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POPULATION FACTS AT A GLANCE <br />Number of Dogs and Cats: There were approximately 57 million owned cats and 52.5 <br />million owned dogs living in households in the United States in 1991. (Source: American <br />Veterinary Medical Association Center for Information Management.) <br />Who Pet Dogs and Cats Live With: Cats are in 29.2 million households; nearly half of <br />these homes have two or more cats. 35.4 million households have dogs. (Source: AVMA) <br />Pure-Breds: The American Kennel Club, the largest breeder registration program, <br />registered 1,379,544 new individual dogs in 1991, an increase of 121,844 dogs over the <br />previous year. This was a 10% increase. The total number of litters was 567,763, an <br />increase of 10,526 over the previous year. This marked the sixth consecutive year a new <br />record for litter registrations was set. (Source: American Kennel Club Gazette, January <br />1992.) <br />Approximate # of Shelter Facilities in the USA: 3,000 - 3,500 <br />Average Cost of Handling an Animal in a Shelter: $100 <br />Range of Costs to: <br />Sterilize a Male Cat: $10-110 Female Cat: $20-180 <br />Sterilize a Male Dog: $10-200 Female Dog: $20-200 <br />Percentage of Animals Euthanized by Shelters: On the average, fifty-percent of all <br />animals brought into shelters are euthanized. <br />Percentage of Animals Adopted Out by a Shelter: On the average, 25% - 35% of <br />animals brought into shelters are adopted into new homes. <br />Average Number of Litters a Cat Can Produce: Three a year <br />Average Number of Litters a Dog Can Produce: Two a year <br />Average Number of Animals in a Canine Litter: 6-10 <br />Average Number of Animals in a Feline Litter: 7-10 <br />Number of Dogs in Six Years One Female Dog and her Offspring Can Produce: <br />67,000 Dogs <br />Number of Cats in Seven Years One Female Cat and her Offspring Can Produce: <br />420,000 <br />Average age when a fertile cat has first litter: 10 months, puberty at 4-12 months <br />Average age when a fertile dog has first litter: Puberty occurs at 5-18 months, some <br />large breeds later. <br />Gestation period for dogs: 58-70 days <br />Gestation period for cats: 58-65 days <br />