52 per cent of Quebec households have a cat or a dog, the highest rate ever
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
'I killed four people': Trial hears video evidence of Jeremy Skibicki at Winnipeg trial
“I killed four people,” alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki told two homicide detectives during a recorded interview played as evidence in his trial Wednesday.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.