It's important to understand, though, that the decision to adopt an animal-in-need has to be made after evaluating all of its consequences; sadly, part of why there are so many cats in shelters can be attributed to our own negligence.

According to Samira Coccon, who is a Rome-based cat behaviorist, among the reasons provided for giving up their cat, most people say they found out they themselves, or some other member of the household, are allergic to cat fur, or they are moving to someplace where they cannot take their pet with them.

However, "we know that the underlying truth is that more than half of the people who surrender their pets to shelters also report behavior or old age related issues," Coccon wrote.

"An estimated 4 million cats are euthanized in animal shelters every year in the world, while countless others become feral after being abandoned, doomed to die in car accidents, due to infections or not being really prepared to fend for themselves, as a consequence of starvation and hardships," the feline behaviorist explained.

"Education, information, a basic knowledge of a cat's needs, besides some true compassion, are paramount to the dedicated human who honestly wants to understand what adopting a cat involves, especially over time, and to dramatically reduce these impressing figures."

We tend to assume that we know best. But much homework is needed as this line of thinking can lead to a warped understanding of what it actually is to own a feline.

"Some people make the assumption that cats, compared to dogs, are less demanding [and] that they can spend long hours, or even days alone, they do not need regular visits to the vet, and cannot be educated," Coccon said. "All these and other prejudices can lead us to adopt a kitten, only to find out, soon after, that they do need and deserve our care and attention."

"Other people are not prepared for the inevitable changing of needs of a cat that is getting old or falls ill, they do not imagine that it is necessary to neuter them before they reach sexual maturity, or they do not even know that it is important, whenever possible, to learn beforehand something about our future pet’s personality, his 'playfulness, sociability, inquisitiveness and lifestyle' to facilitate the best human-pet match."

Coccon stresses that a basic knowledge of why cats behave the way they do allows us to prevent wrong expectations, disappointment, punishment, and, eventually, abandonment.

According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the most pressing cat issue in the country is the large population of unsterilized outdoor cats.

"This results in many cats without permanent/conventional homes living in outdoor populations, quickly producing ongoing generations of cats," the organization explained. "These cats may be feral, meaning they do not willingly interact with humans, while some are semi- or formerly-owned, or otherwise friendly cats who have been lost or abandoned."