Cats in the United States
Many different
Prehistoric cats
At least 67 species of
Some prehistoric animals referred to as "saber-toothed cats" were in fact
Big cats
Two main species of big cat once inhabited the United States. One is the jaguar (Panthera onca), which is related to many species of big cat found on other continents. Though there are single jaguars now living within Arizona,[2] the species has largely been extirpated from the United States (in the states of Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Louisiana) since the early 20th century; although it is found throughout most of South America, its territorial limit being lands further south than northern Argentina.
The other North American 'big cat' is the
Cougars can be found throughout the continental Americas. Though they may have been more evenly distributed in the United States and Canada (as far north as the southern Yukon border), their populations are currently highest in the western states and provinces respectively. However, western (and possibly southern) cougars are migrating and being encountered more frequently in ranges where the eastern cougar population was previously extirpated and declared extinct.[3][4][5] This includes the US mid-west and east coast, and central and eastern Canadian provinces. Populations of cougars in Florida have always been continuous and well known.
Wild cats
Three mammal species in the United States are referred to as "wild cats": the
Domestic cats
The
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not require a certificate of health for cats brought into the United States, but cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may be denied entry. Cats must be quarantined regardless of place of origin when brought into Hawaii and Guam.[7]
Organizations
Various organizations using the term Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and in United States all organizations using the name SPCA are independent; there is no umbrella organization. Some of the more notable organizations include:
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Monterey County, California
- San Francisco SPCA
The National Cat Groomers Institute of America is an organization devoted to training and certifying people in the grooming of cats. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, it was founded in 2007 by Danelle German, the organization's current president.
Cats Indoors! is a public education campaign by
See also
References
- ISBN 0-387-94915-1.
- ^ "Rare jaguar spotted in mountains of Arizona".
- .
- ^ "Cougars Are Returning to the U.S. Midwest after More Than 100 Years".
- ^ "Eastern Cougars Declared Extinct—But That Might Not be Bad". National Geographic Society. 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics". The Humane Society of the United States. 30 December 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ "Bringing an Animal into U.S.: Cats - Animal Importation". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Gorman, James (18 March 2003). "Bird Lovers Hope to Keep Cats on a Very Short Leash". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
Further reading
- Loyd, Kerrie Anne T.; Sonia M. Hernandez (2012). "Public Perceptions of Domestic Cats and Preferences for Feral Cat Management in the Southeastern United States". Anthrozoös. 25 (3): 337–351. S2CID 42912883.
External links
- Companion Animal Demographics in the United States: A Historical Perspective, Elizabeth A. Clancy et al., book chapter in D.J. Salem & A.N. Rowan (Eds.), The state of the animals II: 2003 (pp. 9–26), Humane Society Press.
- National Cat Groomers Institute of America
- Little Girl and Tomcat