Top 10 States that Save the Most Cats in Shelters
Andrea Powell
June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month to help felines of all ages find forever homes. An estimated 3 million cats enter U.S. shelters and rescues each year with even more finding homes than years before.
Best Friends Animal Society states, "In 2025, the number of cats killed reached its lowest in history, with a record high save rate of 82.9%." They believe it is because of improvements to community-based kitten fostering, community cat programs, and increased adoption demand from Gen Z.
The good news keeps coming for shelter cats as Best Friends shares the top 10 states saving the highest percentage of shelter cats. The states where walking into a shelter is just the beginning.
- North Dakota
- Delaware
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Rhode Island
- Oregon
- Maine
- Connecticut
- Idaho
“For the second year in a row we’ve seen terrific progress for cats in shelters, but thousands are still killed simply because they don’t have a safe place to call home,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “To help shelters across the country reach no-kill*, which means saving every healthy and treatable pet in their care, we encourage everyone to get involved by adopting and fostering cats and kittens, volunteering, donating, and supporting community cat programs.”
Check out all the adoptable animals at Best Friends here.
Photo: Pixabay
If you were thinking about adding a feline to your family, head to your local shelter and adopt. Your life will be full of joy, love, and endless entertainment.
More Help is Needed
Intakes are currently increasing at overcrowded shelters during "Kitten Season" and shelters need our support. Donate today to help provide care packs to shelter pets and help feed and care for them while they wait for a forever home.
