Have you ever walked down the street and no matter the time or day, you’ve come across at least three or more cats lounging along the sidewalk or under a car? Does it ever make you wonder if they have homes? Well, it’s not uncommon for cats to not have a home. However the same goes for the cats who have a home, they just prefer to be inside. It’s safe to say that cats are very independent animals and go to extremes to stick to what they want. Funny enough, they usually win. But the main question is, how many stray cats are in Oregon and what should we do about it?
In Oregon, it's said that there are around 40,000 stray cats. Now, it may be confusing on how it gets to those numbers. A couple of reasons sum this number up. For instance, a homeowner could be moving to a place that doesn’t allow cats. This person actively chooses to leave the cat at the old property to live on its own. As unfortunate as it seems, let's say this cat or another cat was pregnant, now this cat has given birth to kittens, adding to the number of strays we have currently. Let's make it known that these cats could have been abused, causing them not to trust humans and therefore making it harder to catch and help them.
Oregon as well as many other places in the world would like cat owners to please spay/neuter and microchip your cats!! It’s so important to make sure your cat is safe when outside and have them easily trackable. This prevents more strays, as well as keeps cats safe and healthy. For the strays that you may come across, once you start caring for them, they will not be considered a stray for much longer. It’s important to make sure that you check if a cat is already owned. You can go to the vet and check if they have a microchip, post online, or even go old-fashioned and make a couple of posters.
All cats deserve a home. So, in conclusion, we as people should help out the injured, abandoned, or homeless and give them a good life. This does go for all animals, but the large population of stray cats is concerning, and we all can pitch in. Local vets offer help and are really happy when animals get brought in because someone knows it is right.
