A new study has found that the UK domestic cat and dog population is larger than previously reported by industry figures.

The paper published in The Veterinary Record by Dr. Jane Murray in the Department of Clinical Veterinary Science at Bristol University and colleagues aimed to estimate the number of UK domestic cats and dogs and identify the characteristics of their owners.

The study also found the following:

• The likelihood of dog ownership increased as the household size increased;
• Dogs were more likely to be owned by households with gardens and rural households and less likely to be owned by households with someone educated to degree level and households with cats or children less than 11 years old;
• Female respondents and those less than 55 years old were more likely to own a dog than others; and
• There are a similar numbers of pet cats and dogs.