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Fewer cats are dying in American shelters, and the decline is large enough to appear in national totals. Best Friends Animal Society’s 2025 shelter data reports that 187,000 cats were killed in U.S. shelters in 2025, the lowest figure in the organization’s record. The change does not come from one fix. Best Friends credits a mix of community cat programs, cat adoption, and kitten foster care, and the reasons behind each one matter for what readers can expect in their own communities.
The headline numbers
All figures below are estimates published by Best Friends Animal Society. The organization says its 2025 data was collected from more than 10,000 shelters and rescue groups. The primary report is Best Friends’ 2025 National Shelter Data Report, and the practices described below come from its March 16, 2026 release, New Data Shows Nearly 75% Fewer Cats Killed in Shelters than a Decade Ago.
| Measure | Reported figure | Period or comparison | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cats killed in U.S. shelters | 187,000 | 2025; lowest figure in Best Friends’ record | 2025 National Shelter Data Report |
| Reduction in cats killed | 72.7% | Compared with 2016 | 2025 National Shelter Data Report |
| Cat save rate | 82.9% | 2025 | 2025 National Shelter Data Report |
| Cats safely returned to outdoor homes | Nearly 70% increase | Over the past decade | March 16, 2026 release |
| Cat adoptions | 20% increase | Over the last 10 years | March 16, 2026 release |
| Share of cats entering shelters who are kittens | Nearly half | 2025 data | March 16, 2026 release |
Best Friends CEO Julie Castle put the change in terms of cats that did not need to die:
“A 75% decrease in the number of cats unnecessarily dying in shelters simply because they don’t have a safe place to call home is something I want to shout from the rooftops,”
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The 75% is a rounded description. The precise figure in the 2025 report is a 72.7% reduction since 2016, and that comparison period should stay attached to any quotation of it.
What the save rate and the 90% benchmark mean
The 82.9% cat save rate for 2025 is the share of cats in the reporting shelters that were saved rather than killed. Best Friends uses a 90% save rate as its benchmark for being no-kill. That is the organization’s stated standard, not a legal definition, and many shelters do not use it. On that benchmark, the national cat figure of 82.9% falls short of 90%, which means the decline in killing is real but the national cat population has not yet reached the organization’s target.
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A save rate is only comparable between two shelters if both count outcomes the same way. When you look up a local shelter, check whether its published rate uses the same definition and period as the Best Friends figure before drawing a comparison.
Three things driving the change
Best Friends attributes the trend to several programs working together. No single program accounts for it, and the organization does not claim that adoption alone explains the decline.
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Community cat programs
Community cats are cats that live outdoors, often in colonies. Best Friends describes community cat programs that sterilize and vaccinate these cats and then return healthy animals to their outdoor homes rather than bringing them into shelters. The organization reports a nearly 70% increase over the past decade in cats safely returned in this way. These programs keep cats out of intake altogether, which is why they matter to the national killing figures even though they are not adoptions.
Cat adoption
Best Friends reports that cat adoptions rose 20% over the last 10 years. The organization also says Gen Z is the generation adopting the most cats. That is a Best Friends finding about the groups in its data, not a universal pattern across every age group or community.
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Kitten foster care
Kittens make up nearly half of the cats entering shelters, according to Best Friends’ 2025 data. Many of these kittens are too young to survive in a shelter environment without close care, so the organization points to foster caregivers who provide intensive, round-the-clock home care. The foster model is the part of the trend that depends most on individual people, and it is the part most affected by local supply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why kittens depend on foster homes
The national release describes intensive kitten foster care in general terms. A secondary account of the topic, Cat Wisdom 101’s article of the same title, adds that neonatal kittens under four weeks old need feeding and care around the clock. That age-specific detail comes from the secondary article rather than the Best Friends release, so it should be read as that article’s description. Anyone considering kitten foster care should confirm feeding schedules and care requirements with the shelter or rescue before taking animals home.
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What the figures do not show
- They are estimates. The 187,000 total and the percentages are Best Friends’ figures. They come from the shelters and rescue groups that reported to the organization, and they describe the United States as a whole.
- National trends do not predict local results. A shelter in one city may have a very different intake mix, population of community cats, or foster network than the national average.
- Different pathways produce different outcomes. A cat returned to an outdoor colony, a cat adopted into a home, and a kitten placed with a foster caregiver are all counted as lives saved, but each involves different follow-up and different risks.
- The comparison period matters. The reduction is measured from 2016 to 2025. Any statement about the decline should name those years.
How to check a local shelter or rescue
If you want to know whether the national trend is holding in your area, start with the shelter’s own published data and programs.
- Ask for the cat save rate and the period it covers, and whether the shelter uses the 90% benchmark.
- Ask whether the shelter runs a community cat program that sterilizes, vaccinates, and returns cats, and how many cats it has returned in the past year.
- Ask how many kittens it takes in, and how many of them go to foster care.
- Ask what support it gives foster caregivers, including supplies, veterinary care, and a contact for urgent problems.
If you are thinking about fostering
Foster caregivers are the backbone of kitten care, but the requirements are set locally. Ask your shelter or rescue about eligibility, any training it requires, care expectations for your household, and what supplies it provides. Do not rely on a general guide to set up your home before you have spoken with the organization that will place the kittens with you.
The Bottom Line
The decline in cats killed in U.S. shelters is documented in Best Friends’ 2025 data, and it reflects several programs working together rather than one solution. The most useful way to read it is as a national trend that still leaves a gap below the organization’s 90% benchmark, and that local shelters can close or widen. Check the local figures before assuming your community matches the national picture.
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