Claws over Jaws: Cats outbite dogs in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 1: The data regarding animal bites in Kashmir is set to shatter long-held perceptions about animal-related threats in Kashmir.

In 2025, cat bites outnumbered dog bites in Kashmir, a place where the dog population is among the highest in the country. Kashmir’s newfound love for fuzzy pets at home poses a health threat in the absence of guidelines, monitoring, and illegal practices.

A total of 17,033 animal bite cases were reported from January 1 to December 26 in Kashmir.

For the first time, the data from the Anti-Rabies Clinic, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, shows that cats accounted for the majority of incidents – 9019 bite cases.

This is significantly higher than the number of dog bite cases recorded during the same period, 7396 in Kashmir.

The figures, compiled from Anti-Rabies Clinics and district health records in the Kashmir division, vividly depict how “cat-loving Kashmir” is changing the face of the animal threat scenario here.

There is no estimate of the number of pet cats in Kashmir, while J&K lacks a mandatory pet registration system.

This has also led to illegal breeding and trade practices of cats, especially the non-local varieties, and has contributed to animal abuse cases.

Srinagar district has come up as the epicenter of animal bites and borne the brunt.

In 2025, there were 13,951 animal bite cases.

These include 8347 cat bites, 5476 dog bites, and 128 others.

Srinagar has also seen the mushrooming of pet shops and pet clinics, mostly unauthorised and unmonitored, putting a question mark over the animal welfare and human safety practices together.

Other districts have also started to see a number of cases – Budgam with 823 cases, Baramulla with 503, Kupwara 201, Bandipora 316, Ganderbal 346, Pulwama 196, Shopian 91, Kulgam 84, and Anantnag 74.

In addition, 494 cases are undivided into districts.

At the Anti-Rabies Clinic, SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, cat bites rose from 1178 in 2022 to 4200 in 2024 and over 6500 in 2025, a shocking 452 percent increase over three years.

The surge is attributed to the growing culture of cats as pets.

This is combined with an enormous stray dog population in Kashmir, estimated to be far larger than canines in many parts of the country.

Dog bite cases have historically dominated headlines in J&K, with over 2,12,968 reported from 2022 to October 2025.

Kashmir division had about 114,498 of those dog bites over the three-year period, outpacing Jammu’s 98,470.

Health experts note that cat bites are often from seemingly docile animals and are consuming a larger share of ARV.

The pet culture is also straining resources amid rising demand.

In terms of severity, Category I (minor, no skin break) 859 cases; Category II (nibbling or minor scratches) 6053 cases; and Category III (transdermal bites or licks on broken skin) 9321 cases were reported.