Phoenix makes top 10 list of cat-friendly cities

March 27, 4:03 PMPhoenix Pet News ExaminerStacy Mantle

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Phoenix in top 10 list of cat-friendly cities.
Photo Credit: Tibby Designs

It’s official! Phoenix is #2 on the top ten list of "Cat-Friendly Cities" in the US.

The news was announced today at the American Animal Hospital Association Conference (AAHAC). Cities were ranked according to cat ownership per capita, level of veterinary care, microchipping and cat-friendly local ordinances.

The complete list of cat-friendly cities is:

1. Tampa, FL
2. Phoenix, AZ
3. San Fransicso, CA
4. Portland, OR
5. Denver, CO
6. Boston, MA
7. Seattle, WA
8. San Diego, CA
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Minneapolis, MN

The list was compiled after reviewing the top 25 standard metropolitan areas for such data as cat ownership per capita, level of veterinary care, microchipping and cat-friendly local ordinances. The CATalyst Council hopes to include shelter data in the 2010 list.

According to the CATalyst Council, a coalition of the veterinary community, academia, nonprofits, industry and animal welfare organizations, recent data suggests that cats truly are America’s number one companions.

The American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook states that the number of cats owned (81.7 million) outnumbers that of canines (72 million) by nearly 10 million among the pet-owning public.

Despite the rise in cat population, the AVMA reported cat visits to the veterinarian fell some 11 percent between 2001 and 2006 – less than half that of dogs.

“Cats really are America’s number one companion,” said Dan Kramer, senior marketing manager of industry relations for Pfizer Animal Health and chair of the CATalyst Council. “Our goal is to recognize and celebrate why cats are such popular companions. We applaud the efforts of these major metropolitan areas for providing a wealth of resources for cats and their owners along with their earned accolade of being one of America’s Top 10 Cat-Friendly Cities.”