Cat owners are cleverer than dog owners: Study

According to a scientific survey of pet ownership conducted by University of Bristol scientists, people with cats are more likely to have university degrees than those with dogs.

The study of 2,980 pet owners in Britain, however, said that cat owners' superior intelligence level is nothing to do with their exposure to the famously cunning and selfish pets.

But because more educated people, who tend to work for longer hours, chose cats which don't need walking and can manage with little human company unlike dogs, said the study published in the Veterinary Record journal.

Dr Jane Murray, Cats Protection Lecturer in Feline Epidemiology, who led the study, said: "We don't think it is associated with income because that was one of the variables we looked at, and there was little difference.
"Cats require less time per day than a dog, so they are more popular with educated people who work late and have long commutes."
According to the survey, homes with degree-holders are 1.36 times more likely to have a cat than other households.
The same homes were less likely to have a dog than households where no-one went to university, The Telegraph reported.

The study also found that cat owners were more likely to be older and female. Both cat and dog owners were more likely than the general population to live in households with gardens in rural areas.
The study also showed that the combined cat and dog population of Britain is more than 20.8 million - 50 per cent higher than previously thought. Of them 10.3 million people own cats while 10.5 million have dogs.
Dr Jane Murray said: "We are confident that our figures are the most accurate yet. The other estimates are produced by the pet food industry and have not been published in peer reviewed journals.
"We are not saying there has been a huge spike in the cat and dog populations - we are just getting better at counting them."