| In 1953 the American Can Company, which | | | | Assuming the latter, we have a total of |
| produces containers for commercial pet foods | | | | 29,200,000 cats, which is probably inexact |
| and was therefore interested, discovered in a | | | | and not highly important, yet rather nice to |
| survey that there were 26,700,000 domestic | | | | contemplate if you like cats. |
| cats in the United States. | | | | |
| | | | This great number makes rather impressive the |
| By "domestic", it is meant cats who, however | | | | fact which follows. This is that, despite the |
| casual their membership, belong to human | | | | vast number, there are basically only two |
| families. Most of them - 13.2 million - were | | | | categories of cat: long-haired and |
| found to be farm cats. Seven million were | | | | short-haired. Within them there are perhaps |
| city cats, and 6.5 million lived somewhere in | | | | six recognized breeds and several varieties |
| between. | | | | about whose classification as breed cat |
| | | | experts and fanciers have earnest, |
| The South had the most cats (9.7 million), | | | | inconclusive discussions. Beyond this, |
| the Far West the fewest (3.2 million). The | | | | however, there is nothing more to choose from |
| East had the most urban cats (2.4 million), | | | | until you get to ocelots and jaguars. As a |
| the Midwest the most farm cats (5.8 million); | | | | type, the cat has been remarkably consistent |
| no surprises there. | | | | for a very long time. |
| | | | |
| Overall, 29 per cent of the nation's families | | | | In the cat world, as elsewhere, the common |
| had one or more cats. Farm families had the | | | | people far outnumber the aristocrats. It is a |
| most cats; nearly half of them owned three or | | | | safe guess that 99 out of any 100 cats |
| more. The nationwide average was 2.21 cats | | | | encountered will be plain, ordinary citizens |
| per cat-owning family. Low-income families | | | | belonging in the boundless company of |
| were found to be far more likely to have cats | | | | Domestic Short-hairs. This is the proper name |
| than were the high-income families. | | | | for the group carelessly called "alley cats," |
| | | | and while it does contain a number of |
| To arrive at a figure for all the nation's | | | | woebegone and misbegotten creatures, it is |
| cats, however, there must be added the worker | | | | not to be sneered at. It is a breed, and |
| types who patrol or inhabit our stores and | | | | prime cats have emerged from it to win top |
| factories, warehouses and wharves, | | | | prizes at cat shows. |
| restaurants and military bases, and who go | | | | |
| down to the sea in ships. One estimate places | | | | The deluxe breeds in the remaining one per |
| them at half a million. | | | | cent include the long-haired Persians (and/or |
| | | | Angoras), and the short-haired Siamese, |
| Then there are the cats nobody owns, who live | | | | Burmese, Abyssinian and Manx. There are also |
| a gypsy existence in the city streets and the | | | | several in-between groupings, such as the |
| wooded country areas. These may number | | | | Blues and Tortoise-shells, which may be long |
| another two million, although obviously a | | | | - or short-haired and are classified |
| figure like this has to be either a wild | | | | primarily by color. The Blues, for instance, |
| guess or come straight from some cat. | | | | include the Maltese, Russian Blue, British |
| | | | Blue, and so on. |