inuneko

Following on from yesterday’s compromise between dogs and cats, today let’s take a look at some of the differences between the owners of these popular pets. It’s said that dogs will stay loyal to you through thick and thin, while cats will stick up their noses at you if you so much as look at them wrong.

They each have their own special appeal, and it makes sense that there’d be some differences to be found between dog lovers and cat lovers, other than the suspicion that cat owners are slightly masochistic.

Japanese marketing company ‘Neo Marketing’, conducted a survey among 394 men and women between the ages of 20 and 59, in order to try and determine whether or not there are any differences between those who align themselves as cat lovers, and those who say they are dog lovers. The results of the survey revealed a startling and measurable difference between the two. According to the survey, men who prefer cats earn less than men who prefer dogs!

Out of the total number of respondents 286 of them had a job, and the survey asked them for information on their income, as well as asking whether they would describe themselves as a ‘dog person’ or a ‘cat person’. When looking at the correlation between the two, it emerged that while the average income for a dog-loving man was 5.61 million yen (around US$55,200), the average for a cat lover was just 4.64 million (around $45,600). That’s a difference of around 1 million yen ($10,000)!

That’s a pretty big gap, and as way of explanation the surveyors considered the idea that maybe these dog lovers received more promotions. However, when they compared people’s positions in their jobs, there wasn’t that much of a difference to be found. So they are now considering that perhaps it’s to do with the industries and sizes of companies that each side is attracted to.

However, it was only amongst the men that a difference in average salaries was seen. For women, dog lovers had an annual income of 2.23 million (around $22,000), while cat lovers earned slightly more at 2.4 million (around $24,000)…The fact that women are earning half what men are earning is another matter entirely.

When our female Japanese RN24 writer asked some guys about the results, the dog lovers told her that ‘if you’re going to have a pet, then dogs seems like they cost more money.’ The logic goes that if you like dogs and you’re going to get one, then you have to have enough money to start with, which explains why dog owners would earn more. On the other hand, the cat lovers just told her to shut up. Regarding the cost of looking after a cat, they said they couldn’t really say due to differences in breeds and each individual cat… Hmm, perhaps some differences in personality types are showing through there?

Of course, this probably isn’t the most scientific of surveys, so don’t go trying to change your preferences now. I’m a firm believer that  you can’t choose your side in this eternal debate! As for me? I’m a cat person all the way, no matter how much money I’m missing out on.

▼ My precious.

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Source: RocketNews24 Japan, I-research
Images: RocketNews24
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