The insurance company Agria has published statistics on the causes of death for cats. The number of cats in the statistics is based on an estimate of the total number of cats in Sweden based on Agria’s injury statistics for the cats they have insured.
Every day at least four cats are hit in traffic, and in total it is about 1,500 cats per year.
– It is sad and unnecessary that so many cats become victims of traffic. Every cat is worth living and it is important to find the balance between a free life for the outdoor cat and at the same time increasing security, says Patrik Olsson on Agriain a press release.
Agria urges cat owners to identify the missing person
Most cats that are hit are house cats that spend most of their time living freely outdoors. Agria writes that several cat owners do not want to limit the cat’s freedom to a natural life. The challenge, however, lies in increasing safety without your four-legged friend losing quality of life.
Agria writes that accidents are best avoided by cat owners not letting their cats out near busy roads. Walking with a harness is therefore a better alternative. But road users can also help to be alert and careful, if you see a cat on the side of the road, you need to distance yourself from the cat and slow down.
Cat owners who have a garden can, for example, fence off part of the plot for the cat where it can move freely. Another option is to think about whether there is an opportunity to choose a cat-friendly accommodation with less traffic and lower speeds. Agria also emphasizes the importance that as a cat owner you should take responsibility and ID tag and register your cat in the Swedish Agency for Agriculture’s cat register.
Here you can read more about the new cat act on labeling and registration.