A survey has found cat-loving households tend to be younger, and female.

A survey has found cat-loving households tend to be younger, and female.

That's according to a survey published by the Veterinary Record.

Researchers surveyed 1,278 households in a community in Cheshire, in the north-west of England. They used face-to-face doorstep interviews to find out if there was a particular profile for cat ownership.

All-male households were significantly less likely to own a cat than mixed households, while female-only households were more likely to.

Around one in four UK households owns at least one dog, while around one in five households owns a cat.

This translates into around 10 million dogs and seven million cats in the UK, which differs from patterns seen in several other countries where cats now outnumber dogs as pets.

The households were all located on the edge of a town in a semi rural community. Occupants, all of whom were over the age of 16, were asked for details about their household, such as age, sex, and employment, and whether they owned any pets.

The results, which were based on responses from 1,142 households, showed that just over half (52%) owned a pet. Around one in four (24%) owned a dog, while around one in five (22%) owned a cat.

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