But could it see off an intruder? Photograph: Voren1/Getty Images View image in fullscreen But could it see off an intruder? Photograph: Voren1/Getty Images Pass notes Cats Is the US becoming a nation of cat lovers? Dogs have long been more popular, but for the first time more households own kittens than puppies. Some believe it’s all down to economics
Age: The debate has probably raged since animals have been domesticated
The debate being? Dogs versus cats . Not in a fight, but as in which to get as a pet
Well, that depends on whether you want a warm, loving, loyal friend that gives you unconditional love … Or a beautiful, non-needy but still loving animal that doesn’t require constant attention and walking … But we’re not having that argument here
What are we doing? Looking at some interesting new statistics about cat and dog ownership
I already know this – dogs win, every year. True; in the 2026 UK Pet Food survey, the dog population (15.5m) is slightly ahead of the cats (13m)
Two and a half million ahead! But crossing the Atlantic now
Still more dogs, surely? I’m thinking Lassie, Toto, Snoopy, Eddie Crane from Frasier … Granted, there currently are more dogs, but maybe not for long. The market research firm Packaged Facts reports that, for the first time since it started looking at this stuff, more US households own kittens than puppies