Veterinarian SupplyI got these neat pet population facts from a online veterinarian supply web site the other day while surfing the web. Number of dogs and cats in U.S. households: In 1996 there were approximately 52.9 million dogs and 59.1 million cats living in households in the United States. More households (31.6%) had dogs than cats (27.3%), but the average number of dogs per household was 1.69 and the average number of cats per household was 2.19. Approximate number of animal shelters in the U.S.: 4,000 to 6,000 Estimated number of animals entering U.S. animal shelters annually: 8 to 12 million Estimated percentage of lost animals reunited with their owners by U.S. animal shelters each year: 4% (cats) to 14% (dogs) Estimated number of animals euthanized by U.S. animal shelters each year because homes are not available: 4 to 6 million. Approximately 30-60% of all animals brought into animal shelters are euthanized nationwide. Number of litters a female cat can produce: up to 3 per year Number of kittens per litter: 4 to 6 in an average litter Age at which a female cat can first produce a litter: 4 to 10 months Gestation period (length of pregnancy) for cats: 58 to 70 days Number of litters a female dog can produce: up to 2 per year Number of puppies per litter: 6-12 for medium or large breeds, 4 to 8 for smaller breeds Age at which a female dog can first produce a litter: 7 to 9 months Gestation period (length of pregnancy) for dogs: 58 to 71 days. |