How Do Cats Rank in Popularity with Dogs in the U.S., and All Over the World

We all know there are only two types of people in the world: cat people and dog people. But data from market research firm Euromonitor suggest that these differences extend beyond individual preferences and to the realm of geopolitics: it turns out there are cat countries and dog countries, too.

Here in the U.S., slightly more households own dogs than own cats. But Euromonitor’s numbers show that in terms of raw population, cats outnumber dogs to the tune of 2 million (the number is closer to 4 million, by the American Veterinary Medical Association's estimate). Why? One simple explanation is that cats are more compact. You can fit more cats in a house than you can, say, golden retrievers. (You can also geolocate a lot of them, which is fun, but entirely besides the point.)

At the state level in the U.S., cats outnumber dogs in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. Dogs are the favorite in the South and Southwest. The most dog-friendly state is Arkansas, where dogs outnumber cats 1.35-to-1. At the other end of the spectrum stands Massachusetts with 1.87 cats for every dog.

                                                                   Click on picture to use interactive map.

"A lot of that simply has to do with population density," Jared Koerten, a pet industry analyst at Euromonitor, said in an interview. "Many cities just aren't that dog-friendly."

Still, overall, most states have a pretty balanced cat-dog ratio.

Around the world the story is quite different. Euromonitor gave us estimates of the pet dog and cat populations in 54 countries, and some show a stark dog/cat divide. In India, for instance, pet dogs outnumber cats 10-to-1. Dogs enjoy a 2.5-to-1 advantage in China. On the other hand, cats outnumber dogs 3-to-1 in Switzerland, Austria and Turkey.

                                                                    Click on picture to use interactive map.

Overall, cats are the favored pet in most of Western Europe, with the exception of Spain, Portugal and Ireland. South America is strictly dog country, as is much of Asia.

"Some regions, like the Middle East and part of Africa, have an especially long-standing appreciation of cats," Koerten said. "In Latin America it's the complete opposite. Dogs are part of family life there."

World pet populations also appear to follow a few interesting—if inexplicable—trends. For one, highly developed countries, for reasons yet unclear, tend to have more balanced cat and dog populations. "Looking across all countries, there's a correlation between developed economies and balanced pet preferences," Koerten said. Brazil, as is turns out, has a strange affinity for small dogs—it has more small dogs per capita than any other country. And there's legitimate reason to believe young Americans might be having dogs instead of babies.



Top 10 dog-loving states

Rank State Cats Dogs Ratio, dogs to cats
1 Arkansas 810,000 1,097,000 1.35
2 New Mexico 533,000 703,000  1.32
3 Texas         5,565,000 7,163,000        1.29
4 Oklahoma 1,041,000 1,327,000 1.27
5 Louisiana 877,000 1,115,000 1.27
6 Mississippi  668,000 846,000 1.27
7 Arizona 1,438,000 1,798,000 1.25
8 Tennessee 1,749,000 2,157,000 1.23
9 Missouri 1,653,000 1,978,000 1.20
10 Georgia 2,162,000 2,479,000 1.15


Top 10 cat-loving states

Rank State Cats Dogs Ratio, cats to dogs
1 Massachusetts 1,593,000 850,000 1.87
2 Maryland 1,677,000 915,000 1.83
3 Maine               498,000      300,000 1.66
4 Vermont               234,000 142,000 1.65
5 Connecticut       796,000 507,000 1.57
6 District of Columbia  63,000  42,000 1.50
7 New Hampshire      309,000 212,000 1.46
8 Pennsylvania 3,544,000 2,485,000 1.43
9 New York 4,261,000  3,054,000 1.40
10 Ohio                    3,786,000   2,730,000 1.39


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Porcine Family was Rescued from a Trailer Park in Rural North Carolina Recently - Adopted and Taken to a 400-Acre Sanctuary in Western Montgomery County, Maryland

Poolesville, Maryland - A mama pig and her seven piglets are happier than -- well, at least happier than where they used to live, according to the folks at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The porcine family was rescued from a trailer park in rural North Carolina recently, and on Monday was taken to a 400-acre sanctuary in western Montgomery County, Md., that's home to more than 200 abused and neglected farm animals.

"Today, these pigs are going to start the first day of the rest of their lives," says PETA's Lindsay Rajt.

"They were discovered by two PETA field workers who were out delivering dog houses to neglected dogs," she adds. "There were big, rusty nails protruding from the wood that was around the facility that the pigs had to walk on. And the air was so thick with flies that it actually looked hazy."

Rajt says the pigs' owner was an elderly man who could not care for the animals any longer and was planning to send them to the slaughter house.

Now they are at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville.

"And we have about 200 rescued animals here -- horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens and turkeys," says sanctuary director and co-founder Terry Cummings.

"Initially we just took two pigs from that rescue," Cummings adds, "and then they told us one of the pigs had just given birth to seven babies and said they were unable to find placement for them, so we offered to give them a permanent home here."

"The pigs have reached their new and forever home," Peta's Rajt boasts. "So they can look forward to enjoying their long and natural lives here at Poplar Spring."









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Baby and Pit Bull Puppy Snuggle Up - Mom, "We Are Trying To Show People That Not Only Pit Bulls But All Dogs Have and Want To Be Good Dogs" (Video)

Just a baby and a pit bull enjoying each other's company.

This video posted to YouTube on July 23 of weeks-old Eisleigh and puppy Clyde has gone viral. And it's no surprise given how adorable they are together.

In the video, Clyde snuggles next to Eisleigh and rests its head on the baby's face. The baby just smiles in a relaxed way. (Could watch this on repeat for days.)

Mom Brandi Hodges wrote in the comments section, "We are trying to show people that not only pitbulls but all dogs have and want to be good dogs." She added, "You just have to train them as such."

Pit bulls have been in the news this summer with awful stories of attacks on children as well as a heroic report of a 2-year-old pit bull named Ace that saved a deaf boy from a fire.

In case you want to see more cuteness of Eisleigh and Clyde, here are some photos of them from Instagram.

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Did You Know That There Are Purebred Dogs in Animal Shelters?

People often think that dogs found at shelters or through breed rescue groups are special-needs pets with health or behavior problems. The reality is that plenty of nice, healthy canines are available for adoption, including purebreds, crossbreeds, mixed breeds, young dogs, adult dogs and senior dogs.

Thousands of breed-specific rescue groups across North America post their adoptable pets on sites like Petfinder, where you can search by breed, age, sex, size and location. Petfinder's search results also include dogs in shelters, but the types of purebreds found at shelters vary across the country.

The number one obstacle identified about people adopting shelter dogs is their completely valid desire of wanting a purebred dog. After all, you can find perfectly healthy, happy purebred dogs at a shelter or with a purebred rescue organization.

Most buyers also tend to want something tangible to prove a dog is a purebred. Some consumers get overly hung up on having “papers” for their dog. What may surprise paper-enthusiasts though is this: unless you are buying from a seriously legitimate kennel-club registered breeder, the oh-so-coveted papers you may get is really paperwork that can be generated by anyone with a computer. It guarantees nothing about the quality of the dog being purchased. Not health. Not sound temperament. Not breed. No guarantees at all.

Another great benefit of adopting a pet from a rescue group is these groups know their dogs. Most are foster-home based organizations, which mean the dog lives with a host family that likely knows everything there is to know about your future family member. You know who you are going home with which naturally makes the process of adding your new dog into your daily routine easier.

Further, the National Council on Pet Population Study & Policy reports that 25-percent of pets in shelters are purebred. That’s a lot of coveted purebred pets that are not meeting their forever families because of preconceived notions about what buying a purebred pet guarantees.

Adopting from a shelter or rescue almost always comes with stellar perks that you will rarely get from a pet retailer or breeder, such as shots and basic up-front veterinary care, behavioral and training support (which is always awesome if you’re adopting a younger dog or puppy), and a network of assistance in the event something unexpected pops up, like an unforeseeable health issue. This level of service is a 180 from your typical pet store or breeder, which will rarely care about the future of your pet after they take your money.

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