he cat’s out of the bag.
The American Veterinary Medical Association ranked Florida No. 45 for cat ownership this week, with about 27 percent of households in the state reported to own a cat.
“I feel like it would be a lot larger,” said Jessica Charlton, a program coordinator at Operation Catnip, an Alachua County organization that spays and neuters feral cats.
Charlton said regardless of how many cats have owners in the Gainesville area, about 80,000 still live without a home.
She said these numbers are calculated in comparison to the human population in the area.
Patti Gordon, a veterinarian at All Cats HealthCare Clinic, said she was shocked at the statistic.
“I’m surprised it’s so low,” she said. “I think the Gainesville area has a fairly large cat ownership, and I think we probably wouldn’t fit into those guidelines.”
Courtney Ellis, a 23-year-old health education and behavior senior, has cared for her 4-year-old tortoiseshell cat, Nola, for the last three years.
Ellis said she didn’t like the fact that Florida ranked low on the study.
“I think there’s a negative stigma toward cats,” she said. “Cats are so calm. When they want love, they come to you.”
The top states for cat ownership included Vermont, where 49.5 percent of households had a cat, and Maine, where 46.4 percent of households own a cat.
Dillan Gagnon, 2, and his grandmother Ellie Smith pet Tasha, a 4-year-old gray manx mix, Thursday afternoon at the Alachua County Humane Society.
