Do we love our dogs more than our cats? Science weighs in
The spirited debate has been raging for decades among pet owners. According to findings published in ‘Frontiers in Veterinary Science’(opens in new window), pet owners in Europe tend to favour one over the other.
Canines or felines?
A research team led by the University of Copenhagen compared Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom (UK) and found a consistent preference for dogs over cats. This emotional bond was stronger for all three European countries. The smallest difference between people’s attitudes towards dogs and cats was in the UK, which is often portrayed as a nation of cat lovers. “There seems to be no natural limit to how much people will end up caring about their cats compared to their dogs,” first author Dr Peter Sandøe told the ‘BBC’(opens in new window). The researchers involved 2 117 dog and cat owners aged 18 to 89 in the three European countries: 844 dog owners, 872 cat owners, and 401 others who owned both dogs and cats. To measure their affection, respondents were given a survey asking them to reply to 23 statements, such as ‘I believe that my pet is my best friend’. Participants were also asked additional questions, including about health insurance and if they were willing to pay for life-saving treatment. In all the countries, survey results showed that people cared more about their dogs than their cats. The scores and rankings exhibited small differences between the three. “We and others have found that people are willing to spend much less on their cats than on their dogs,” explained Dr Sandøe in ‘Frontiers’(opens in new window). “We wanted to find out whether cats could eventually end up having the same high status as dogs do today.”
No purrfect answer
Do you swear by your feline friend? All isn’t lost. “While people care more about their dogs than their cats in all countries, the degree of difference varied dramatically between countries,” he added. “It doesn’t therefore seem to be a universal phenomenon that people care much less about their cats than their dogs. We suggest instead that the difference is likely to depend on cultural factors, including whether the animals spend a lot of time with their owners in the home.” Co-author Prof. Clare Palmer of Texas A&M University came to the defence of cat lovers everywhere: “Our study only looks at three countries located in central and western Europe. It raises intriguing questions regarding what comparative studies of other countries might find. Perhaps there are countries where the level of care for and attachment to cats is, in fact, higher than dogs?”