We’re gotten pretty good at saving dogs in shelters, but that’s not the case for cats. 69% of all animals killed last year were feline. That two-to-one ratio of cats killed to dogs has not improved year over year, and it’s clear that what we’ve been doing isn't effective. So what is working when it comes to saving cats?
Launched in 2014, the Million Cat Challenge smashed its goal of saving one million cats in five years. The campaign encouraged shelters to save more cats by implementing five key initiatives; alternatives to intake, managed admission, capacity for care, removing barriers to adoption, and return to field. These approaches are intended to create a structure around which shelters can make the best lifesaving decision for each individual cat.
We spoke with a cofounder of the Million Cat Challenge, Dr. Kate Hurley, to learn more about her, the challenge, and talk about what we need to do going forward to save every cat that can be saved.