Russia leads world in cat ownership — yet has 2.8 million strays
Nearly 59% of Russian households own at least one cat, the highest rate globally, but the 2022 mobilisation order left hundreds of thousands of animals abandoned when owners fled the country or were sent to the front in Ukraine. Up to 98% of Russia's stray cats and dogs were once domestic pets.
By Irina Belikova & Euronews Russian
Published on 03/10/2026 - 7:00 GMT+2
Russia has the highest rate of cat ownership in the world, with nearly 59% of households keeping at least one cat — and an estimated 2.8 million stray cats living on its streets, a number that rose sharply after the 2022 mobilisation order sent thousands of pet owners fleeing the country or to the front amid Russia's ongoing all-out war in Ukraine.
According to a 2024-2026 study by analytics platform Seasia Stats, Russia ranks first globally for cats as pets. Romania ranks second in Europe at 48%, followed by Poland at 41%, Latvia at 37% and Hungary at 35%.
Outside Europe, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand and the US also make the top 10. The Seasia Stats findings are consistent with a 2023 study by insurer Ingosstrakh and the Financial University, in which 58.8% of Russian respondents described themselves as cat owners.
The stray figures come from a separate study by the Centre for Animal Nutrition and Well-being Studies, the Nika animal charity and research firm Ipsos.
They put the total stray animal population in Russia in 2025 at nearly 3.6 million, of which 2.8 million are cats and 800,000 are dogs.
Of those, around 170,000 were in shelters at the time of the study, while the rest were living on the streets. Researchers say up to 98% of stray cats and dogs were once domestic pets abandoned by their owners.
Animal welfare organisations recorded a sharp increase in abandonments after Russia announced partial mobilisation in September 2022.
Men who received call-up papers were either leaving the country or preparing for deployment and in many cases could not arrange care for their animals or find shelter places.
On classified advertising websites, owners threatened to have pets put down if no one took them. Shelter volunteers reported similar ultimatums from people surrendering animals in person.
Russia has 819 shelters, the overwhelming majority privately run, alongside hundreds of charities and tens of thousands of volunteers. Together they care for between 170,000 and 250,000 animals — no more than 5–7% of the estimated stray population.
The popularity of cats in Eastern Europe has historical roots: before industrialised agriculture, cats served a practical function on farms, where their presence and scent deterred rodents.
In Southeast Asia, researchers link rising ownership to urbanisation and the growth of a middle class.
Cats have lived alongside humans for around 10,000 years. Today, they are human companions of choice, alongside dogs.
