Study finds NJ leads nation in missing cat reports — and it could be due to this reason

Let’s dream they person 9 lives.

More cats person gone missing successful New Jersey than successful immoderate different authorities successful nan US — and it could beryllium a consequence of nan Garden State having immoderate of nan “deadliest” roads.

A caller study conducted by Pet911.org, which maintains a nationalist database of missing pets, recovered location were 18,580 reports of missing Jersey cats successful 2024.

Utah followed pinch 15,165 missing felines, while 13,010 vanished successful Massachusetts followed by 12,905 and 12,470 successful Illinois and Michigan, respectively. In New York, 11,385 cats were reported missing — ranking nan Empire State No. 7.

Andrey Chernyshev, CEO of Pet911.org, offered his mentation connected why much cats were reported missing successful New Jersey than anyplace else.

“The cardinal penetration is that New Jersey has created nan cleanable large wind for feline nonaccomplishment done a unsocial operation of factors that nary different authorities matches: Extreme density creating territorial confusion; deadliest roadworthy web and sadistic commuting culture,” pinch 400,000-plus out-of-state commuters daily,” Chernyshev told The Post.

Northeast master pet locator Carmen Brothers besides said Jersey residents, successful her experience, “are much proactive astir uncovering their missing pets” than those surviving successful Southern states, for illustration Alabama and Mississippi.

“The further northbound you go, the better group are about reporting missing pets, and that’s conscionable a sad reality,” Brothers explained. “I besides deliberation people are much successful tune pinch animal use successful nan Northeast, and I find that to beryllium existent of cats and dogs.”

Yet, Texas was nan authorities pinch highest number of missing canine reports pinch 82,515 past year. Tennessee classed No. 2 pinch 58,036 reports, and Arizona was adjacent connected its tail pinch 56,370.

Meanwhile, New Yorkers reported 30,890 dogs missing successful 2024, putting it astatine No. 23. With 37,090 dogs reported missing, New Jersey ranks No. 17.

The study further recovered huskies and chihuahuas were reported missing much than immoderate different canine breed, pinch Siamese and tuxedo cats vanishing nan most.

Additionally, the study wished Friday is nan time of nan week erstwhile astir pets are reported missing.

As for names, dogs named Bella, Luna, Max, Coco and Rocky spell missing nan most, while cats named Luna, Milo, Leo, Simba and Oliver are astir often reported to person disappeared.

“When a peculiar sanction is very communal among pets nationwide, it people appears much often successful mislaid pet reports,” nan study notes.