In the debate over the in-fur-ior pet, science has taken a side.
The General Social Survey from 2018 has found that dog owners are more likely to be happy than their feline-loving counterparts, reports The Washington Post.
Thirty-six percent of survey respondents who own a dog said they are "very happy," with only 18 percent of cat owners saying the same. Thirty-two percent of petless respondents also defined themselves as "very happy."
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Dog owners also lead cat owners in seeking comfort from their pet, playing with them and considering the animal a part of their family, although by a smaller margin than the happiness divide.
A 2016 study published in a multidisciplinary journal echoes this split, finding that people who self-described as "dog people" yielded higher levels of happiness and positive emotions than "cat people." But a 2006 study from the Pew Research Center found no significant differences between dog, cat or non-pet owners, per the Post.
Some research suggests dog owners are more likely to make friends in their neighborhoods due to random encounters while walking their pets, reports the Post, thus increasing overall well-being.
Maybe if cats got out more, they wouldn't be stuck in the doghouse.
