Cat lovers, don't read. Experts from the Australian insurance company Budget Direct decided to put an end to the age-old dispute between cat and dog lovers. They analyzed the frequency of “dog” and “cat” posts on social networks and made sure that cats still took over the world – at least the virtual one: users in 91 countries sympathize with them, dogs – only in 76, and only in the Czech Republic, Chile and Colombia love both equally. Where did they manage to resist the irresistible feline charm and chose dogs? Top 5 countries from “Subtleties” where “woof” sounds more often than “meow”. Most Europeans love cats, but there are exceptions – for example, Spain. Here, sympathies were divided almost equally, but still with a preponderance in favor of dogs: they are preferred by 52% of the inhabitants, cats – by 48%. A dog, or even more than one, is in almost every second family. They are cared for, cherished, they are allowed almost everything and even treated for depression. The place these four-legged animals occupy in the hierarchy of family values can be judged by the Spanish proverb – “First the children, then the dog, and then the husband!” They speak of felines with much less reverence: “Ungrateful animals are women and cats.” Why dogs? There is an opinion that these friendly creatures are more suitable for open and sociable Spaniards by nature: psychologists from the University of Texas have come to the conclusion that extroverts are more likely to get dogs. A dog, or even more than one, is in almost every second Spanish family. They are cared for, cherished, almost everything is allowed for them, and they are even treated for depression. Another country of dog lovers is Ireland: according to scientists from University College Dublin, dogs are kept by 36% of Irish families, and cats are only in one in 10 houses, usually in older women. Researchers believe that this choice is associated with a traditional way of life: Ireland is an agricultural country, and many people live in spacious houses rather than small apartments. Local cat lovers claim that the Irish love to laugh at the mustachioed-striped ones, and television promotes discrimination against cats, because dogs are much more often shown in films. In Japan, the situation is ambiguous: locals like dogs more, but they often get cats. After polling 30,000 Japanese people, Research Planet found that almost 50% of respondents love dogs and only 28% love cats. Until recently, dogs in Japan were bred 1.6 times more often than their furry competitors, but in 2017 there was a cat boom in the country – for the first time, the number of cats exceeded the number of dogs. The reason is simple: busy Japanese people have no time to walk their pets, and even if they choose dogs, they prefer small breeds that do not need much movement, such as chihuahuas, toy poodles or miniature dachshunds. In India, there are about 10 times more dogs than cats, and this imbalance is due to ideological reasons. In the pantheon of Hindu gods, Ganesha, the god of wisdom and prosperity, who rides on a rat, occupies an honorable place. Therefore, rats in India are respected, and cats, their worst enemies, are disliked. In addition, vegetarian Indians consider cats to be unclean animals: no matter how much you feed these predators, they will still hunt mice and birds, while a dog is content with food from a bowl. In the US, dogs are kept in 47% of households, cats are kept in 37% of families. First, almost three-quarters of Americans live in private homes, and a loyal dog keeps families safe by scaring off burglars and wild animals. Secondly, this is a peculiar part of the American dream: a big house, a family, children and a dog at the doorstep. In addition, dogs are considered more gentle, loyal and sympathetic than cats. Every month dog owners in the US spend about 240 USD on pets, cats cost 160 USD. 
5. Spain
4. Ireland
3. Japan
2. India
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1. USA
