Tracy Mohr, of Chico, USA says on ChicoER news:

Tracy says that stray cats are 13 times more likely to get back to their home if they are not brought to an animal shelter.

Also 59% of lost cats returned home of their own accord. Only 2% were found at a shelter.

I say that some stray cats needlessly die at shelters because they are euthanized early i.e. before the owner has a chance to contact the shelter. Some end up with new families and then the true owner turns up and can’t get their cat back.

Sammy, a cat at BHS

The argument is that healthy stray cats (roaming domestic cat or community cat) are not in need of being taken to a shelter. My comment: unfortunately some cat haters take stray cats to shelters perhaps knowing that they will be killed or at least rehomed away from the area where the cat thief lives. There are many such stories on the internet.

Animal shelters should take in injured and sick cats, ‘underaged kittens who have no mother’ and cats known to be abandoned says Tracy.

I think Tracy works for Butte Humane Society (BHS), Chico, California, USA.

These are interesting thoughts. I had not seen a simple statement before which said that stray, owned cats are better left alone and not taken to a shelter.