Are cat owners smarter?
Source:Louis-Philippe Poitras on Unsplash
More cat owners 'have degrees' than dog-lovers
People who own a cat are more likely to have a university degree than those with a pet dog, a study by Bristol University suggests.
A poll of 2,524 households found that 47.2% of those with a cat had at least one person educated to degree level, compared with 38.4% of homes with dogs.
The study said longer hours, possibly associated with better qualified jobs, may make owning a dog impractical.
It also found that UK pet ownership was much higher than previously thought.
Cat and dog numbers were last estimated in a scientific peer-reviewed journal in 1989, which said there were 6.2 million and 6.4 million respectively in the UK.
But according to Bristol's Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, the populations today are likely to be about 10.3 million and 10.5 million.
Overall, it estimated that 26% of UK households owned cats and 31% owned dogs.
The study suggested a number of other characteristics, aside from education level, were associated with either cat or dog ownership.
Of those surveyed, dog-lovers were more likely to be male, living in rural areas and under the age of 55.
Age of children
But cat owners were more likely to be female and living in smaller or single-person households.
The age of children in a family also appeared to make a difference, with cats being more common than dogs in homes with children under the age of 10.
However Dr Jane Murray, a lecturer in feline epidemiology at Bristol University, said the variation in education level between owners was the most striking difference.
"We don't know why there is this discrepancy," she told the BBC News website.
"We did look at average household income but that wasn't significant.
"Our best guess is that it's to do with* working hours and perhaps commuting to work, meaning people have a less suitable lifestyle for a dog.
"It's really just a hunch though."
Dr Murray, whose post is funded by the Cats Protection charity, said researchers hoped to repeat the study using the results of the 2011 census to get a clearer idea of trends in UK pet ownership.
A poll of 2,524 households found that 47.2% of those with a cat had at least one person educated to degree level, compared with 38.4% of homes with dogs.
The study said longer hours, possibly associated with better qualified jobs, may make owning a dog impractical.
It also found that UK pet ownership was much higher than previously thought.
Cat and dog numbers were last estimated in a scientific peer-reviewed journal in 1989, which said there were 6.2 million and 6.4 million respectively in the UK.
But according to Bristol's Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, the populations today are likely to be about 10.3 million and 10.5 million.
Overall, it estimated that 26% of UK households owned cats and 31% owned dogs.
The study suggested a number of other characteristics, aside from education level, were associated with either cat or dog ownership.
Of those surveyed, dog-lovers were more likely to be male, living in rural areas and under the age of 55.
Age of children
But cat owners were more likely to be female and living in smaller or single-person households.
The age of children in a family also appeared to make a difference, with cats being more common than dogs in homes with children under the age of 10.
However Dr Jane Murray, a lecturer in feline epidemiology at Bristol University, said the variation in education level between owners was the most striking difference.
"We don't know why there is this discrepancy," she told the BBC News website.
"We did look at average household income but that wasn't significant.
"Our best guess is that it's to do with* working hours and perhaps commuting to work, meaning people have a less suitable lifestyle for a dog.
"It's really just a hunch though."
Dr Murray, whose post is funded by the Cats Protection charity, said researchers hoped to repeat the study using the results of the 2011 census to get a clearer idea of trends in UK pet ownership.
I have had cats and dogs in my family. Each one has been and is an important part of the family. If I had to choose between a cat or a dog, I'd have a dog.
I think some dog owners would confess to not liking cats but I don't think it is the case the other way round.
Spotlight on Vocabulary:
It's (has) to do with working hours.
What's (has) that got to do with it? 😍 (Qué tiene que ver con..?)
What does that have to do with it? 😍
What has that got to see with it? 😡
That's (has) got nothing to do with you. 😍 (No tiene nada que ver contigo)
That doesn't have anything to do with you. 😍
That doesn't have anything to see with you. 😡
Try to complete the lyrics to the Tina Turner song What's love got to do with it?
Comments
I like the animals, and I have a cat. If I have more time, I'll have a dog too.
I like ANIMALS, and I have a cat. If I have more time, I'll have a dog too.
I see that you are using the first conditional which is great. Compare (a)the 1st conditional and (b) the 2nd conditional:
(a)If I have more time, I'll have a dog.
(b) If I had more time, I'd have a dog.
In (a) there is a real chance that you will have more time in the future.
In (b)you don't have time and there is not much chance of you having more time. So you just hypothesize.
Be careful with the use of articles (the, a/an,-) Check out the exercises that I have just posted.
I like them very much = I really like them.
I think you prove my point that people who like cats like all animals, which isn't necessarily the case with dog-lovers.
And, as Graham said, I think people who like dogs dont't like necessarily all animals. I have met some people who have a dog but dislike cats because they don't trust them.
Good to see you participating in the blog.
I agree with you: it's a question of having enough time to raise a pet. And THERE IS NO DOUBT that the most independent of THE TWO IS THE CAT.
And, as Graham said, I think people who like dogs dont't NECESSARILY LIKE all animals. I have met some people who have a dog but dislike cats because they don't trust them.
Hope to see more comments soon!