Headlines

Dog Owners vs. Cat Owners — One Group Is Way Happier Than the Other

The latest 2018 General Social Survey included several questions on pet ownership.

Published

6 years ago

April 8, 2019

PETS+ Staff

When it comes to happiness, dog owners have a big advantage over cat owners, a new study suggests.

The 2018 General Social Survey found dog owners to be “about twice as likely as cat owners to say they’re very happy,” the Washington Post reports.

People who own both a dog and a cat fall between the two extremes.

People who own no pets are roughly equal to those who own pets in terms of happiness, according to the survey.

Dog owners are a bit happier than non-pet-owners, on average. Cat owners are less happy than those with no pets, the Post reports.

It’s not clear that owning one type of pet or the other necessarily causes a certain level of happiness, as other factors come into play, the newspaper notes.

For example, owning a dog is associated with being married and being a homeowner — factors that can, in themselves, have an impact on happiness levels.

Read more at the Washington Post

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