Birmingham named most cat-friendly city

GOING TO THE CATS

Birmingham named most cat-friendly city in U.S.

TOP CAT-FRIENDLY CITIES

1. Birmingham, Ala. 2. Portland, Ore. 3. Madison, Wis. 4. Richmond, Va. 5. Minneapolis, Minn. 6. St. Louis, Mo. 7. Tampa, Fla. 8. Orlando, Fla. 9. Greensboro, N.C. 10. Denver, Colo.

Cats like mine love calling Birmingham home.

By Lauren H. Dowdle

Dog may be man’s best friend, but cats are stealing the local headlines lately. Birmingham was named the most catfriendly city in America for 2021, according to PetListed. The city scored high across every category they analyzed.

To pick the best feline-friendly cities, PetListed analyzed metrics including the amount of cat-friendly housing, the number of AAFP certified cat veterinary practices, the abundance of local animal shelters and welfare groups, and number of pet stores selling cat products. After collecting all of that data for the 100 most populous cities in the country, they added up the comprehensive scoring system to rank the cities for cats.

So, what helped Birmingham land the top spot? The city has an abundance of AAFP cat veterinary practices, animal shelters, and has the third highest concentration of pet stores per capita. The housing market is also ideal for cat owners, with 81 percent of all available rental properties in Birmingham allowing cats — which is the sixth highest in the nation.

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