Here are some links for social scientists to find out more about cats
How many people own cats in the UK?
According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association Pet Population report, in 2019 approx 40% of British households had a pet - that is 7.5 million cats from 17% of households. their website also has regional breakdowns
For details of ownership among adolescents see this thesis from University of St Andrews in 2016
PDSA has also conducted annual YouGov polls to produce pet ownership data. They estimate that since 2011 25% of household s have had a pet and the minimum monthly cost is £70. The report also has questions on what cats are frightened of (51% vacuum cleaner!) how many are obese and how many food bowls they own!
Vet Compass from the Royal Veterinary College also has demographic data on cat ownership including microchipping and insurance. It also has information on prevalence of diseases
The MORE TH>N Future of Pet Ownership Report commissioned by RSA insurance Group
revealed from its survey (check site for methodology) approx £100 spend per month on each cat in 2018. 41% of cat owners felt their cat improved their lifestyle more than other humans
On a global scale from downloading the GFK survey . remember to check the methodology! in its 2016 survey of 22 nations it found 23% had a cat compared to 43% no pet, 33% a dog.Top owners of cats were Russia 57%
Does owning a cat benefit your health?
Found 17 articles for owners of cats and dogs. results were mixed "Qualitative studies illuminated the intensiveness of connectivity people with companion animals reported, and the multi-faceted ways in which pets contributed to the work associated with managing a mental health condition, particularly in times of crisis. The negative aspects of pet ownership were also highlighted, including the practical and emotional burden of pet ownership and the impact of grief at the loss of a pet"
However well reported in the USA were the results from the General Social Survey which found dog owners to be much happier than cat owners!
A recent survey of posts on social media and instagram explored whether the owners looked happier than non pet owners. controlling for race, gender and family.
Other recent studies have found owning a pet in childhood reduces risks of allergies
Exploring the differences between pet and non-pet owners: Saunders 2017 found that while cat owners in US (Califormia) were more likely to be white, female and older it was difficult to trace any health conditions relating to pets
Certainly many people treat pets like members of the family. Indeed
An exploration of the relationship between owner and cat was published in Plos in 2019 which likened it to a parent child relationship and mentioned an impact on the well being of the cat according to the personality of the owner.
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