Irish prefer dogs way over cats, study says
The Irish love dogs far more than cats, according to a new study about pet ownership.
Research by University College Dublin found that 36 percent of homes in Ireland have a dog, while just one in 10 homes own a cat, IrishCentral.com reports.
The dog-to-cat ratio is much more drastic than in most other countries, including the U.S, where nearly 40 percent of homes have dogs, compared to about 34 percent with cats.
Researchers believe the Irish may lean more toward dogs because of the prevalence of farming and the higher number of people living in rural areas.
But dogs also seem to have a better image than cats in Ireland, the study notes. They’re viewed more as pets while cats are largely considered stray animals.
Tony Forshaw of the Siamese and All Breeds Cat Club of Ireland said there is less of a history of cat-owning in Ireland, compared with the U.S. or Britain, and that “Irish people tend to laugh at cats.”
Forshaw blames the Irish dog bias on the fact that dogs get more screen time in movies and TV.
(Photo: Costumecraze.com)
Posted by jwoestendiek October 1st, 2009 under Muttsblog.
Tags: cats, dog-to-cat, dogs, dublin, homes, image, ireland, irish, ownership, pet, pets, ratio, study, university college
