately the most common cause is the intentional abandonment of a dog by its owner. The typical situation is families that rush to get a puppy not being fully aware of the responsibilities of becoming a dog owner.

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).

Basically, There are two ways to become the owner of a stray cat – either you can adopt from an animal shelter or rescue organisation, or you can feed and gradually befriend a homeless cat until she becomes comfortable enough to move in with you.