Russia leads world in cat ownership — yet has 2.8 million strays

AI Summary

Russia has the world’s highest household cat-ownership rate, with nearly 59% of households owning at least one cat, yet an estimated 2.8 million cats remain stray. The article links many abandoned pets to the 2022 mobilisation, which prompted owners to flee or go to the front in Ukraine.

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.