Brits are from Cat-land, Irish are from Dog-land
I found this little nugget in my peregrenations across the Web: Dogs are twice as popular as cats in Ireland. Meanwhile over in Britain, they strongly prefer cats. And since Londoners are far, far more likely to own cats than dogs, (65% vs 35% IIRC)
I wonder how much of this has to do with rural vs. urban living? If you live in a tiny apartment/flat, it's much harder to keep a dog. They need to be walked, they bark when left alone and annoy the neighbors (Y HALO THAR idjits who think they can leave a Jack Russell terrier alone all day! Your neighbors will remember you with wrath. Not to mention the poor neglected doggie suffering). If I leave Madeleine alone all day, she sleeps, eats, and watches birds. Even if she meows, it's not loud enough for anyone outside the apartment to hear (she's not a Siamese).
Cats are also apparently more popular pets in Belgium and the Netherlands. Perhaps because of the population density? OTOH a lot of countries with more rural economies like Argentina and Brazil prefer dogs.
I wonder how much of this has to do with rural vs. urban living? If you live in a tiny apartment/flat, it's much harder to keep a dog. They need to be walked, they bark when left alone and annoy the neighbors (Y HALO THAR idjits who think they can leave a Jack Russell terrier alone all day! Your neighbors will remember you with wrath. Not to mention the poor neglected doggie suffering). If I leave Madeleine alone all day, she sleeps, eats, and watches birds. Even if she meows, it's not loud enough for anyone outside the apartment to hear (she's not a Siamese).
Cats are also apparently more popular pets in Belgium and the Netherlands. Perhaps because of the population density? OTOH a lot of countries with more rural economies like Argentina and Brazil prefer dogs.