The Most Cat-Friendly Cities in America

It’s official. Birmingham, Alabama, is the cat-friendliest city in the U.S. A website that rates pet products, PetListed.com, made the finding when it evaluated the 100 most populous cities according to four criteria: the availability of cat-friendly housing; the number of veterinary practices certified by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP); the preponderance of local animal shelters and animal welfare groups; and the number of pet stores selling cat products.

Fully 81 percent of Birmingham’s rental properties allow cats, and the city also has what PetListed calls “an abundance of AAFP cat veterinary practices.” It also boasts one of the highest concentrations of pet stores per capita.

Coming in at number 2 is Portland, Oregon. Other cities that made the top 10 list include Minneapolis, St. Louis, Tampa, and Denver.