52 per cent of Quebec households have a cat or a dog, the highest rate ever

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MONTREAL — Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cats and dogs in Quebec has increased by about 200,000 to about 3.25 million, a Léger survey shows.

The survey, commissioned by the Quebec Association of Veterinarians in Small Animal Practice, showed that most of this growth is due to a significant increase in the number of cats in households -- 36 per cent now, compared to 31 per cent in January 2020.

Enthusiasm for adopting dogs hasn't been the same: dogs are in 28 per cent of households today, compared to 25 per cent in 2020.

Quebec's cat population is estimated at 2.134 million and the dog population at 1.118 million.

The survey found that 10 per cent of Quebec households have both a cat and a dog and that 47 per cent of households with children have at least one cat compared to 33 per cent of homes without children. On the other hand, 31 per cent of households with children own at least one dog compared to 22 per cent without children.

Dogs are equally popular with men and women, but cats are popular with 42 per cent of women and 31 per cent of men.

Felines are much more popular among those aged 18-34 than among those 55 and older. The trend is similar for dogs, but the gap between younger and older people is smaller.

Finally, the Léger survey found that cats and dogs are least represented in households in the Quebec City metropolitan community.

The Léger survey was conducted from Sept. 24 to 27 among 1,000 Quebecers aged 18 and over. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 17, 2021.