Dogs vs Cats: Who do Americans Like More?

Published January 5, 2010

Getty Images

Dogs vs cats: who do Americans like better, cats or dogs? An Associated Press-Petside.com poll found out!

Dogs vs cats: who's smarter, and who's more popular, cats or dogs? It seems like dogs and cats are always being pitted against each other.

So who does win the hearts of the most people, cats or dogs? A poll of American adults aimed to answer that very question.

A new Associated Press-Petside.com poll asked pet-owners and those without pets how much they like dogs and cats.

Participants could respond with "like a lot," "like a little," "neither like nor dislike," "dislike a little," or "dislike a lot."

Dogs vs Cats: The Statistics

While 3 out of 4 adults (74%) said they like dogs a lot, only 2 out of 5 respondents (41%) said they like cats a lot.

Only four percent of adults said they dislike dogs "a little" or "a lot," while more than 1-in-4 (26%) said they dislike cats "a little" or "a lot."

Of all the groups that answered, married men were the most likely to say they dislike cats.

So why the difference between love for cats or dogs? In the battle of dog vs cats, do cats get a bad rap?

Sound off! Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

For more on fighting like cats and dogs, check out Animal Magnetism: Cats and Dogs Living Together.

Author's profile photo
Petside Team

Petside is run by pet lovers just like you, and is here to help you be the best pet parents you…

Leave a Comment

Enter your information below or log in to skip these fields.
No account? Sign up here.
* indicates a required field.
(will appear with your comment)
For privacy reasons, do not use your full name or email address.
(will not be published)
For your protection, ensure that no personally identifiable information (like full name or email address) is submitted.

Your Privacy

Trust is a cornerstone of our corporate mission, and the success of our business depends on it. P&G is committed to maintaining your trust by protecting personal information we collect about you, our consumers.

Comments (203)

Anonymous (Unverified)
Dogs are better everyone knows that they save people's lives and cats just care about themselves.
Anonymous (Unverified)
Dogs are better cats are still good but dogs rule!!!
Anonymous (Unverified)
Many people say that cats are better because they take care of their businesses in a box. I have a dog and she is a very sweet girl with some cat like attitude. Many small dogs (or I believe) peas on a pad. It is designed to absorb their waste. My dog never peas on the carpet and she p**ps in our bathroom. All we need to do is pick it up, throw it away, and wipe the remaining with wipes. My dog loves to lick its paws and legs all day and sleep. She is very picky with dog foods and will starve for few days if she doesn't like her food. She is funny and sometimes, I think my dog can understand human words. One time my dad was lying on a bad with my small dog on the side. He said that my dog likes him better than me and almost instantly, my dog stood up with a sigh and walks away from my dad to corner of the bed! She did it more than one time and I died laughing
Abby (Unverified)
Dogs
Anonymous (Unverified)
I prefer dogs over cats. This is my opinion and preference. I am sure that cats have their advantages, but having a smelly litter box in the house does not seem like one of them. Cats are often aloof, I prefer the more active interaction with my dog, and anyone who says all dogs are obedient is sadly misinformed. Both dogs and cats have unique personalities and quirks, but neither is better than the other.
Anonymous (Unverified)
It is all based on opinion. Whoever is saying "dogs are better then cats accept it" need to lay off. It is just an opinion. Niether are better then the other. I personally like cats better because they do their business in a box neatly. As where dogs do it in the yard (hopefully, or most the time) and you always have to pick up after them. Cats are more loyal.
Anonymous (Unverified)
Only need to point out two facts: 1.Cats sh*t neatly into a box. 2.Dogs don't sh*t neatly into a box.