Dogs Have the "Upper Paw" on Cats
A recent study has found that dogs receive more overall care from their owners than cats do. Researchers published their findings in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. They concluded that not only do dogs receive more affection from their owners, but that they are also more likely to receive medical attention when needed - regardless of its price. This study was conducted over three months with 2,000 dog and cat owners.
The findings were interpreted in many ways. It was proposed that cats have earned a bad reputation (hissing and clawing at the owners, not willing to comply with commands etc.), and that the cat owners subconsciously are aware of it and are less willing to take them to the vet for annual exams. Additionally, it was proposed that cats are often thought as being more "disposable" than dogs. In one example from the study, a cat was scheduled to be put down because the cat and the dog it lived with were not getting along.
From this study, dog owners were contributing to the health of their dog to a much greater extent. Dog owners were found to be much more likely to spend large sums of money when the dog became ill. Where a cat may be put down due to an illness such as cancer, a dog was found to be more likely to receive treatment through their owners. Overall, 52 percent of dog owners were found to spend whatever it took to keep their dog healthy, as opposed to 42 percent of cat owners.
It would be interesting to see this study done on a larger scale. Because only 2,000 people were sampled, it is possible that the relative amounts of care for dogs and cats are equal. Expanding the study to a state-wide or country-wide level would be able to determine this. From there, it is up to the person reading the study as to whether or not numbers and percentages really indicate how much a certain animal is liked over another.
-Posted by Nate Pitcher
posted by PWH @ 7:26 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Interesting post. There could have been a lot of variables that weren't taken into consideration when performing this study. For one the life expectancy of cats and dogs are different. Good read.
Posted By: Julie Hachey
There is not enough research done to determine if this information is completely accurate. However, I would not doubt that people would take care of a dog more than a cat. Is more research under progress on this topic? Nice post.
Posted: C. Varela
i really like the post is really interesting to know
posted by Rafael Leon
It is not surprising, because cats have a tendency to be very boring and stay to themselves. Thus, owners may not feel that it is necessary to show a considerable amount of affection. I also believe that dogs get more physical exams than dogs, because they are more likely to get injured and suffer from stress.
Posted by Vanessa Raphael
Nate, great post! I come from an animal loving family, and we have seen more than our fair share of both cats and dogs. As dogs are the more costly and personable pets, people become more invested in their care. They become part of the family, while cats are often left out in the rain. Despite the exorbitant cost of most operations, people are willing to provide health care for their dogs because the affection is reciprocal.
-- Tom FitzGerald
I would have to agree with Tom that the reason people may be willing to spend more on the health of a dog is that they are often more affectionate. It would be interesting to see if the relative costs of purchasing the pet had and effects on the willingness of the owner to invest in the pet's health.
Posted by:
Nicole Eckart
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