There are far more cats than dogs owned in the United States – over 81 million cats vs. 72 million dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Yet identifying a household cat id tag is not very common.
One reason is that most cats owned are kept indoors, so owners don’t see the need for cat id tags. But the Humane Society of the United States says “no matter how careful you are, there’s a chance your companion may slip out the door.”
Both the Humane Society and the ASPCA strongly recommend that cats wear collars and cat id tags. The ASPCA suggests using a safety collar with an elastic panel to prevent injury should the collar get caught on something. The Humane Society and the ASPCA urge cat owners to keep their cats indoors at all times.
Cats are “the pets most likely to die prematurely from diseases, poisons, attacks by other animals, abuse by humans, or speeding vehicles,” according to the Humane Society. The Society points out that “the estimated average life span of a free-roaming cat is less than three years – compared to 15-18 years for the average indoor-only cat.”
Because of lack of cat tags, fewer than 5 percent of stray cats in animal shelters are reunited with their families. So if you think a pet ID tag is just for dogs, think again… your cat deserves a cat id tag too!
