It’s the age-old debate among pet owners, who’s the superior species, is it cats or dogs? Along with metaphors such as ‘they fight like cats and dogs’ we’re led to believe that cats and dogs don’t get along, so we need to pick a side.
Yet, it’s often a myth that your furry companions can’t live peacefully together as many of us choose to own both cats and dogs.
Ultimately, who wins in the real world is subjective to each person’s preference, you’re either a cat or dog lover, sometimes both or neither.
Based on the latest statistics, according to PDSA’s annual survey, in 2024, over half (51%) of UK adults own a pet. Of which 28% have a dog versus 24% who have a cat suggesting that in the UK, we’re marginally more Team Dog than we are Team Cat.
With the debate offline clear cut, here at The Insurance Emporium, we’ve crunched the data across social media and other online platforms to reveal whether cats or dogs reign supreme in the hearts of the online community.
What Does Social Media Say – Cats versus Dogs?
Social media platforms bring together the latest trends, news, conversations, and online communities to name but a few reasons why people choose to engage with them.
While trends come and go, our love for pets remains the same with staple hashtags to share our furry companions living their best lives.
Here’s a roundup of how each of the most popular socials faired when it comes to hashtags.
*Neither #cat nor #dog were trending in TikTok’s top 100 hashtags
In an era where social media and online platforms influence almost every aspect of our lives, for some, it’s more than just a hobby, as several have joined the ranks of celebrity/influencer status. But how do these felines/canines compare in their online stardom? We’ve looked at some of the most influential accounts to see who’s got the biggest following.
In particular, we’ve analysed two of the most popular ‘pet influencers’; Doug The Pug and Nala Cat, to find out who’s more dominant across social media.
Nala Cat is one of Instagram’s most famous cats, in fact, she was awarded a Guinness World Record for ‘Most Followers on Instagram for a Cat’ in 2020. Her following is in its millions across Facebook too, yet she’s not as popular on X or TikTok.
Doug The Pug may not be as popular as Nala Cat on Instagram, jiffpom is one of the bigger contenders here, however, Doug has a cult following across all his social media accounts seeing him win this round of the online pet popularity contest.
Cats versus Dogs on YouTube
YouTube is the birthplace of ‘funny pet videos’ and has been serving video content since 2005, years before Instagram reels or TikTok was even a thing. But which pet leads the pack in this digital space?
Based on Google Trends data over the past five years, worldwide searches for ‘dogs’ and ‘cats’ reveals it is indeed dogs who win this battle. However, this victory could be short lived, as the gap has been slowly closing with the majority becoming marginal for dogs. Who knows what the result might be in another five years?!
Top performing search results for dog videos include: ‘funny dog video compilations’ with 276K monthly searches, ‘Dog videos’ with 208K monthly searches, and ‘Dog – Funny dog videos’ with 179K monthly searches.
When it comes to cat videos, the top performing search results include: ‘cat videos funny cat videos’ garners a whopping 1.2M monthly searches, with ‘cat videos’ at 614K monthly searches, and ‘cat videos meowing’ at 500K monthly searches.
In contrast, Google Trends data of UK searches for ‘cats’ or ‘dogs’ over the past five year is significantly clearer. Aside from Christmas 2019, there is less suggestion that one is about to overtake the other, again dogs reign supreme.
Public Opinion – Cats versus Dogs
So, we’ve looked at social media and other online platforms to find out who’s more popular, what does the Great British public have to say about their preference?
A poll by YouGov in Jul 2023 reveals that in the UK, 44% of Brits prefer dogs to cats while only 22% of Brits prefer cats to dogs. With 23% of Brits saying they like cats and dogs equally.
Sorry cat lovers, but the results clearly suggest that, in 2024 at least, it’s dogs that come out on top as the nation’s favourite. Perhaps this is because dogs are more involved in their human parents’ lives than cats, as research suggests dogs were domesticated 30,000 years ago compared to cats who weren’t domesticated until later, some 12,000 years ago. Another reason for their popularity could also be the surge in demand for designer dog breeds. Whatever the reason, their presence online is paws ahead of cats in some areas.
However, if feline companionship is more your vibe, then don’t despair. Cats are still hugely popular, and with the likes of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and her three kitties; Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button backing your corner, it’s likely our moggies will continue to put up a good fight.
As we’ve delved into the landscape of online pet popularity it’s clear that our pets form a huge part of our everyday lives. With this in mind, if our furry companions were to have an accident, become unwell or ever go missing it could be a big worry. Here at The Insurance Emporium, we offer a range of pet insurance products to give you and your pet the right level of protection to meet your needs. Take a look today and get a free, no strings quote.
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