People care about their dogs more than their cats.
New research by the University of Copenhagen, found pet owners' levels of attachment are greater when it comes to their dogs - and they're willing to pay higher vet fees.
2,000 people were interviewed for the study, which showed they care more about their dogs than their cats in all countries and across all measures.
The study, which was published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, found pt owners had higher attachment scores for their dogs, insured them more often, expected more treatment options to be available, and would pay more for treatment.
Previous studies have shown cat owners "seem to care less about their cats than dog owners care about their dogs", both in terms of their emotional state of attachment and in their willingness to pay for services that potentially benefit the animals.
One study speculated that this difference is “driven by the behaviours of the pet” – that the behaviours of dogs encourages care more than the behaviours of cats – and therefore is a universal phenomenon.
