About 200 million cats live in the 10 most “feline” countries in the world. Where are they most and how do they feel there?
People have kept domestic cats since time immemorial - whether it's for religious traditions, practical mouse control, or casual friendship. In our time, the life of cats has become so much easier that these curious predators have become one of the most numerous species of mammals on our planet.
The history of the touching relationship between the Japanese and cats is rooted in the depths of centuries. Cats often became the main characters in Japanese art - painting and literature. In this country there are entire "cat islands" - such as Tashiro and Aoshima. On the island of Tashiro there is a small Neko-jinja cat sanctuary, and the Japanese who come here consider it their duty to feed the large colony of local cats - it is believed that this brings good luck. And on the island of Aoshima, the cat population has already exceeded the human population by 8 times, and local cats have long survived only at the expense of tourists. A huge number of cats live in the houses of the Japanese, on the streets and markets of Japanese cities. And for those who for some reason cannot get a cat, there are numerous cat cafes and shops offering any goods with a “cat” theme - from souvenirs to clothes, from accessories to computer games.
Although a cat is not uncommon in a Ukrainian family, the country has a thriving population of stray cats. The attitude towards stray cats in this country is often criticized by international organizations for the protection of homeless animals. In Ukraine, there are no clear laws governing the attitude towards pets, which is why many cats and dogs are thrown out into the street without any responsibility on the part of the owners.
The Germans love their cats, but even in this country, according to the authorities, the number of homeless animals is steadily growing - the number goes into the millions. The main reason is the free range of non-neutered domestic cats. In 2014, the Germans scrupulously calculated that stray cats caused damage to the green spaces of cities in the amount of 500,000 euros. The issue of stray cats was brought up for public discussion, but the citizens of the country spoke out against the destruction of stray animals. The most that the authorities managed to achieve was to limit the free range of domestic cats.
Domestic cats live in many families and homes in the United Kingdom, including the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. British animal protection laws are among the most advanced in the world. And yet, the number of stray cats here is also high. According to statistics, 85% of kittens in England are born "over plan". As a result, government spending on cat shelters is rising year by year, from £2.15m in 2010 to nearly £3m in 2013. Over the past few years, the population of cat shelters in England has grown to 30,000. According to the authorities, the optimal solution to the “cat crisis” that has covered the country is preventive sterilization of cats before the first pregnancy.
Both domestic and stray cats in Italy enjoy a lot of privileges. They are allowed to roam freely throughout the country, at their service are many shelters and volunteers. One of the most famous cat shelters is Torre Argentina in Rome. Cats can freely come here to eat and rest, and then go on about their business. The country has a well-developed movement Le Gattares - cat ladies. These are groups of women who unite in order to feed stray cats in their area and, if necessary, provide assistance to them.
France is a country where cat owners use them not only as pets, but sometimes as a fashion accessory, such as lap dogs. The country has strict rules for keeping pets, and all pet cats must be registered in a nationwide database. Each cat must have an identification mark in the form of a tattoo or a microchip with information about the owner. This partly helps the French in identifying stray cats (if they run away from home), but does not solve the problem of an increase in the population of stray animals. Cases of stray cats attacking dogs and even people are regularly recorded in the country.
The lack of accurate statistics does not allow us to establish the real ratio of domestic and stray cats in this country. Definitely, there is a noticeable increase in the number of pets in this country - this can be seen in the dynamics of sales of cat food. For 5 years from 2007 to 2012, sales grew by 37.6%, to $869 million per year . (Editor's note: By comparison, cat food sales in Russia were over $1 billion in 2015.)
Editor's Note: DataWorldAtlas is noticeably different from the data that is operated in Russia. According to analysts of the Russian pet products market, about 30 million domestic cats live in the country. However, it is still the 3rd place in the world.
Russians, for the most part, are very fond of pets. Cats live in many families, often more than one. Among them, there are relatively many outbred animals taken from the street. At the same time, Russia has its own world-famous breeds of domestic cats - for example, the Russian Blue (from the editor: and also the Siberian, Neva Masquerade, Don Sphynx, Kuril and Mekong Bobtails, etc.). In addition to them, Russia is known for a significant population of stray cats roaming the streets of cities. At the beginning of 2015, the whole world was excited by the news about the homeless cat Masha, who saved a newborn baby from death in Obninsk. A child abandoned at the entrance would certainly freeze, but the cat warmed him up with her body and called people for help.
China has the third largest market for pet supplies (after USA and UK. Russia ranks 5th, India - 4th). But, in parallel with the growth in the number of domestic cats, the population of strays is also growing. Thousands of homeless cats roam the streets of Beijing. Stray cats create problems for the environment, cause the spread of diseases and cause traffic accidents. On the eve of the 2008 Olympics in China, many stray animals were destroyed. Most of the homeless cats in this country are animals abandoned by their owners. The Chinese get rid of cats for various reasons: they are abandoned when they move to a new place or they are kicked out for fear of catching a contagious disease like SARS. Luckily for cats, there are many organizations in China that help homeless animals. They help cats avoid painful deaths at the hands of the local Sharikovs and call on the country's authorities to use more humane measures to control the pet population.
In the United States of America, every third family owns a cat, and each such family has an average of 2.2 cats. American cat owners often take additional cats into the house - from the street or from a shelter. The majority of Americans receive cats as gifts from relatives or friends, 34% pick them up on the street or in a shelter, and only 3% buy cats from breeders.
The English portal Indy100 (a project of The Independent newspaper) depicted the World Atlas report in one picture:
http://catpeople.ru/catification/gde-zhivyot-bolshe-vsego-koshek.html
Judging by the number of reposts on social networks, cats are the most popular animals in the world. Every second, someone on the planet receives a photo of a cute sleeping kitten or a laid-back cat. The attitude of people towards these amazing animals is different - from crazy adoration to complete indifference, and even squeamish rejection.
Everyone knows that in ancient Egypt there was a cult of cats, they were revered and considered family members. Killing a cat, even by accident, was punishable by death. But in Medieval Europe, they were tortured and destroyed by the thousands, suggesting that this was a witch who changed her appearance.
Let's start with those countries where the cat is not only "valuable fur, but also three to four kilograms of easily digestible dietary meat." Oh God, residents of Korea, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong they consume cat meat consciously with the same appetite with which we eat poultry meat. There are three reasons for this culinary addiction. Firstly, the lack of costs for raising animals, since they breed no worse than rabbits, and they get food on their own. Secondly, the inhabitants of these countries consider cats to be completely useless animals. And, thirdly, due to overpopulation, there is a constant shortage of affordable and cheap protein food, so people have been accustomed for centuries to devour everyone they manage to catch, including dogs, monkeys, snakes, cockroaches, locusts.
Unfortunately, lovers of cat delicacy can be found not only in Asian countries. in Peru arrange annual gastronomic festivals, where anyone can taste a dish of mustachioed-striped. The tradition of eating cats goes back to the period of Spanish colonization, when the enslaved population of Peru was starved to suppress their will. The unfortunate natives were forced to eat everything that comes to hand - judging by the number of recipes, the cats did not quickly orient themselves in a change in the situation. And modern Peruvians, apparently, are conservatives and do not consider it necessary to abandon the traditions of their ancestors.
And what really fits under the heading "incredible, but true" is that cats are eaten in Switzerland. In some rural areas of central and eastern Switzerland, cat in white wine with garlic sauce is considered a traditional Christmas dish, and on weekdays, residents of these areas do not deny themselves the pleasure of eating cured or baked cat meat. And it is clear that here this tradition did not arise in conditions of famine. Cats are heartless!
Bad luck for the poor cats Australia, New Zealand and USA. Due to cat overpopulation in these countries, the shooting of feral individuals is allowed. As for homeless animals, there are special programs according to which they are caught and sterilized, after which they are released into the wild. Unfortunately, such programs do not work everywhere. Basically, after the capture, most of the animals are euthanized. Of course, there are shelters where anyone can take home a furry friend, but there are few shelters, and there are not enough people who want to. By the way, even animals that have owners, according to local law, must be sterilized. And citizens who deviate from the law face a hefty fine and forced labor.
In Ukraine and Russia The attitude towards cats is also far from humane. It is frustrating that most people (more precisely, "non-humans") believe that it is normal to drive a pet out into the street. It is bad that the requirements of the Animal Welfare Law are not met everywhere - animals are kept in terrible conditions in shelters, and people who get rid of them are not held accountable. And the number of homeless cats on our streets is growing inexorably ... It's good that there are kind-hearted citizens who feed the poor fellows. And special thanks to the volunteers who find new owners for abandoned pussies. 
The fate of our favorites is bleak and in Indonesia. Although the locals do not offend the animals, they are in no hurry to take care of them. In this country, cats have to get food on their own, often they do not disdain treats on altars near temples. But the younger generation of Indonesians are trying to change the attitude towards pets - thanks to the Indonesian Association for the Protection of Animals, special lessons have been introduced in schools where children are taught how to take care of animals. Personally, it seems to me that it would be a good idea to introduce such compulsory humane education courses for children and adults in many countries, including ours.
Incredibly reverently treat the domestic representatives of the cat family in the Land of the Rising Sun. Exactly at Japan came up with a place - a cat cafe, where people pay for the pleasure of communicating with cats. Here you can play with them, feed them and just watch the games of friendly favorites of the nation. Do not believe it, but in modern Japanese houses and apartments, even at the planning stage, favorable conditions are created for pets to live. Housing is supplied with cat turrets, walls and floors are finished from materials resistant to claws.
In addition, the Japanese created the only cat temple in the world, in honor of the seven cats that served as clocks for warriors back in the 17th century. And on February 22, they celebrate a national holiday - Cat Day, in Japanese three deuces sounds like "nyan - nyan - nyan", as you might have guessed, the translation means "meow - meow - meow." On this day, the center of Tokyo is filled with cheerful hosts and their pets of all breeds.
Special relationship with cats Islamic States, thanks to the beloved cat of the Prophet Muhammad - Muezza. The Prophet loved her so much that he never disturbed the animal during sleep, and even used the water she drank to cleanse before prayer. The Prophet considered cats to be free creatures and therefore forbade them to be sold or exchanged for goods. And to this day, Muslims treat these animals very respectfully, many Islamic cities are overflowing with cats, they are groomed and cherished, fed and taken care of their health - after all, a cat may well tell the Prophet about the attitude of people towards her, because after she dies, goes straight to heaven.
In many European countries, pets are protected by law, for violation of which an impressive fine is imposed, which is why it is so difficult to meet homeless hungry cats in England, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic. When an animal accidentally ends up on the street, it is quickly assigned to a shelter - if it turns out that this is really a homeless animal, then they are looking for a new owner; and if the cat is lost, then it will definitely be returned to the owner, having established his identity by the chip implanted in the animal. 
But in order to get a cat at home, you will have to go through seven circles of bureaucratic hell, with finding out the conditions for keeping the animal, signing an agreement on the owner’s obligations in relation to the pet, and so on and so forth. Yes, a cat in these countries is respected no less than a person.
The “cute heroes” of the Internet feel very imposing and free in Greece. The fact is that the Greeks prefer not to keep cats at home, but they always feed them on the street, allowing them to live the way they want. The weather conditions in the country are favorable for wandering life, so Greek cats are full and happy.
There is another blessed place for cats - Italy. And although there are countless homeless animals on the Italian streets, they are all well-fed and obviously healthy.
By the way, stray cats, and not just geese, saved Rome. And it was at the beginning of the last century. During excavations at Torre Argentina, some passages were disturbed, as a result of which hordes of rats and mice escaped to the surface. In the blink of an eye, they filled the nearby houses and apartments. A feline squad was sent to fight rodents by the city authorities. Smelling the smell of primordial enemies, rats and mice retreated in an unknown direction, and the heroic cats remained to live in the crevices of Roman columns. These heirs of heroes are fed at the expense of the city treasury and have recently even been recognized as part of the historical heritage.
And yet, trying to make amends for the wholesale unjust destruction during the Inquisition, Italians celebrate Black Cat Day. Parades and picnics are held all over the country, where the main place is for the owners of black cats and their pets.
Yes, the fate of cats strongly depends on established traditions in different parts of the world, but, of course, the personality of the owner also has a strong influence on it. People, respect the personality in cats - these wonderful animals deserve our respect and care!
According to the famous British playwright George Bernard, "a man is as cultured as he is able to understand a cat." This wonderful animal, throughout the life of mankind, has experienced a lot before being domesticated and becoming a familiar animal for people.
According to historians, cats were tamed in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago. Egypt was the largest agricultural region, and many stocks of grain were stored in barns, it was necessary to breed cats to protect against the invasion of rodents. The ancient Egyptians generally considered their furry rat hunters to be sacred animals. And it is not a coincidence that the Supreme God of RA had exactly a cat's head, and even the Goddess of Fertility and Motherhood Bastet was depicted in the form of a cat. Later, this Goddess began to embody a rich harvest and, of course, animals.
In many ancient cities of Egypt, there were even Temples of Cats, in which a festival in honor of the Goddess and domestic cats was festively held in the spring. Near such temples there is a mandatory special cemetery for these beloved animals.
The dead cats were mummified by the priests, and then, in accordance with the ritual, they bawled in the grave. The death of a pet was a real tragedy for the entire Egyptian family; as a sign of mourning, the ancient Egyptians shaved their eyebrows.
In the life of Ancient Greece, farmers were no less interested than the Egyptians in the preservation of grain. But even despite the threat of the death penalty, there were many special criminal groups created, the main activity of which was the abduction of cats and cats from Egypt. But the Egyptians sought the return of illegally exported animals by all possible means. However, the cats quickly settled in Greece, got used to the new living conditions and became the favorites of the Greek people.
In China, the cat also symbolizes Motherhood, and in addition to the Chinese, it is also the Custodian of Culture. They believed that if the image of a cat hangs on the door of the room, then the young mother's child should be happy.
In Japan in ancient times there was a title - Master Cat, which was not easy to get, it was assigned only to a person very famous for good deeds, and it did not matter in what industry this Japanese became famous. The Japanese require huge expenses for the maintenance of cats even in our time: the animal is provided with all conceivable and unimaginable benefits. The Japanese feed their cats only from dishes made of gold or silver, and specially prepared cat food, and even hire a personal servant for their pet, who carefully takes care of the cat and does not let her get bored.
If it is not possible to keep a cat or a cat in a Japanese family, then they certainly have a figurine of a cat in their homes - as a talisman against rodents. In civilized and cultural Japan, there are practically no mice and rats, they attribute this to the magical influence of not only living cats, but also figurines and souvenirs with the image of a cat that they have.
How do Russian-speaking people revere cats? It's safe to say that it doesn't! Sadly. They feed whatever they want, pets sleep wherever they can ... But both in European and Asian developed countries they treat the cat family with great respect, providing them with all the blessings of life.
Or maybe the cat really has a magical component of our health, success and well-being? If you don’t want to get a cat or a cat at home, then just don’t forget to feed abandoned animals that don’t have an owner and a home, treat all the neighbor’s cats with delicious treats.
Be better people!
Look at the movie they shot about the BBC cats, the beginning is very original - about a kind woman Galina from the Moscow region:
The cat as a sacred animal in different countries The cat as a sacred animal in different countries Liked the article? Share with friends in social networks:
Where do the most jumping animals in the world live - kangaroos. However, marsupials lose in numbers to felines. Australia ranks first in terms of quantity in the world. For every ten inhabitants there are 9 domestic representatives of the cat family.
In the late 80s, a rumor spread in California that cats were carriers of AIDS. This led to mass killings of pets. Scientists had to spend a decent amount of time trying to prove the truth to the Americans. And today, the number of cats in the United States is not countable, unlike the amount they spend on feeding them. Statistics allocate 4 billion dollars a year to the food of the mustachioed-striped. This is the biggest waste of the list of similar in the world. The magnitude of the amount is more striking when you consider the fact that infants contribute only $3 billion to the budget during the year.
On the islands between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, 30 million cats live side by side with the indigenous population.
Of the European countries, the championship in the number of cats remains with France. "Frogs", as the French are called by residents of other countries, have warmed a little more than 8 million meowers on their territory.
A unique island in the Indian Ocean is a real cat state. The only owners of this territory are cats. The shipwreck that occurred in 1980 off the coast of Frejos is to blame. A few people still survived and made it to land, taking with them a few cats. Only if people could not take root in this area, then cats gradually adapted to new conditions, learned to get their own food and began to multiply. Feeding primarily on sea creatures, the island's cat population numbers over a thousand individuals.
However, few of the existing 400 million felines have been honored to live in Peru or Gabon. In these countries, cats are an outlandish rarity, something of a tourist attraction.
In Vietnam, until some time, cats were treated as a delicacy. There was even a chain of specialty restaurants. Everything changed the moment the country was invaded by mice. By official order, the restaurants were closed and the conscious breeding of cats began.
The first cat museum in Germany can present the audience with about three thousand exhibits. At the positions of watchmen and caretakers in the museum, there are 10 cats who receive a salary in kind - food and houses above their heads.
The Japanese temple of cats exists in honor of very special animals - cats that served in the war for hours. In the 17th century, one of the military leaders took seven cats into the army, by the narrowing and expanding pupils of which the Japanese determined the time.
In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals, in Europe they have been helping people in the household since ancient times, and somewhere cats were feared as evil spirits and fiends of evil, and even burned.
Those days are long gone, and now cats have lost their cult status, have ceased to be a necessary element of the household, but remain one of the most popular pets in the world - and are gaining popularity every day, especially in developed countries.
However, as in ancient times, somewhere cats are idolized, but somewhere you can’t find them in the afternoon with fire. In which countries are cats the most popular?
From this it can be judged that cats are most popular in the United States - there are about two purring creatures per 10 inhabitants, and cats are in 32% of homes. This is followed by Italy, Ukraine, France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Brazil, Japan and China.
In terms of the density of the cat population, they are in the lead Portuguese Madeira Islands- There are a hundred cats per square kilometer.
Of the cities, the record holder is Dallas (Texas, USA) where one hundred and seventy thousand cats live! The head of the city sanitary inspectorate was even forced to establish a norm: local residents could keep no more than four cats per person.
However, statistics are good, but where is popularity combined with care and adoration?
In the same USA, the life of wild and stray cats is not entirely sweet, they are actively fighting "cat" overpopulation there.
First of all, it is worth mentioning Japan. Here, cats are respected, one might say, a cult of some has developed - this is how “cat” will be in Japanese.
It was from Japan that the fashion for cat cafes began. Now there are more than a hundred of them in the Land of the Rising Sun! Murka lovers pay good money for the opportunity to drink a cup of coffee and play with furry pets, feed and stroke them.
Many modern houses and apartments of the Japanese are planned taking into account the cats of future owners. The living space is supplied with cat towers, tables with many holes, room decoration from materials resistant to cat claws - everything to make cats feel at home, in every sense.
There is even a Cat Temple in Kagoshima, which is dedicated to the seven cats that lived in the 17th century. A certain commander took these cats to war - they served for hours; soldiers determined the time by narrowing or expanding pupils of brave cats.
A symbol of good luck in Japanese folklore, the cat has firmly entered the local culture. Cat souvenirs are sold everywhere, street fashion is full of cat elements - cat ears are especially popular, and a rare anime does without mustachioed - striped ones.
Crazy about cats and Israel. Guests of this country immediately notice the abundance of cats on every street, every step. Cats seem to be part of the urban landscape. Israelis are known for cat-friendly laws: in 2011, for example, it was against the law to remove the claws of cats. Many residents regularly feed stray cats.
Italy- Another heavenly place for lovers of cats and cats. Visitors to Rome are delighted to watch entire colonies of cats that roam around the ruins and ancient monuments.
Rome is famous for its cat shelters. One of the most famous is located in Torre Argentina Square. These ancient ruins are home to a cat army of over two hundred! Guests of the shelter are happy to feed the cats, which are regularly monitored by a small detachment of volunteers, taking care of homeless animals. Recently there was an attempt to shut down this feline sanctuary, but thousands of people have signed a petition in its defense. As a result, the shelter was saved, and moreover, the Superintendent of Culture of Rome proclaimed cats part of the Roman cultural heritage.
Turkey- a country of cat lovers, where murks roam freely everywhere; and the Turks treat them with the utmost respect. However, this is common to all Muslims. Cats in Turkey, like in Japan, are also considered part of the culture. Istanbul is especially famous with its impressive number of stray cats.
Greece. Even stray cats in Greece are always happy and full. A rare Greek keeps a cat at home, however, on the street he will not fail to treat the fluffy creature with a fish or something else. Happy Greek cats walk wherever they want, and if they get hungry, compassionate residents will feed them with pleasure.
Belgium. There have been more and more cats here lately. Microchips have even been introduced to domestic cats so that the owners treat their pets more responsibly. And the inhabitants of the small town of Ypres regularly hold the Cat Festival. This is a real carnival, where you can see huge dolls of cats and cats, thematic contests, shows and dances.
England. Lovers of home comfort, the British were among the first to organize an exhibition of cats and opened the Cat Fanciers Club. The British keep more cats at home than dogs. They walk their fluffy dogs on a leash so that they don’t run away.
Croatia. Cats are loved here and are called “machka” – this is how “cat” sounds in Croatian. And they call them with the exclamations “matz-matz”, and not “kiss-kiss”, like we do.
Montenegro. In this Balkan country, cats are respected, just as in Croatia they are called the characteristic “mats-mats”, and they are happy to keep them at home.
Thailand. Cats are not kept in houses here, except perhaps in the yards. But in Thailand it is warm all year round, so there are enough fluffy streets. They are regularly fed and cats live just fine in Thailand.
Egypt. In ancient times, as we have already said, cats in Egypt were revered as sacred animals. The reverence reached the point that after the death of a pet, the owners shaved off their eyebrows as a sign of grief. A lot has changed since then, but there are still a lot of cats here, and they are very loved.
Germany. And the Germans distinguished themselves by creating the first cat museum. The exhibits were collected by Angelina Ramsperger all over the world, and at the moment there are more than three thousand of them in the museum.
USA, Little Rock. Cat races are held here every year. Cats are allowed to race for a distance of 150 meters, and the winner receives the main prize - $ 2,000.
IN Russia love cats, many even keep more than one pet at home. A unique and already legendary cat theater operates in our homeland under the direction of Yuri Kuklachev. Cat performances regularly gather full halls of tender spectators.
Frajost. This tiny coral island in the Indian Ocean is notable for being exclusively inhabited by cats. In 1890 a ship was wrecked on the coral reefs; the crew did not manage to escape, but the cats that were there survived and have since multiplied, populating Frajost. Now there are more than a thousand cats living there.
China. The Chinese used to love cats, but in a strange way, they loved to eat them. Now it is believed that they no longer eat. For many Chinese, a cat is a pet, as well as a lot of them running around and homeless on the street.
France. Refined French with cats prefer not to stand on ceremony. If a kitten is not bought in a French pet store for a month, then it is euthanized, believing that in the future it certainly will not be bought. France is not the only state practicing such brutal methods; in this way, politicians allegedly try to control the number of these animals, because stray cats are carriers of diseases. But the French do not give offense to their pets.
Australia. There are even more stray cats in the homeland of kangaroos than in Indonesia. Because of this abundance, the largest city in Australia even introduced a curfew for cats. After all, one day they, having gathered in groups, began to hunt possums. Australian cats are running wild!
Things are much worse for cats in the distant Vietnam. Although there are a lot of living creatures on the Vietnamese streets, you cannot find mustachioed robbers during the day with fire - both street and domestic. Unless the monks can shelter a few cats in their temple, or a rare pet store will find such an unpopular specimen here. And the thing is that the Vietnamese are extremely superstitious people. So touching for us cat "meow" and "nyau" in Vietnamese means "poverty". In order not to incur this disaster, the Vietnamese diligently avoid any contact with cats. And all the charms and advantages of these animals are not of the slightest interest to the superstitious Vietnamese.
