Top 10 cat friendly cities named

National Report

-- Ten U.S. cities clawed their way to the top of the rankings when it comes to feline care, according to the CATalyst Council.

Tampa, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland, Ore., Denver, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta and Minneapolis were named the top 10 cat friendly cities last week.

The CATalyst Council, a coalition of the veterinary community, academia, nonprofits, industry and animal welfare organizations, hopes to call attention to the importance of feline veterinary care. The list was compiled after reviewing the top 25 metropolitan areas for cat ownership per capita, level of veterinary care, microchipping and cat friendly local ordinances.The CATalyst Council also gave an honorable mention to Ithaca, N.Y., home of the Cornell Feline Health Center, which educates the public about felines and their health.

"Cats outnumber dogs by nearly 10 million among the pet-owning public. This list clearly shows cats are loved by many," says Steve Dale spokesperson and a CATalyst Council board member in a prepared statement. "However, in my work as a journalist, I've spoken with animal control officials, welfare organizations and veterinarians across the country and often hear that cats are more likely to be neglected than dogs, more likely to wind up in shelters and less likely to be seen by veterinarians. Obviously there is room for the nation to improve the overall status and care of cats, but these cities are overcoming the current standard."

With a higher number of cats than dogs being surrendered to shelters nationwide during this recession, Jan McHugh-Smith, Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) secretary and president of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and CATalyst Council board member, adds, "We are eager to showcase these cities that demonstrate outstanding compassion and resources for cats and their owners in order to elevate the status of the cat."

For more information about the CATalyst Council or about the top 10 cities, visit www.catalystcouncil.org.