# Russia Leads World in Cat Ownership

> Russia has highest cat ownership rate but 2.8 million strays.
- Title: Russia Leads World in Cat Ownership · euronews | Shortify
- Summary: Russia has highest cat ownership rate but 2.8 million strays. Russia has 59% household cat ownership but 2.8 million stray cats due to war displacements.
- Keywords: russia, cat ownership, stray cats, seasia stats, ingosstrakh, financial university, nika animal charity, ipsos, 2022 mobilisation, abandonment surge, shelters, stray population
- Source: euronews — https://euronews.com/2026/10/03/russia-leads-world-in-cat-ownership-yet-has-28-million-strays
- Author: Irina Belikova
- Published: 2026-10-03T05:00:03+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: russia, cat ownership, stray cats, seasia stats, ingosstrakh, financial university, nika animal charity, ipsos, 2022 mobilisation, abandonment surge, shelters, stray population
## Russia leads global cat ownership
Russia has nearly 59% household cat ownership rate according to 2024-2026 Seasia Stats study.
## 2.8 million stray cats in Russia
An estimated 2.8 million stray cats live on Russian streets, a number that rose sharply after 2022 mobilisation.
## Top 10 cat owners by region
Russia ranks first globally for cats as pets, followed by Romania at 48%, Poland at 41%, Latvia at 37%, and Hungary at 35%.
## Stray population breakdown
Russia's 2025 stray animal population includes 2.8 million cats and 800,000 dogs, with 170,000 in shelters.
## Abandonment surge after 2022
Animal welfare groups recorded sharp abandonment increases after Russia's September 2022 partial mobilisation.
## Shelter capacity limits
Russia has 819 shelters caring for 170,000-250,000 animals, less than 5-7% of the estimated stray population.
## Key takeaway

Russia has 59% household cat ownership but 2.8 million stray cats due to war displacements.