Dogs beat cats in the war for our affection – but our love is not as great as the Danes’

When it comes to owning pets, we all know whether we’re a “dog person” or a “cat person.”

Now, at the risk of upsetting those who prefer cats, experts have revealed that people’s attachment levels are greater when it comes to their dogs – and that they are willing to pay higher vet fees for them.

The researchers sampled 2,117 people who owned dogs, cats, or both.

Participants were asked to answer questions about caring for and relating to their pets.

The analysis revealed that people appear to care more about their dogs than their cats in all countries and by all measures.

Experts have revealed that people’s attachment levels are greater when it comes to their dogs, and they are willing to pay higher vet fees for them

Although the preference for dogs was only slight in the UK, it was more pronounced in Austria, and the preference was very pronounced in Denmark (pictured: a man walking his dog on Bornholm, the northern coast of Denmark)

They had higher degrees of attachment to their dogs, insured their dogs more often, generally expected more treatment options for dogs to be available, and would pay more for that treatment.

However, there were striking differences in attitudes between countries. Study participants were taken from the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Austria.

Although the preference for dogs was slight in the UK, it was more pronounced in Austria, and the preference was very clear in Denmark.

“We and others have found that people are willing to spend much less money on their cats than on their dogs,” said Dr. Peter Sandu, first author of the study at the University of Copenhagen.

But there could still be other countries where the level of care and attachment to cats is higher, the authors said in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.