Table 2.
Reasons for relinquishing a pet cat (or pet cat or dog)
| Study | Study overview | Number of people in study | Proportion citing allergy as a reason | Other, more common reasons cited | Other, equally or less common reasons cited (not necessarily
all listed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller et al (1996) 36 | Main reasons owners relinquished cats to Humane Society in Ohio, USA | 74 | 15%* | ✜ Moving house (29%) | ✜ Behavioural problems (14%)
✜ Litter box problems (13%) ✜ Time and cost (13%) ✜ Cat’s health (5%) |
| DiGiacomo et al (1998) 37 | Main reasons for relinquishment of cats (n = 26) or dogs (n = 27) to shelter in Boston, USA | 38 | 18% | ✜ Behavioural problems (32%) | ✜ Moving (18%)
✜ Not allowed to have a cat (8%) ✜ Too many pets (8%) ✜ Unable to provide care (8%) |
| Salman et al (1998) 38 | NCPPSP survey of relinquished cats at 12 centres, USA | 1409 | 19% | ✜ Behavioural problems (33%)
✜ Too many cats in house (25%) |
✜ Moving house (18%)
✜ Cost (15%) ✜ Housing problems (14%) ✜ Unable to home a litter (13%) ✜ Cat’s health (6%) |
| American Humane Association (2012) 35 | Reasons for rehoming or surrendering a pet cat, USA | 105 | 11% | ✜ Not allowed to have a cat (21%) | ✜ Death/divorce in family (8%)
✜ Behavioural issues (8%) ✜ Cat’s health (7%) |
| Weiss et al (2015) 39 | Telephone survey following up on cats (n = 199) or dogs (n = 391) rehomed to family, friends, shelters and other places, USA | 590 | 6% | ✜ Pet-related problems (46%)
✜ Housing problems (18%) ✜ Family health issues (12%) ✜ Other family problems (7%) |
✜ Cost issues (5%)
✜ Other problems (3%) |
| Alberthsen et al (2016) 40 | Reasons for relinquishment of owned cats to 39 RSPCA shelters, Australia | 49,393 | 3% | ✜ Accommodation-related (19%)
✜ Too many animals (17%) ✜ From own litter (15%) ✜ Unwanted (12%) ✜ Too expensive (10%) ✜ Unable to provide care (6%) ✜ Abandoned (4%) ✜ Behavioural problems (4%) |
✜ Cat’s health (2%)
✜ Legal problems (2%) ✜ Relationship problems (1%) |
| Zito et al (2016) 41 | Cats surrendered to three RSPCA shelters, Australia | 55 | 18% | ✜ Accommodation-related (57%)
✜ Other personal reasons (50%) ✜ Financial reasons (29%) ✜ Unwanted kittens (25%) ✜ Behaviour (25%) |
✜ Human health (12%)
✜ Risks to baby/child (10%) ✜ Cat’s health (8%) |
| Hazel et al (2018) 42 | Online rehoming of cats in Australia | 7 | 14% | ✜ Not getting on with other pets
✜ (43%) ✜ Moving (29%) |
✜ Expecting a baby (14%)
✜ Too many pets (14%) ✜ Not enough time (14%) ✜ Rescue (14%) |
| Casey et al (2009) 43 | Cats surrendered to 11 Cats Protection centres, UK | 6089 | 5% | ✜ Stray/abandoned (31%)
✜ Owner circumstances (19%) ✜ Unwanted kittens (14%) ✜ Transfer from other shelter (9%) ✜ Behavioural problems (7%) |
✜ Multiple factors (5%)
✜ No reason (3%) ✜ Pregnancy/young child (2%) ✜ Too many cats (2%) ✜ Cat’s health (1%) |
NCPPSP = National Council of Pet Population Study and Policy; RSPCA = Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
*
Study showed 15% reported owner health issues, ‘especially allergies’